Lamborghini celebrates 50-year anniversary with wild Egoista concept
Italian supercar maker Lamborghini got selfish recently in its hometown of Sant’Agata Bolognese.
The company, which is spending 2013 celebrating its 50-year anniversary, unveiled the one-off Egoista to a cheering crowd of more than 700 owners Sunday. The group had gathered from around the world for a week-long celebration of Lamborghini’s heritage.
At the gala concluding the trip, a laughing Walter De Silva drove the single-seat car on stage amid a theatrical introduction complete with clouds of smoke and flashing strobe lights.
PHOTOS: Lamborghini’s wild Egoista supercar concept
De Silva is the head of design for Volkswagen Group, which owns Lamborghini. It was his team that oversaw the design of the Egoista.
“This is a car made for one person only, to allow them to have fun and express their personality to the maximum,†De Silva said. “It represents hedonism taken to the extreme, it is a car without compromises.â€
Hence the name, De Silva explained. Egoista is Italian for “selfish.â€
The car is based on the existing mid-engined Gallardo, and draws 600 horsepower out of a 5.2-liter V-10. Its center-mounted cockpit is removable, akin to a tailor-made suit, Lamborghini said.
The cockpit itself is made of carbon-fiber and aluminum, and its design was inspired by aviation interiors, namely the Apache helicopter.
“[It] represents a sort of survival cell, allowing the driver to isolate and protect themselves from external elements,†De Silva said. “We kept an eye on the future when designing the Egoista.â€
The car has no conventional doors. Rather, a glass canopy pops open and the driver must climb over the carbon-fiber body and into the seat. As with many race cars, the Egoista’s steering wheel is removable, to allow easier access.
“Even in getting out of the vehicle, the Lamborghini Egoista requires a pilot more than a driver, a real top gun,†the automaker explained in a statement.
The car’s outlandish confluence of harsh creases and sharply intersecting corners bears a passing resemblance to the Veneno supercar Lamborghini announced at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.
That car, which is based on Lamborghini’s Aventador, will actually be produced. Unfortunately for interested parties, all three copies were spoken for ahead of its introduction. The price? $3.9 million.
But the Egoista, as its name implies, is for Lamborghini’s own use. It won’t be offered for sale. Instead, it’s a deliberately conspicuous reminder of the longstanding ethos of the Italian company.
“I wanted to pay homage to and think up a vehicle to underline the fact that Lamborghinis have always been made with passion, and the heart more than the head,†De Silva said.
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