Normal little boys want to be train drivers. Or policemen. Little dudes, however, want to be racing drivers. Or jet pilots. But little heroes want to be both. And Lamborghini, the Italian dream factory, has designed the ideal car just for them – and also turned it into a reality. Its name: the Reventón.
It is, however, more for boys who already shave. And are loaded. Because to own this supercar – named after a bull that killed its matador in 1943 – you need a formidable one million euros, which equals almost 1.5 million USD these days. Nerves of steel are also a prerequisite – this car will definitely scare away the faint-hearted even if it’s just standing still on the tarmac. Its matt-grey anatomy, made up of dozens of angles, sharp edges and corners seem to come from another world. This beast is refined, arrogant and aggressive. Intricate and yet restrained; as if the Pentagon had spent years and billions of dollars on it instead of just six months by an Italian manufacturer.
The mighty, dark air vents below the front headlights and behind the doors alone are humbling, making any lucky onlooker’s heart start to race. There are cooling rotors inside those vents, just like on a jet engine. The arrow-shaped geometry of beading, seams and joints are so specific and unusual they could have been calculated by a Nobel Prize winner.
Dispassionate and brutal physics seem to be Lamborghini’s new formula for success. With 2,350 cars sold in 2007, Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini is more successful than ever. And destined for more which is why the company has taken the Murciélago LP 640 to a completely new level and created the Reventón. This is the first car to be fully designed by the Centro Stile Lamborghini in Sant’Agata, Italy. And it is the first Lambo to be done so digitally using no clay models. And the designers seemed to be as fast as the Reventón itself, taking mere months from conception to realisation.
While all the Murciélago mechanics such as the 6.5 litre, V12 engine; the wheelbase and the AWD are untouched, the Reventón looks completely different. The rims, fuel cap, exhaust pipe, bi-xenon/LED front and LED rear-lights are new. What is left of the Murciélago are the body’s carbon composite material, windshield and interior layout.
In the interior, the Reventón and the Murciélago are very similar except for the leather patterns and an all-new instrument cluster. Made from carbon-covered aluminium, the cluster houses two TFT screens, an upgrade from the familiar analogue instruments. All driving information can be displayed in two different layouts, one of which is designed to look like in a plane cockpit. The second setting is, however, better with its round, analogue-like layouts which are easier to read while driving. The ingenious automated E-Gear shifting is optional, but there is one piece of standard equipment that could have been left out – the indicators.
Wherever I drove, traffic parted as if by magic. I just can’t imagine any other vehicle (including the Bugatti Veyron) attracting more attention than the Reventón. Style-wise some people think it’s reminiscent of a stealth jet, and they are right. “We were inspired by the Tornado and the F-22 Raptor,” says Manfred Fitzgerald, responsible for brand and design at Lamborghini.
In fact, the new styling with its slightly longer tail and larger rear-spoiler lifting automatically at 130km/h is aerodynamically more effective. And with an empty weight of 1,660kg, the Reventón is also 100kg lighter and 10bhp more powerful than the standard 4.61 metre long Murciélago. This does not, however, result in better performance figures – just like the Murciélago you can do 0 to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds; the top speed of 343km/h is also the same. “The Reventón feels easier and more responsive above 175km/h,” points Lamborghini’s test-pilot Mario Fasanetto. “Its aerodynamics are better but you hardly notice the differences when driving. The tail is just a bit more docile than the Murciélago at top speed.” It’s a pity that my test vehicle was electronically limited to around 130km/h. But I won’t complain because only 20 Reventóns are being produced. While seven will be staying in Europe, two will go to Dubai and Japan and the other eleven are reserved for the US.
The Reventón is a cool piece of machinery; you can even call it a work of art. Some wealthy big boys might be tempted now, but no chance – all the Super-Lambos were sold months ago. So this will definitely remain a big boy’s dream.
Contacts
Kuwait Al Ghanim & Sons +965 4827444
KSA Al Ghassan Motors +966 14614049
Lebanon Saad & Trad +9611 613 670
Qatar Dana Motors +974 444 5112
UAE Al Jaziri +9714 295 2225
Price approx. 1,500,000 USD
Engine 6496cc V12
Performance 650bhp (490 kW)
Torque 660Nm
Size (L/W/H) 4610/2058/1135mm
Weight 1,664kg (empty)
Top speed 343km/h
0-100 km/h 3.4 sec
