Lamborghini unveils the exclusive $3.9-million Veneno supercar

CARBON-FIBER BULL The $3.9-million Veneno is the fastest Lamborghini road car made.

The Geneva Motor Show is an annual showcase of the auto industry’s styling and technological expertise. European and lately Asian brands have taken to the international motor show stage to launch their latest models. This year, the supercar market was in high profile, as several performance carmakers showed off their wares.

Lamborghini’s latest bull will be a very special animal: the Italian supercar maker’s vehicle will be built in a limited production run. How limited? Exactly three units will be produced. Its name: Veneno. Named after, of course, a fighting bull, in this case a famous Spanish animal that was one of the strongest and most aggressive. He fatally wounded the famous torero José Sánchez Rodríguez in Andalusia, Spain.

The new exotic was unveiled at the recent Geneva Motor Show, where archrivals Ferrari and McLaren also unveiled hyper-performance cars. Ferrari and McLaren both showed off their Formula One-derived technology by launching cars with hybrid drivetrains, with powertrains similar to the energy-recovery systems onboard today’s F1 cars.

The Veneno is something of a more traditional take on the genre, with a V12 engine mounted midship, good for 750 hp. The 6.5-liter engine is mated to a seven-speed automated manual. All-wheel drive is standard, and the drivetrain can be adjusted via electronics to one of five driving modes. Despite having “only” 750 hp versus the limited-edition Ferrari’s and McLaren’s 900 hp, the Veneno is no slouch. It can accelerate to 100 kph in 2.8 seconds, and top speed is 355 kph.

As is customary for this class of vehicle, carbon fiber is the material of choice. Its use allows a chassis to be highly rigid yet lightweight. The Veneno tips the scales at 1450 kg, relatively light for its size and power. The chassis is based on the Aventador’s (list price: $400,000).  Aerodynamics were honed to provide optimum downforce, with the entire front end designed as a large aero wing. An adjustable rear wing provides stability at speed.

Veneno comes in any color you wish, as long as it’s metallic gray.

The alloy wheels are 20 inches in front and 21 inches at the rear. Even they have a carbon fiber ring around the rim. These serve to deliver cooling air to the carbon-ceramic brake discs.

The interior is also decked in carbon, in materials dubbed Forged Composite and Carbon Skin. Veneno comes in any color you wish, as long as it’s metallic gray. Accents will show the green, white, and red of the Italian flag. If you must ask, the price is $3.9 million (believe it or not, around P160 million, before taxes).