It's over. No more teasers. No more guessing. No more wondering what the Sixth Element really is. It's that thing up there and it's pretty awesome. With the Sesto Elemento Concept, Lamborghini is ending the power wars and starting the power-to-weight wars-- a figure commonly only used in racing and motorcycles. Here, the number is 3.8 pounds / hp.
The leaks earlier turned out to prove fairly reliable. The Sesto Elemento is powered by a V10 which makes 570 horsepower and the curbweight will be 2,200 lbs... though Lamborghini has said that is a conservative weight estimation and it may be lighter. The last Lotus Elise S/C we tested weighed 2,028 lbs and had but 218 horsepower.
The Sesto Elemento uses a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, body, front crash structure, suspension, exhaust, wheels and special one-piece hood / fenders. The exhaust here is special as it is made of a carbon-ceramic powder resin that is heat-resistant and has never been used in the automotive industry before.
More weight-savings: No seats. The seat is built into the carbon-fiber tub with cushioning over it. The pedals and wheel are adjustable, however.
To source all of this carbon, Lamborghini has two CF labs: One in Sant'Agata and one near Seattle that it shares with Boeing and the University of Washington.
throwback says:
12:13 PM, 09/29/10
Could this be the next gen Gallardo?
cruiserhead1 says:
12:17 PM, 09/29/10
Looks wicked! Love the styling, especially the reverse angle mirror stands that line up with the body creases.
It has a little flavor of Bertone in the '60's (which is a good thing). Nice direction for future Lamborghini's.
bodyshopboy says:
12:32 PM, 09/29/10
Wild! Wicked light! Wicked...blind spots!
blueguydotcom says:
12:38 PM, 09/29/10
Um, how rear-biased will this car be?
clarkma5 says:
12:40 PM, 09/29/10
I totally did not expect a lightweight car like this, I was expecting a follow-up to the Murcielago-style bruiser. Excellent!
dougtheeng says:
01:28 PM, 09/29/10
Love it. The only detail I'm not sold on is the engine venting, or whatever that is, on the roof.
coolb944 says:
03:49 PM, 09/29/10
Unbelievably hot! I see a little Countach, some Gallardo, and some Reventon.
I can't wait to see how the production models take this concept and put it in the real world.
stovt001 says:
11:19 PM, 09/29/10
I've always preferred Ferrari to Lamborghini, but oh my, this changes all of that. Outrageous styling that is clearly Lambo, but much more than the wedges they typically are, but even better is the unbelievably low weight. And all this as Lotus lurches into the luxo-yacht scene. Lamborghini I bow to you. Well done!
aznraptor says:
01:00 AM, 09/30/10
for some reason, this car looks like a toy to me, perhaps the lack of rear overhang, the not-very-aggressive headlights or the odd downward sloping line from the side mirror but I'm not completely sold on the design of this car. That said, I do love that Lamborghini is going to start this weight wars thing, I'm definitely all for lighter cars.
bimmerjay says:
12:26 PM, 10/ 2/10
Wow, I think they hit one out of the park with this one. Impressive weight reduction and great styling. I wonder how much all this CF will cost...