Lamborghini Centenario: the perfect Few-off

“This was the perfect moment in which I finally decided to create the perfect car.” This is the statement made by Ferruccio Lamborghini that is still today considered the foundational act of Automobili Lamborghini and its tradition of revolutionary cars. In 2016, on the occasion of what would have been the 100th birthday of its founder, Automobili Lamborghini presented a perfect vehicle, a dream reserved for the few: the Lamborghini Centenario.

PERFECTION IS THE BEGINNING

Like all the few-offs of the House of the Raging Bull, the Centenario was engineered to express the maximum potential of Lamborghini’s research and development department, anticipating the technological solutions of the production cars of the future. But even more than the previous ones, Reventón and Veneno, everything in the Centenario was studied with only one inspiring principle: the quest for perfection.

PERFECTION IS THE MISSION  

The pure and essential lines reveal a new stylistic language made up of air permeable elements that embody the Lamborghini principle by which form follows function. The Centenario grabs the attention with its “Bad Boy” look, as it was often defined by the media. On the front, the double splitters stand out, generating enormous downforce and conveying the air above and below the car. But it is in the rear part that the Centenario displays all the art of Lamborghini in exploiting the aerodynamic flows. The bumper is virtually non-existent, and in its place six enormous splitters regulate the outflows, giving the Centenario a powerful and futuristic look. 

NOTHING RUNS FASTER THAN THIS  

The 770 CV V12 is still today the most powerful Lamborghini engine ever built, along with that of the more recent Aventador SVJ. The Centenario sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 2.8 seconds, reaches 300 km/h (186 mph) in just 23.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph). Braking from 100 km/h (62 mph) to standstill is achieved in just 30 meters. Both the monocoque and bodywork of the Centenario are made of carbon fiber (exposed in the launch version livery), reducing the weight to just 1.520 kg, with a weight-to-power ratio of 1.97 kg/CV. An intelligent super sports car that features an extending rear wing, four-wheel steering, and a large touchscreen for controlling the infotainment and telemetry systems.

PERFECTION IS THE BELIEF 

The Centenario was produced in just 20 units of the coupé version and 20 of the roadster. Its 1.75 million euro price did not prevent the 40 perfect cars from being sold out even before its official debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. It was a huge success among virtual racing drivers, becoming the hero car of the video game Forza Horizon 3 as well as protagonist of a big event during the E3 in Las Vegas. The perfection, the performance features and the iconic nature of this car demonstrate once again that technology is not enough by itself, but a great source of inspiration is needed to project the dreams of the great pioneers into unique vehicles that anticipate the future.