The Lamborghini Reventón, unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, immediately claimed its position as a design icon, embodying the extreme and avant-garde spirit synonymous with the Lamborghini marque. Continuing Lamborghini’s tradition of naming its vehicles after legendary fighting bulls, the Reventón takes its moniker from the bull renowned for its fatal encounter with Mexican bullfighter Felix Guzmán in 1943. The name itself, reventón, is a Spanish word that evokes powerful imagery, translating to “explosion” or “burst,” perfectly capturing the car’s explosive performance and striking design.
Inspired by the sharp, angular designs of Marcello Gandini that defined Lamborghini in the 60s and 70s, the Reventón is a bold statement of automotive artistry. Its design language is unapologetically aggressive, featuring razor-sharp edges, meticulously sculpted surfaces, and dynamic angles that command attention from every perspective. The genesis of this radical aesthetic can be traced back to Manfred Fitzgerald, Lamborghini’s Director of Brand and Design at the time. Seeking inspiration beyond the automotive realm, Fitzgerald led his team to a European NATO air force base, immersing them in the world of fighter jets. This unique field trip sparked a design competition within the team, ultimately leading to the selection of a concept that flawlessly translated the raw power and stealth of a jet fighter into a road-going hypercar. The aeronautical DNA is unmistakable, permeating every facet of the Reventón, from its stealth-fighter-esque matte exterior to its cockpit-inspired interior.
Beneath its stealthy carbon-fiber skin, the Reventón is deeply rooted in the mechanics of its predecessor, the Murciélago, serving as the ultimate and most extreme evolution of that iconic model. While showcasing dramatically sharper lines and a futuristic silhouette, the Reventón retained the robust steel tubular frame chassis of the Murciélago, enhanced with honeycomb carbon fiber elements for increased rigidity and lightness. The steel roof and carbon-fiber floor pans further contributed to the car’s structural integrity and performance. Significantly, the Reventón marked the final Lamborghini to utilize this particular chassis construction, making it a bridge between Lamborghini’s heritage and its future direction.
The Reventón’s exterior is characterized by meticulously crafted details that amplify its fighter jet inspiration. Aggressive air intakes jut out from the lower nose, housing recessed grilles within quadrilateral openings, reminiscent of jet intakes. The nose itself is remarkably sharp, with the front hood mirroring the鋭利 lines of the triangular headlights. Subtle yet distinctive Audi influences, stemming from Lamborghini’s parent company, are visible in the headlight design, where menacing LED running lights illuminate whenever the vehicle is in motion, adding to its predatory presence. At the rear, the immense heat generated by the powerful engine necessitated the development of specialized heatproof LED tail lamps for brake, hazard, and indicator functions. These were ingeniously arranged in a triple arrow optical effect, a visual signature that further emphasizes the Reventón’s cutting-edge design.
Performance figures for the Lamborghini Reventón are as breathtaking as its aesthetics. Powered by Lamborghini’s formidable 6.5-liter, naturally aspirated V-12 engine, the Reventón delivers jet-like acceleration and velocity. It is reported to catapult from 0 to 60 mph in a mere 3.4 seconds, achieving a staggering top speed of 211 mph. The engine produces a colossal 670 horsepower and nearly 500 pound-feet of torque. This immense power is channeled to all four wheels through a choice of transmissions: a traditional six-speed manual or a six-speed, paddle-shift, automated manual transmission, as featured in many examples. This sophisticated all-wheel-drive system ensures optimal traction and control, translating raw power into blistering performance.
Every Lamborghini Reventón was finished in the exclusive Grigio Reventón hue, a distinctive and assertive shade of matte grey. This unique color incorporates subtle hints of green and delicate metallic flakes, further enhancing the car’s stealth-inspired appearance and highlighting its sharp contours. Completing the aeronautical visual theme are the 18-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels, wrapped in high-performance Pirelli tires, engineered to provide exceptional grip and handling at extreme speeds.
Opening Lamborghini’s iconic scissor doors reveals an interior that continues the fighter jet narrative. The cabin is an immersive experience, enveloped in military-grade Alcantara, supple black leather, lightweight aluminum, and meticulously crafted carbon fiber. While maintaining the expected luxury and comfort of an ultra-exclusive automobile, the Reventón’s interior exudes a more focused, purposeful, and performance-oriented ambiance than its Lamborghini stablemates. The instrument panel is a technological tour-de-force, featuring three TFT liquid crystal displays that are configurable at the touch of a button. Drivers can switch between classic circular gauges and a revolutionary layout directly inspired by fighter jet instrumentation. This latter setting features two inward-pointing lines acting as a tachometer, rising in unison with engine RPM. Adding to the authentic aeronautical feel is a “G-Force Meter,” a feature typically found in military aircraft, which displays the magnitude and direction of gravitational forces acting upon the car, providing a visceral connection between driver and machine.
Reflecting its exceptional nature and limited production, the Lamborghini Reventón was offered exclusively to Lamborghini’s most devoted clientele, with a price tag exceeding $1,400,000. Before its official announcement, all 20 coupes planned for production were already spoken for, underscoring its immediate desirability and collectibility.
The example highlighted here, the 12th Reventón coupe produced out of just 20, stands as a testament to the model’s enduring appeal. This “raging bull,” meticulously maintained and showing less than 900 miles at the time of cataloging, was custom-created in Sant’Agata Bolognese for its original and sole owner. Never displayed in a showroom, it was delivered directly to its discerning custodian. Its prestigious history includes appearances at the 2008 Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance and the 2014 Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s, where it was showcased in the Sports and Exotic Class.
Accompanying this exceptional vehicle is a bespoke canvas and leather Lamborghini Reventón shoulder bag, designed to echo a fighter pilot’s flight bag, further reinforcing the car’s aviation-inspired theme. A complete set of original ownership manuals in their leather cases and a factory car cover are also included, preserving the car’s pristine and collector-grade condition.
The Lamborghini Reventón, with its obsessive attention to design and manufacturing detail, coupled with its breathtaking performance, firmly establishes itself as a standout among the most sensational hypercars even years after its debut. This road-legal fighter jet remains one of the most extreme and compelling expressions of automotive design and engineering ever conceived, offering its fortunate owner an unparalleled level of exclusivity and driving experience that few will ever encounter.
