The Gallardo Super Trofeo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale may have been the center of attention at Lamborghini’s press event in Frankfurt, but the Italian company had another surprise under its sleeve as it announced that the stunning Sesto Elemento concept would enter a limited production.
The Sesto Elemento was unveiled at last year’s Paris Motor Show as a showcase for Lamborghini’s technological innovations. The automaker had then denied speculation that it was the Gallardo’s replacement or a new addition to its range.
It was a plausible denial: the outrageously designed, carbon fiber prototype was seemingly too radical for production.
The Sesto Elemento was Lamborghini’s first supercar after the 1986 Countach Evoluzione that weighed less than 1,000 kg – even by a mere kilogram. This, combined with the motorsport-sourced 570HP V10 (the same engine as the Gallardo Superleggera and Stradale) gave the Sesto Elemento a power-to-weight ratio of just 1.75 kg per HP and a 2.5 seconds time for the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint.
Winkelmann explained Lamborghini’s change of heart: “The excellent feedback and the numerous requests we’ve had from our customers have really convinced us to embark on the challenge of producing a vehicle with unique characteristics. We are proud that what a year ago was a technology demonstrator of future super sports cars, even though in working order, will become a small series reality.”
Exactly how small? Well, lets’ just say that it will make the 150 units of the Gallardo Super Trofeo Stradale seem too common in comparison: the Sesto Elemento’s production run will be a mere 20 units, with deliveries starting in 2013.
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