The title of the world?s most expensive car used to belong to the Bugatti Veyron, but no longer. It?s now officially a Lamborghini, more precisely, the Lamborghini Veneno Roadster. This futuristic-looking car was first shown to the public on an Italian naval aircraft carrier at a special event in Abu Dhabi. The launch of the extreme road car coincides with the company?s 50th anniversary celebrations. Lamborghini has priced the Veneno Roadster at a cool ?2.8 million before tax, or around R28 crore. Like the Veneno coupe, production of the Roadster is limited to an exclusive nine units. It?s powered by the same engine as the Aventador LP700-4, albeit with a dose of extra power and resulting tweaks to the pushrod suspension, permanent all-wheel drive and seven-speed paddleshift gearbox.
Performance figures remain identical to the coupe, with a 0-60 time well below 3 seconds and a top speed of 221 mph. It comes without a roof, so it?s definitely not a car for rainy days or where there?s excessive sunshine. The wheels have been designed to improve brake cooling, with the carbon-fibre ring around the edge channelling cool air to the carbon ceramic discs. Carbon-fibre is a bit of a theme with the Veneno Roadster, and is used almost exclusively in the car?s construction, with the monocoque and all outer panels crafted from the light-weight material. The ?Rosso Veneno? paint job is unique to the Roadster, although given the humongous price tag, you can naturally ask for any colour you like. The car was previewed in December 2013 and will be available for nine very rich customers very soon. The Bugatti Veyron was the most expensive car one could buy in India at just over R12 crore. This is more than double the price, but unlikely to be available in the Indian market considering the fact that only nine cars will be available worldwide and also keeping in mind the weather in India, as this is an open-top car and not a convertible.
