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Monday, October 4, 2010

Paris Motor Show 2010: The Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Best Ever

The folks at Lamborghini have been teasing us with super close-up shots of a new model for weeks now and with the opening of the 2010 Paris Motor Show we have gotten a look at the new Supercar concept – the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento. Translated into English, Sesto Elemento means Sixth Element and with the car made almost entirely out of carbon fiber, it is very fitting that this new Lamborghini Supercar concept would be named after the sixth element on the periodic table (carbon).

The name of the new Lamborghini Sesto Elemento is cool and the car looks great with an incredibly aggressive posture and stance but the real details are in the numbers. The carbon fiber construction has afforded the new Lambo Supercar an unheard of curb weight of just 2,202lbs and with the high performance Italian V10 tucked behind the driver making 570 horsepower, the Sesto Elemento can dash from 0-60 in just 2.5 seconds… as well as hitting top speeds up around 220mph.

The Sesto Elemento could be the best performing Lamborghini ever

The Lamborghini brand has such a lengthy history in offering high performance models that it is hard to pin one as being the best ever, but should the Sesto Elemento see production, it could be deserving of that title. When they began the design process of this new Supercar, their goal was to put together a roadworthy car with a curb weight of under 1,000kg and the result is a final weight of 999kg. The 570hp V10 gives the Sesto Elemento a power to weight ratio of just 3.86 lbs per horsepower. Compare that to the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, that offers a ratio of 5.25lbs/hp and you have a rough idea of just how fast the Sesto Elemento will be. Not only is the new Lamborghini Supercar very, very fast…but it also features an advanced all wheel drive system and what the company refers to as "perfect aerodynamics".

Should the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento become more than just a sexy auto show attraction, the sexy new Supercar could set the new standard for high performance road cars around the world. Hopefully, even if the Sesto Elemento only remains a concept car, the Lamborghini management will perform some testing to see what kind of real world numbers this 2,200lb, 570 horsepower Supercar can really put down. Figure that the fastest street-legal production car around the Nürburgring is the Dodge Viper ACR, with a curb weight of 3,366lbs and 600hp. While making it around "the 'Ring" in the best time is about more than just a low weight and big power, the 2,200lb Sesto Elemento should handle well enough to give the Viper a run for its money.

Here's to hoping that the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento makes the trip to Detroit for the 2011 North American International Auto Show.


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