Who even knew the Italian navy had an aircraft carrier? Well, it does, this state of the art embodiment of naval military might finding valuable employment in recent years as ... a mobile car launch venue. First it was the Fiat Punto Evo. And the other night in Abu Dhabi the
Lamborghini Veneno Roadster
, exposure on the flight deck of the Nave Cavour probably the only thing these two cars will ever share in common.
Which would be faster fired off the deck?
Using a loose definition of the term 'public unveiling', Lamborghini revealed the Veneno Roadster onboard the Nave Cavour, the implication being that anyone strolling past the Mina Zayed dockyard, seeing an Italian aircraft carrier docked and idly hopping aboard could have joined the party. They couldn't of course, the glitzy unveiling being reserved for the expected array of 'authorities, clients, VIP and media' with a fashion show, fancy Italian food and all the millionaire lifestyle trimmings.
It takes quite a lot to make a jet fighter look drab and boring but against the Veneno Roadster even the Italian AV-8B Harrier IIs look a bit downbeat. The car itself, as we already know, is Lamborghini's attempt to steal a bit of the McLaren P1 and LaFerrari's thunder by throwing a bunch of outrageous carbon aero at an Aventador and moving the decimal point on the price to the right a step or two. And now available without a roof. Three Veneno coupes will be built for specially selected customers at 3m euros apiece, the Roadster relatively common in comparison with nine due to be constructed in 2014.
Missed out on the coupe? Nine to be built!
The 3.3m euros (plus taxes) pricetag is one of many outrageous figures associated with the car, a sub-three 0-62 (2.9 seconds) and 221mph top speed courtesy of a 750hp version of the Aventador's 6.5-litre V12 among the others. Given that Lamborghini makes great claims about the aero effectiveness of all that extraordinary bodywork it skims over the possible impact of removing the roof but, let's face it, we're unlikely to see the Veneno Roadster joining the battle to record a sub-seven 'ring lap record. This is all about visual and visceral impact, the pomp, circumstance and chosen location of this unveiling entirely appropriate.