The Lamborghini Fenomeno Roadster might just have the world’s strangest windows
Just 12 months since the launch of the coupe, Lamborghini has quite literally lifted the lid on its ultra-exclusive V12-powered Fenomeno with the Roadster variant
Lamborghini has added to its stable of raging bulls with the reveal of its latest ‘Few Off’ car: the Fenomeno Roadster. As per its coupe cousins revealed 12 months ago, it’s based on the carbon structure of the evo Car of the Year winning Revuelto but features a redesigned carbonfibre body. It retains Lamborghini’s 6.5-litre, naturally aspirated V12 hybrid powertrain and each of the 15 examples is expected to cost well into seven figures.
The fourth Few Off Lamborghini, a line-up that started in 2009 with the Veneno, the Fenomeno Roadster continues along the same path with a focus on design with a small uplift in dynamic performance. So, while the V12 carried over from the Revuelto remains untouched, the chassis does gain manually adjustable dampers and the option of a semi-slick Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyre to compliment the standard Potenza Sport rubber.
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This being the first Revuelto-based model to be offered in roadster form, Lamborghini’s Centro Stile department has had to rework the bodywork to maintain aero performance. To that end there’s a spoiler blended into the windscreen header rail to direct air over the open cockpit and Speedster humps – which incorporate the rollover protection system – and in through the air intakes in the new clear engine cover to feed the V12. Its side windows are also cut in a very peculiar way, dramatically dipping mid-way to align with the angular door design just like the Veneno Roadster – this is made possible thanks to its permanent open-top configuration.
The rear of the car’s silhouette is reminiscent of the Essenza SCV12 of 2020 and the Manifesto, the concept created to mark the 20th anniversary of Centro Stile. The rear diffuser has been restyled accordingly and the active wing from the coupe is retained but reprofiled to suit the aerodynamic needs of the open-top car. The front of the Fenomeno Roadster has also been reworked with a sharper design to its air intakes and a flatter silhouette.
A new design of 21- and 22-inch wheels are fitted front and rear respectively, and behind them are Lamborghini’s carbon ceramic brakes. At the heart of the chassis upgrades is the fitment of the 6D chassis technology first installed on the coupe version. Featuring a sensor that’s positioned as close as possible to the car’s centre of gravity it is directly connected to the car’s integrated power brake (IPB in Lamborghini speak) control unit to provide continuous real-time measurements of acceleration across lateral, longitudinal and vertical acceleration along with angular velocity across pitch, roll and raw. Combined, this data allows the car’s digital brain to accurately estimate road speed, side-slip angle and the instant coefficient of friction between tyres and the road surface.
With the V12 left untouched, and only a few kilos added to the Fenomeno coupe’s 1722kg weight, the Roadster still puts the combined 1046bhp produced by the hybrid powertrain to good use, reaching 62mph in a claimed 2.4sec, 120mph in 6.8sec and on to 211mph.
Revealed at Lamborghini’s Arena festival at Imola, the Fenomeno Roadster joins the Few Off line-up that started with the Reventon in 2009, Veneno in 2013 and 2016’s Centenario and the Sian that followed three years later. Later this year Lamborghini will also introduce the Revuelto SV, a more focussed, more powerful version of the current award-winning coupe.
