Pain knows many names but to the average gearhead, there is little more painful than bidding adieu to a V12 engine. Lamborghini’s V12 supercar era will be coming to a close to make way for the hybrid era, which will be much kinder to the environment. That said if you are destined to go out, go out in a blaze of glory… Lamborghini has truly taken that sentiment to heart with the launch of the Invencible and Autentica.
Lamborghini unveils the Invencible and Autentica to mark the end of the V12 era
Swan song
These 2 unique one-off cars don’t merely mark the end of a glorious era, are a celebration of what these naturally-aspirated V12s have given us over the years. The roadster and coupe are here just two weeks before the launch of Lamborghini’s first hybrid supercar. So let’s take a look into what they each bring to the tarmac…
Unmistakably Lamborghini, these two beasts styled by Lamborghini Centro Stile bring out the quintessential creativity and design the iconic brand carries. These beauties pay hommage to masterpieces of Lamborghini design— the Sesto Elemento (the lightness brought by the large rear wing), the Reventón courtesy of the unique aeronautical style and the Veneno, which seeks perfection in aerodynamics.
If something about this seems familiar, you are spot on. Both cars share the same carbon fibre monocoque as the Aventador, along with full carbon bodywork. The front splitter is prominent and has vertical struts that are intended to regulate airflow as effectively as possible. The bonnet is a throwback to the Essenza SCV12 model. The hexagon, a well-known symbol of modern Lamborghini design has been harmoniously integrated into several aspects of both the interior and exterior of the car. This can be seen on the striking front and rear light assembly highlighted by innovative hexagonal LED running lights.
When it comes to the Stuff side of things, the interior of both cars is dominated by clean lines and a minimalist dashboard enhanced by hexagonal 3D-printed air vents and no instrumentation on the console, to underline the lightness of the cabin and to not draw attention from the pure driving bliss these cars offer. The cockpit itself is framed in carbon fibre, with a digital readout featuring dedicated graphics for each car.
The Invencible and Auténtica will be the ultimate cars produced by Lamborghini that will feature a 12-cylinder 6.5 l engine mounted longitudinally in the rear before the transition to a hybrid era. As for what these powertrains truly deliver in terms of raw performance, it brings a seven-speed ISR gearbox, four-wheel drive, and the Lamborghini Dynamic Steering system that controls all four wheels. It produces 780 CV and a maximum 720 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm. Looks like we will still have to await the price tag, top speed and the 0-100 of these models. Regardless, these two are a real treat for all those who were convinced the Ultimae would be the last of the V12s. And hey, even if you can’t experience the joy of driving these invincible authentic cars, at least you can look at it…