Ferruccio Lamborghini, the man who founded the iconic company that bears his name, would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year. To commemorate the occasion, Lamborghini has created a limited-edition masterpiece called Centenario (“centenary” in Italian) that takes everything the Raging Bull has stood for over the past five decades and cranks it up to 11.
Stretching 193 inches long and only 44 inches tall, the Centenario wears the ultimate expression of Lamborghini’s design language. It’s instantly recognizable as a Raging Bull but it looks markedly more aggressive than the Aventador it traces its roots to. It receives a sharp-looking front end with aero-enhancing fins, and a pair of air vents built into the hood that keep it glued to the road by putting extra downforce on the front axle. In profile, its most striking styling cues are yellow side skirts, specific wheels with carbon fiber inserts, and huge ducts that feed cooling air to the radiators. The rear end features Y-shaped LED tail lamps, a stunning air diffuser with yellow accents, and a wing that automatically extends at high speeds.
The monocoque and every single body panel are manufactured out of carbon fiber in order to shed as much weight as possible. As a result, the Centenario tips the scale at 3,351 pounds, which is remarkably light for such a big car. The model displayed in Geneva proudly shows off its carbon fiber construction, but buyers can choose to have the body painted in just about any color found on Lamborghini’s palette.
The Centenario is gifted with the most powerful engine Lamborghini has built to date. It’s based on the Aventador’s naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12, but it’s been tweaked to deliver 770 horsepower — up from 690 — and rev all the way up to 8,600 rpm. As a result, the Centenario hits 60 mph from a stop in just 2.8 seconds, faster than you can say “happy 100th birthday, Ferrucio Lamborghini!” Getting from zero to 186 mph takes 23.5 seconds, if you have enough tarmac, and the 12-cylinder keeps on accelerating until the speedometer displays about 220 mph. A seven-speed Independent Shift Rod (ISR) transmission sends power to all four wheels.
Permanent four-wheel drive is complemented by a trick four-wheel steering setup that improves both handling and maneuverability. Offered on a Lamborghini for the first time ever, the system turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction of the front wheels at low speeds to greatly reduce the Centenario’s turning radius. At higher speeds, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels to make the Centenario more responsive and more stable. The benefits are perceptible on the road and on the track.
Accessed via scissor doors, the cabin is a blank canvas that buyers can customize to suit their tastes, though all cars ship with sport seats made out of carbon fiber and a 10.1-inch touch screen that runs a new, state-of-the-art infotainment system. The passengers can surf the web, send and receive emails, and access countless applications with twelve cylinders screaming away behind the passenger compartment. Additionally, the Centenario boasts Apple CarPlay compatibility.
The infotainment system features a clever built-in app that lets the driver record information such as lap times and G forces. Different sets of data can be compared, meaning the driver can see how much he or she has improved on a certain track and square off against other Centenario owners. Enthusiasts who want to record the full Centenario experience can order a pair of cameras built into the cabin.
Centenario production is strictly limited to just 20 coupes and 20 convertibles. It goes without saying that each example will be built entirely by hand alongside the Aventador and the Huracán in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy. Pricing starts at 1.7 million euros, a sum that converts to roughly $1.86 million, before taxes and options are factored in. Interested? You’re out of luck; for the past few months, Lamborghini has been showing the Centenario to a hand-picked group of collectors and enthusiasts from all over the world, and the entire production run has already been spoken for.
