2008 Lamborghini Reventón, Popular Mechanics, February, 2008
It's named after a deadly bull, looks like something dreamed up by a skunkworks team, and boasts a formidable pricetag of $1.4 million.
What began as a "what if?" conversation premiered at the Frankfurt Motor Show less than 12 months later, and the fact that such automotive magic can be conjured on such short notice speaks to the prowess of Lamborghini's R&D department. For the seven-figure sum you get a vectorized, faceted vision of a top-end Lambo as expressed in composite carbon fiber panels glued to a steel and carbon fiber chassis.
Only glass and rear view mirrors are shared with the Murciélago LP640, and the Reventón's creased surfaces make the Murc look feminine in comparison. Huge vents and scoops feed the bellowing 650 horsepower, 6.5 liter V12 displayed under glass just behind the cockpit, and the slightest throttle elicits loud snarls from the hulking powerplant. 0-60 comes in 3.4 seconds, and a terminal velocity of 211 mph is stabilized with diffusers and ground effects that keep the 3,670 lb vehicle earthbound.
Exterior paint is a discrete matte green/gray, and yet while roaring through the outskirts of Bologna we literally stopped traffic, drawing virtually every image capture device in sight-be it cell phone or point & shoot-making the Reventón about as subtle as a grade 5 tornado. The carbon and olive green Alcantara-trimmed interior features fighter jet-derived TFT liquid crystal instrumentation, and though its carbon fiber seats are firm and its ride stiff, after a day of involved driving the Reventón felt like it wanted to be driven even more.
Quick, brash, and painfully expensive, the Reventón is the most extreme Lamborghini to date. But if you have the means and want one in your garage, don't bother pulling out your checkbook; all 20 examples of this ultimate supercar are already spoken for.
Basem Wasef
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