Friday 28th October 2011

YKYWT... 1994 Cizeta V16T

Not another rare supercar with delivery mileage?

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The recent unearthing of a delivery-mileage Porsche 959 Sport seemed at the time like a pretty neat find - and it was - but it might have been aced within the same month.

A prominent collector of cars (we can't say who, but the car is currently in Singapore and the owner is minted. Super, super minted...) is selling some of the cars which he never gets to drive, and this Cizeta is one of them.

As is almost commonplace with this kind of car nobody knows exactly how many were actually built, although the figure of just three right hand drive examples doesn't appear to be disputed.

The Cizeta has been discussed on the PH forum before and the full history lesson can be read in the advert', but in brief designer Marcello Gandini came up with the car you see here for Lamborghini to build as the Diablo, but Chrysler stuck their oar in and altered his design causing Mr Gandini to form the Cizeta company with an Italian Ferrari dealer. It didn't work out and only a handful were ever built (10 seems to be the most popular estimate).

Sadly, like the 959 this car will probably be driven little, if at all, but at least you could take the 959 to a Porsche dealer for parts and servicing. Some parts on the Cizeta will be shared with the Lamborghini Diablo, and the magnificent V16 engine (which can be heard here) is fundamentally two Ferrari V8s on a common crankcase so servicing might not actually be a total nightmare, but the likelihood is that it will be stored away somewhere.

That's a pity, because it sounds wonderful doesn't it?

The asking price works out at £316,700 for this never-before-registered Cizeta. Depending upon how you look at it that's either a realistic price for such a rare and exotic machine, or a hell of a lot of money for an ornament.

[Twincam16]

I always thought the V16 was made out of a pair of Lamborghini Jalpa V8s, and that the money for the project came from Giorgio Moroder?

[Owlwood]

Wow, the interior. I cant figure out if its the worst thing or the best thing I have ever seen... Certainly special.

[James P]

I recall seeing it referred to as the Cizeta Moroder, so assumed he had an involvement somewhere along the line.

[kotafey]

Owlwood said:

Wow, the interior. I cant figure out if its the worst thing or the best thing I have ever seen... Certainly special.

+1

My reaction is just "wow". In a bad way, I think.

[900T-R]

Indeed, that's how I remember it, too.

I presume each one came with a copy each of I Feel Love and From Here To Eternity?

[davidcharles]

Owlwood said:

Wow, the interior. I cant figure out if its the worst thing or the best thing I have ever seen... Certainly special.

+1 again....can't decide if its super cool or super bad

[Ozzie Osmond]

James P said:

I recall seeing it referred to as the Cizeta Moroder, so assumed he had an involvement somewhere along the line.

Yes, I'm sure you're right. All Wikipedia says is,

"At some point after the car's debut, Giorgio Moroder and Claudio Zampolli parted ways, losing Moroder's name and the car's novelty appeal. His exact original involvement is unknown. The Cizeta is still associated with his name and remains symbolic of Moroder's hi-tech music and glamorous lifestyle. In addition, while the car debuted as the Cizeta-Moroder, all delivered cars were badged simply as Cizeta V16T."

[soad]

Crazy money for one, even if rare.
Diablo for less cash, please.

[The Danimal]

Is that a Testarossa cabro parked next to it?!!!

[em177]

The Danimal said:

Is that a Testarossa cabro parked next to it?!!!

:drool:

[thewheelman]

I know you're not allowed to name the Sultan as the owner, but damn.......he has some collection.

[cookie1600]

Sultan Of Brunei again for this one, via Hong Seh in Singapore - he had three, only seven, possibly eight were built.

I believe that this was the third car and that tired of the performance and running of one of the others, someone (possibly Prince Jefri, the brother or more likely Pininfarina) decided that the V16 was no match for a Ferrari V12. The Cizeta were sent to Pininfarina where they swapped out the V16 for a Ferrari 512 V12 engine. I have a feeling that the first one (black, cream interior, RHD, chassis number 103) is now in Dick Marconi's Collection in California and also underwent the conversion?



As for the second RHD car, I seem to remember Talacrest bought that in a state of disrepair - I wonder where it is now?

[chunkymonkey71]

The Danimal said:

Is that a Testarossa cabro parked next to it?!!!

Looks like it! Is that not the only one in existance?

[pagani1]

I saw the photos of the owners garage full to the brim of exotic cars. Can we have a PH full article in the future?

[gforceg]

If I remember rightly the T in the name came from the engine and gearbox being perpendicular to each other (so forming a "T"). I think this configuration explains the width of the car at the rump too. Wasn't the engine in sideways? All this with the caveat that it was a long time ago and I haven't seen the article since.

[chunkymonkey71]

Can you imagine opening that garage door and thinking "Hmm, what will I drive today?"

[Podie]

How many lights...!?!?

Didn't these have two sets of pop up headlamps on each side?


ETA - yes, they do.

[The Danimal]

chunkymonkey71 said:

The Danimal said:

Is that a Testarossa cabro parked next to it?!!!

Looks like it! Is that not the only one in existance?

I've only ever seen one on Outrun!

[gforceg]

gforceg said:

If I remember rightly the T in the name came from the engine and gearbox being perpendicular to each other (so forming a "T"). I think this configuration explains the width of the car at the rump too. Wasn't the engine in sideways? All this with the caveat that it was a long time ago and I haven't seen the article since.

Whoohoo! My memory hasn't gone completely!

http://www.supercars.net/cars/390.html

[cookie1600]

chunkymonkey71 said:

Looks like it! Is that not the only one in existance?

Nope! More Sultan specials:









He generally had a few of each bespoke vehicle made in a number of colours to suit whatever day of the week it was......