Lamborghini Fenomeno is an ultra-limited V12 special with Bugatti Veyron power

Almost two decades since the launch of the Reventon, Lamborghini’s first road-going special, Sant'Agata’s celebrating 20 years of its design studio with the next offering in this ultra-exclusive line: the Fenomeno. Shown for the first time at Monterey car week, just 29 lucky customers will get their hands on one after handing over €3m (before VAT), but that hasn’t put people off – the shortlist far outweighed supply and so each and every one has already been accounted for.

Unlike its last few limited-run models, this is not based on the Aventador, but instead the all-new platform underpinning the Revuelto. As a result, this is not only the most capable Lamborghini built to date, it’s also the most powerful. At its core is the same 9500rpm naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 as in the car it’s based on, but thanks to a 10bhp power bump in engine output to 823bhp and even more power from its triple-motor hybrid system, output now stands at 1065bhp combined – that’s 64bhp more than the Revuelto, as if it needed it.

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This increase in engine output comes courtesy of not just an ECU tune, but a redesigned valve train, cooling system and supporting hardware. The hybrid system gets its gains from new hardware too, with the high-votage battery upgraded from the 2.8kWh unit in the Revuelto to a much larger 7kWh item to enable a higher output – this upgrade was no easy feat, with Lamborghini having to squeeze a battery with over twice the capacity in the exact same space.

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While this new battery is more power dense than before, it does weigh more than the Revuelto’s, but thanks to the use of lightweight materials throughout the rest of its construction the Fenomeno weighs marginally less overall at c1770kg. The carbonfibre ‘monofuselage’ and forged composite front structure all contribute, but look closely and you’ll see a whole lot more additional carbonfibre inside and out.

Its weight loss might be minor, but combine this with the power gains and the Fenomeno sees a power-to-weight increase of almost 40bhp/ton, putting it 100bhp/ton ahead of even the hardcore pure-combustion Aventador SVJ. The results are clear to see in the numbers, with the 0-62mph time the quickest of any Lamborghini at 2.4sec (a tenth ahead of the Revuelto), the 0-124mph time following suit at 6.7sec and the top speed at 217mph to match its more ordinary counterpart.

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Chassis and technical details

Straight line speed isn’t all this car is about, though. Lamborghini has also incorporated a new manually adjustable passive damper system for the Fenomeno to make it even more capable. It also comes equipped with a new generation of stability control that takes advantage of a new ‘6D sensor’. Matteo Ortenzi, the man behind Lamborghini’s V12 lineup, told evo: ‘In normal cars these things [acceleration data] are going through the CAM and then to the brain of the car, but here these new sensors are faster than the old ones. On top of that it’s directly connected to the centre unit, so it’s not going through other units. It’s much faster than before and the car is reacting faster. The feeling is that you have a lighter car.’

Behind its new 21 and 22-inch forged wheels (an inch bigger than those on the Revuelto) are new carbon-ceramic brakes, constructed using a method seen in Le Mans Hypercars and on its track-only SC63 for improved performance across the board. Aero plays a huge part in the performance increase too, as while its design might seem sleek, there’s plenty happening beneath its carbonfibre skin. A new S-duct at the front increases downforce and directs air into a central cooling duct for the powertrain, with the subtle long-tail wing at the rear there for balance – the result is not only an increase in downforce, but a 30% improvement in cooling too, with elements such as new NACA ducts forcing cool air to where it’s needed most.

Design and interior

The Fenomeno is the first car designed entirely by Sant’Agata Bolognese’s design department, overseen by design director Mitja Borkert. While it takes inspiration from past icons like the Countach, this car adopts a long-tail approach not dissimilar to that seen on the SCV12, with a sleek refined profile, buckets of presence and unmistakably Lamborghini design touches. The ‘Y’ lighting signature has been switched from the front to the rear in this case, with vertical Y-shaped rear lights flanking a huge horizontal exhaust exit. The rear end has also been designed to incorporate a continuous line from the wheel arches and across the wing, with 355-section rear tyres exposed just like on the Temerario. Over 4cm wider and almost 7cm longer than the Revuelto, it’s bound to have some presence.

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The inside is less distinctive compared to the Revuelto but it certainly makes an impression. Overall architecture is the same as in its sibling but there’s much more carbonfibre now on the centre console, door cards, bucket seats and even the wild new air vents that are unique to this car, constructed using 3D printing tech. Ambient lighting also accentuates certain features such as the central air vent atop the dashboard, making it look a bit like the core of an alien supercomputer. Of course, there are endless possibilities for customisation for both the interior and exterior, with a palette of over 400 exterior colours to choose from.

Just 29 examples of the Lamborghini Fenomeno will hit the road when deliveries begin, each priced from €3m (before VAT). Unlike some limited-run specials that focus more on aesthetics than the underlying hardware, this is one we’d certainly like to sample for ourselves. Regardless, the new technology we see here will likely make its way to series production cars in years to come, with Ortenzi telling evo ‘...it’s no secret, it’s a laboratory. We are developing new things that maybe in the future we reuse for other purposes or for finding other configurations for our cars.’

Lamborghini Fenomeno specs