Lamborghini unveils unique 770hp 'SC18'
Aventador SVJ not exclusive enough? Squadra Corse has just built this wild one off...
Ferruccio Lamborghini famously saw motorsport as a waste of time. It was expensive, he thought, and its requirements resulted in compromised road cars. At the time, he was right, of course - but half a century later, there are enormous advantages in having your motorsport division build a road car. Primarily profit.
Lamborghini, despite the introduction of numerous and increasingly extravagant special editions - not least the most recent Aventador SVJ - clearly feels like it has been missing this trick. Thus we get this: the SC18, a 'one-off' model which the manufacturer says is the first to be developed by Squadra Corse in conjunction with a customer.
Naturally the most crucial part of that sentence is actually the latter half. Building "personalized" supercars is now a well-established path to charging hitherto unheard of sums for breathed-on range filler. Not that anyone would describe the Aventador underneath the SC18 as filler - especially when it's been given access to the same 770hp V12 that was previously exclusive to the aforementioned Jota.
Beyond that - according to its maker - it's the "extreme aerodynamics" which distinguish the unique model. As you might expect, these are derived from Squadra Corse's own experience in competition, and include air intakes in the style of the Huracan GT3 Evo, along with sills, fins and air scoops borrowed from the Super Trofeo Evo car.
A large carbon fibre wing completes the effect, one equipped with three mechanical adjustments that help it to generate the 'optimal downforce' on any circuit. Track work, you won't be surprised to hear, is very much the reason for the SC18's being (it also comes with just 109mm of ground clearance, P Zero Corsa tyres and a full telemetry system installed) but Lamborghini has suggested the car is also 'road approved' too.
You'd imagine its implied flexibility is less about the SC18 rolling to the local shops, and much more about Lamborghini's keenness to reiterate that the new car "paves the way to further personalised development projects for motorsport customers under the Squadra Corse brand". So the car you see pictured counts as a 'one-off'. But only in as much as it is the first of a new (if not entirely original) breed of Lamborghini road cars. Ferruccio would be proud.
Most manufacturers have realised there are plenty of rich stupid people and the best way to make money is to sell them massively overpriced versions of relatively cheaper cars
Lambo are absolutely head-and-shoulders ahead on the 'stick plastic on it and call it special' department but Ferrari and McLaren have their own versions of this and - hell - Jaguar seem to have adopted the old Nissan schtick of putting named specials out whenever cash is short (the F Type '"Face" anyone?)
It all makes sense of course - the profit on some of these cars is mind-bending - the publicity is gold - Youtube videos from the likes of Schoo52 are the Athena poster of the 21st century etc.
As a car fan, I like to see crazy cars as much as anyone but there's a lot of 'clagged on s
t' going-on here - we get that from stshops like Kahn etc. enough as-is - we expect more from actual car makers??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAM4nC6T5Qk
The Miura was just beautiful. The Countach was striking in shape but subtle in detail - the only reason that became so over-styled (and slightly hideous) was because it was on sale for 15+ years. And then they made a wedge called the Diablo and they've basically been sticking bits on it for 30 odd years...I'm not sure they're anything other than a bit tired now..
I'd love for them to just do something new. It's great they're still making big proper engines, and it's great that their sole aim seems to be drama and occasion, but it's a little stale after 30 years. Still, it's quite likable.
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