Lamborghini Set to Unveil New Supercar at 2016 Geneva Motor Show
Next year marks the 100th birthday of famed Italian designer Ferruccio Lamborghini and the company that carries his name is set to release a new, limited edition supercar to celebrate. While official details on the vehicle are light, that hasn’t stopped speculation from enthusiasts around the world. Here we take into account what we know so far as well as take a look at the man that started it all.
The Man Behind the Name
Ferruccio Lamborghini was born in 1916 to grape farmers from the comune of Cento in Northern Italy. With a mechanical interest from a young age, he founded Lamborghini Trattori in 1948, which quickly became an important manufacturer of agricultural equipment in the midst of Italy’s post-war economic reform. In 1959, he opened an oil heater factory, Lamborghini Bruciatori, which later entered the business of producing air conditioning equipment.
It wasn’t until 1963 that he created Automobili Lamborghini, the maker of the high-end sports cars that we commonly know his name for today. By the late 1970s, Ferruccio had sold off many of his interests, preferring to retire to an estate in Umbria where he pursued his family’s tradition of winemaking instead.
What We Know So Far
While Lamborghini is currently keeping most of the details under wraps in an effort to surprise us next Spring at the Geneva Motor Show, it’s understood that the new supercar will be in the mold of previous special editions such as the 2008 Reventon, the 2011 Sesto Elemento, and 2012’s Aventador J. Each of these models was limited to 20 models or less and the price tag of the 2016 special edition likely to be around €1.75m plus taxes, so this new model is clearly built for the collector market.
That being said, the company’s current president and chief executive, Stephan Winkelmann, has said that the vehicle will still be a “street-legal car,” noting the importance of this for potential buyers. It’s also predicted to be most technologically advanced Lamborghini the company has ever produced, taking advantage of their latest innovations in aerodynamics, engine technology, and weight distribution, and chassis control.
While this special edition will be out of reach for all but the most die-hard collectors, owning your own Lamborghini might not be as unrealistic as you once thought. Insurance companies like this are taking advantage of new technology to lower premiums and leasing, which was once only the domain of corporate users, is becoming more popular for personal use.