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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Lamborghini's £3m Fenomeno revealed: CEO tells us how it selects 29 esteemed customers deemed worthy of owning one
Lamborghini has unveiled its new ultra-rare V12 hybrid hypercar with an eye-watering price tag of £3million. Just 29 examples of the Fenomeno are being produced as part of the exotic Italian brand's 'few off' roster of bonkers road cars. As the name suggests, the performance figures are phenomenal to say the least. Boasting a staggering 1,065 horsepower, it is officially the most potent model with numberplates that Lamborghini has ever sold to members of the public. It's also its fastest, capable of reaching 62mph in a mere 2.4 seconds; that's less time than it takes to say, 'capable of reaching 62mph in a mere 2.4 seconds'. But who gets their hands on such an exclusive car that built in incredible low volume using the most advanced materials and design? The Daily Mail sat down with Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann to ask just that... The Fenomeno has been unveiled at an invite-only event hosted during the prestigious Monterey Car Week in Pebble Beach, California. It is underpinned by the same petrol-hybrid platform as the company's flagship Revuelto supercar - but has been wound up to eleven to push the looks and performance into a different stratosphere. The powertrain upgrade means it now surpasses the model on which it is based as Lamborghini's most formidable road car, gazumping Revuelto's 1,001hp output by 64 horses. That's equivalent to adding the total power output of a Volkswagen Up city car. Some 823hp is generated by the naturally aspirated 6.5-litre 12-cylinder engine - which is a new record for Lambo - that revs to an ear-splitting 9,250rpm while a further 242hp comes from three electric motors delivered energy from a 7kWh battery making up the hybrid system. Everything is married together by an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. As the name suggests, the performance figures are pretty phenomenal to say the least. Boasting a staggering 1,065 horsepower, it is officially the most potent model with numberplates that Lamborghini has ever sold to the public It is capable of reaching 62mph in a mere 2.4 seconds; that's less time than it takes to say, 'capable of reaching 62mph in a mere 2.4 seconds' As a result, it produces levels of speed so instant that you would need to put your driving licence on the endangered list, if you could afford the astronomical asking price, that is. The spec sheet states that it can reach 124mph in just 6.7 seconds and - if you dare - a top speed in excess of 218mph. Interestingly - though far less excitingly - the bigger battery means the electric-only range has also doubled compared to Revuelto. It means Fenomeno drivers can stealthily take to the streets in silent model for up to 12 miles when it's fully charged. With only 29 units planned at a price between €3million and €3.5million (roughly £2.6m to £3m), it's also set to be one of the rarest models to feature the prancing bull on its nose. A 30th car is also being made purely for Lamborghini, which it will retain in its museum and never sell to the public. It is underpinned by the same petrol-hybrid platform as company's flagship Revuelto supercar - but has been wound up to eleven for to take the looks and performance into a different stratosphere The powertrain upgrade means it now surpasses the model on which it is based as Lamborghini's most formidable road car, gazumping Revuelto's 1,001hp output by 64 horses With only 29 units planned at a price between €3million and €3.5million (roughly £2.6m to £3m), Fenomeno will be one of the rarest models to feature the prancing bull on its nose The CEO says Fenomeno has been produced as a 20-year nod to the inauguration of its in-house department responsible for creating 'few off' models, which first unveiled its Reventón creation in 2007. Fenomeno now joins a lineage of limited edition Lambos that also includes the Sesto Elemento (2010), Veneno (2013), Centenario (2016), Sián (2019) and reborn Countach (2021). Winkelmann says it is these cars that have become a 'fundamental part of Lamborghini's DNA', having raised the profile of the supercar marque since the turn of the century. 'Fenomeno is an extraordinary car in terms of performance, style and iconoclastic representation of Lamborghini, created to celebrate the value and achievements of our brand, and dedicated to those customers who expect the utmost exclusivity from us,' he added. 'But beyond its extraordinary design and power, the Fenomeno is the few-off that, more than any other in Lamborghini's history, introduces innovative technical solutions to make the driving experience truly unique.' While its proportions are similar to that of Revuelto, a full-carbon makeover of the body makes it stand apart as a far more extreme vehicle. This includes deeply chiselled and indented panels, enormous cooling intakes, and a completely revised rear featuring a central quad exhaust outlet and Y-shaped light cluster. CEO Stephan Winkelmann says it is 'few off' cars like Fenomeno that has become a 'fundamental part of Lamborghini's DNA', having raised the profile of the supercar marque since the turn of the century Side-by-side: The Fenomeno is underpinned by the Revuleto flagship supercar (right). As you can see, they are dimensionally similar, but the 29-unit version boasts far more extreme design features The CEO says the Fenomeno has been produced as a 20-year nod to the inauguration of its in-house department responsible for creating 'few off' models, which first produced the Reventón in 2007 Inside, the Fenomeno is as extreme as it is on the outside. The 29 customers will be able to customise just about every element of the car they'll be delivered - once their £3million payment has arrived in Lamborghini's bank account, that is... Just 29 examples - so who gets one? With such finite availability, who on earth gets to own one of this radical machines? It's a question we posed to Winkelmann during an exclusive sit down with the Lamborghini boss. Given the company delivered 10,687 vehicles to customers globally last year, the 29 getting keys to a Fenomeno represents 0.2 per cent of Lamborghini's already-exclusive annual clientele. So how does it go about choosing who gets allocated one? The Daily Mail sat down with Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann ahead of Fenomeno's unveiling to understand who gets first dibs on ultra-rare cars built in limited numbers Given the company delivered 10,687 vehicles to customers globally last year, the 29 getting keys to a Fenomeno represents 0.2% of Lamborghini's already-exclusive annual clientele 'They are all allocated already, and almost all the deals are closed,' Winkelmann told us during an interview last month. 