For many, Lamborghini might be something of an enigma at the moment. The iconic Italian supercar and hypercar maker is making some wild but also unusual machines at the moment. There is the Sian, a hybrid hypercar that isn’t really a true hybrid. Then there is the new Countach. A car that the original Countach designer has distanced himself from, and one that isn’t really anything like an homage to the original car. It seems like a long time since Lamborghini did something truly great. It might well be over a decade.
We are thinking back to the iconic and incredible Lamborghini Sesto Elemento. The car came out back in 2010, the Sesto Elemento name is actually Italian for sixth element. Only a few of these have ever been built, that number being 20, to make this one of the rarest Lamborghini’s that you can find and even then, you are highly unlikely to ever spot one of these cars. They are just that rare. It perhaps helped to redefine what a super sports car is and what one can do, and even now it is still one of the most exciting Lamborghini’s of the 21st century.
The Design And Specifications Behind The Sesto Elemento
The design of the Sesto Element is certainly dramatic. The car, as you might expect, is made up almost entirely of carbon fiber and weighs in at an astonishing 999 kg, meaning this is an incredibly light machine. The monocoque is of one-piece construction and has a fixed driving position. But it’s the exterior design that really takes your breath away. The car has one of the most aggressive looking designs ever seen on a supercar, with a very angular approach to every corner of the car.
You could even describe the Sesto Elemento as a stealth fighter for the road. It looks every bit as jagged and intimidating as the F-117 Stealth Fighter does, and this is before we get to the epic engine that lies under the hood. The Sesto Element is powered by an odd-firing, 5.2-liter Lamborghini V10 engine. That engine produces 562 hp. Compared to some Lamborghini’s now, that might not sound like a lot. But then you remember that this car weighs less than 1,000 kg. All of a sudden, that does sound like an awful lot of power.
The Insane Performance Statistics Behind The Sesto Elemento
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The Sesto Elemento becomes even more extraordinary when we look at the figures behind it. That engine is enough to give the car a top speed of 221 mph, and a 0-62 mph time of just 2.6 seconds. Remember, this is a car with a lot less power than the likes of the Sian, the McLaren Speedtail, the Bugatti Chiron, and many more cars. And it came out in 2010, some 11 years ago, yet its performance statistics are still very much class leading. It just boggles the mind even now.
Of course, we must remember, that this is a track-only special. Any you see on the road will need to have been converted for that usage. That track-only status is evident when you step inside the Sesto Elemento. A massively bare-bones interior has pretty much no creature comforts, such as air conditioning or a radio, but you shouldn’t be surprised by that and equally should know what you are getting yourself in for if you are somehow lucky enough to own one of these cars. The seats aren’t really seats either, effectively just being foam padding directly adhered to the car's carbon fiber chassis.
Redefining What A Supercar And Do
The performance behind the Sesto Elemento is simply exhilarating. And it almost redefined what a supercar could and should be capable of. Even when we take the car's track-ready credentials into account, its performance figures with not even 600 hp feels almost out of this world. There are cars with that same power that don’t provide the same levels of performance as the Sesto Elemento. And that is before we take a look at the thing, with those jagged lines and the black paint giving the car an almost unrivalled exterior.
One Of Lamborghini’s Most Outrageous Cars
Simply put, the Sesto Element will probably always be one of the brand's most remarkable cars. Even 11 years on from its production, it still grabs your attention and draws you in like no other. The only two cars that have come close to it in recent times are the Sian and the Huracan STO, both of which are brilliant. But the Sesto Element came at a time when you could argue every Lamborghini at that point was a bit samey, a bit too like the previous model. But the Sesto Elemento broke the mold, and is still one of Lamborghini’s most outrageous cars.
Sources: Road & Track, Cars 24/7, Wallpaper Tops, Wallup, Wikipedia