Lamborghini signs off on Veneno Roadster

LAMBORGHINI has confirmed it will build a street-legal open-top roadster version of its Aventador-based Veneno supercar in a strictly limited run next year.

And when it says ‘open top’, it means it – no roof will be supplied, folding or otherwise.

Just nine of the wickedly expensive €3.3 million ($A4.67m) cars will be built in 2014 to celebrate the Raging Bull’s 50th anniversary, meaning none are likely to end up in Australia.

Powered by a development of the Lamborghini Aventador’s 6.5-litre V12, the 552kW engine of the Veneno – up 37kW over Aventador – drives all four wheels via a semi-automatic seven-speed transmission with five driving modes. It can power the Veneno from zero to 100km/h in 2.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 355km/h.

The Italian company describes the car as an “extreme open racing prototype” that “guarantees an intense driving experience”.

Despite the lack of a roof, Lamborghini says the roadster brings the aerodynamic efficiency of a racing prototype to the road, along with optimal downforce and minimal drag, thanks in part to the arrow-shaped, road-hugging nose and high, adjustable rear wing.

First exhibited in closed-roof form at this year’s Geneva motor show, the Veneno – meaning venom in Spanish and Portuguese – has only a fixed roll bar for protection on the roadster, mounted between the two-seat cockpit and the mid-mounted engine.

The core monocoque is made from carbon fibre, while all body panels are carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic.

Even the seat frames and cockpit lining are from carbon fibre, keeping the weight down to 1490kg.

The Lamborghini says the big alloy wheels have a carbon-fibre ring around the rim to direct cooling air to the carbon-ceramic brake discs.

The chassis employs a pushrod suspension with horizontal spring and damper units.

The prototype shown here is painted Rosso Veneno (Veneno Red), but when you are paying $4.7 million for your car, you can have it any colour you want.

While the production run of nine units makes the Veneno Roadster automatically exclusive, the coupe version will be even more exclusive, with only three copies being produced – one each with green, white and red accents, representing the colours of the Italian flag.