'There is a process which is based on criteria which is known by us, the customers and our dealers. 'This is in terms of the number of cars they have bought.' He explains that those with the biggest collection of high-value models - including other 'few off' cars - are given 'priority access' to special projects such as Fenomeno. And while limited-edition cars of this ilk have become fundamental to Lamborghini's DNA, the boss tells us there also needs to be a compelling business case for producing a vehicle with a stupendous seven-figure price tag. Winkelmann said the company is already facing 'heavy investment constantly to secure the future of the company', especially with changing regulations that are impacting car makers of all sizes in the lead-up to the proposed ban on sales of combustion engine cars from 2035. But he said the continuation of the few off project is key to 'hold on to a tradition that is very important'. While Fenomeno costs over six times the £450,000 price tag of Revuelto on which it is based, Winkelmann said it is not about producing an exclusive car to simply turn a profit, with huge costs associated to making such an extreme machine. 'It is not only giving us a business case, which is, for sure, not the biggest one, but it's giving credibility to the product and providing customers the opportunity to invest in something important to us,' he went on. 'If we would make it [Fenomeno] only for the profit, we would not make it, because the effort we have to put into it is huge in comparison to the profitability. 'What is most important to me is the satisfaction of our customers by enabling them to have something really outstanding and unique in very limited availability.'
Telegraph
10-03-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Alain Prost hits out at ‘complete bulls---' new Ayrton Senna biopic
Alain Prost has described a new Netflix-produced miniseries about the life of Ayrton Senna as 'complete bulls---' and said he may quit social media because of the abuse he still receives from fans of the Brazilian icon. Prost, 70, won the Formula One world championship four times in a brilliant driving career. But it was his intense rivalry with Senna, both when they were team-mates at McLaren and subsequently in opposing teams when the Frenchman joined Ferrari and Williams, which he claims has 'unfortunately' come to define his time in the sport. Prost and Senna were team-mates at McLaren in 1988 and 1989 and had a fraught relationship. The pair famously made contact at the final chicane in Suzuka in 1989, putting them both out of the race. While Senna restarted, he was later disqualified for rejoining the track by cutting a chicane, handing the title to Prost. Senna 🆚 Prost The infamous incident still talked about 30 years on... #JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 #F1 — Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2019 The following year, with Prost now at Ferrari, the pair were involved in one of the most infamous collisions in F1 history, Senna deliberately crashing into the Frenchman at the first corner, taking him out of the race and securing the title for himself. The 1990 Japanese Grand Prix may best be known for Prost/Senna crash on the first lap but it had so much more: • Only podium for the Lamborghini V12 & Aguri Suzuki • First podium for a Japanese driver • The last race where no European driver finished the race on the podium — Vincenzo Landino (@vincenzolandino) March 28, 2024 Their rivalry was explored in the 2010 film Senna, directed by Asif Kapadia. Prost was involved in the making of the film but later expressed frustration over how he was depicted in the final edit. And it is the same with a new six-part 'biopic' Senna about his life, which has been made in collaboration with the driver's family. With a budget of $170 million, it is the most expensive Brazilian television series in history. Prost has claimed the Brazilian-made series had 'completely fictionalised' their relationship and suggested he had been depicted as a 'bad guy'. 'Bulls---, bulls---, complete bulls---, almost everything has been completely fictionalised,' Prost told 'I've only seen a few pictures and heard quite a lot of feedback. As with the film Senna, the first one, which I probably spent even more time on than my own documentary, and this biopic, it's obvious that I won't be satisfied, of course. 'Because there is always a good guy and a bad guy. I know a little bit about the story that is being told and yes, it is a biopic, it is fictionalised. 'But unfortunately, a few repetitive stories are inserted that are totally made up, just totally wrong.' Prost added that he could leave social media given the grief it causes him. 'I can't not think about Ayrton, fortunately or unfortunately,' the 70 year-old said. 'For example, I'm considering turning off my Instagram, because I get messages every day, really every day without exception – from time to time there's a hateful one, that can happen. 'My biggest fan base on social media is from Brazil, of all places, so I'm forced to think of him. Indirectly, I've been living around this story for 30 years, and it will probably stay that way for the rest of my life.'
