With all Fiat brands
failing to make an appearance at the Australian
International Motor Show in Sydney, it’s been left to
Lamborghini to fly the flag on behalf of the Italian car
industry. The supercar manufacturer didn’t disappoint,
showcasing three cars on press day, including one of the
undisputed stars of the show – the remarkable Sesto
Elemento, which was introduced by the Commercial
Director of Automobili Lamborghini SpA, Australian
Fintan Knight.
“Growing up in Australia,
I found a lot of similarities to the Lamborghini brand,”
Knight told the assembled media throng. “Australia, for
me, was a country of opportunity; of courageous
entrepreneurialism; of risk-taking; and, of course, the
competitive fighting spirit. And these are the things
that fit very much with Lamborghini.”
Knight described his experience driving one of the 20
Sesto Elementos produced by Lamborghini at the Nardo
test track a fortnight beforehand. “The Sesto Elemento
is the most significant concept prototype available for
purchase on the world market today,” he explained. “It’s
significant because of [its] massive use of multiple
carbonfibre technologies. And whilst the automotive
industry fights against the endless spiral of weight, at
Lamborghini we have... the most advanced research and
development and manufacturing facilities for carbonfibre
in the supercar sector in the north of Italy.”
The
Sesto Elemento was present only for the first few days
of the show, before being flown out to appear at
engagements in Asia and the Middle East. In its place,
showgoers could instead see the Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder,
making its Oceanic debut. Its appearance gives the
Australian public their first official look at this new,
‘entry-level’ supercar, ahead of its on-sale date later
this year.
The
Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder is the only convertible
rear-wheel-drive variant in the Lamborghini’s current
lineup, and was inspired by Valentino Balboni, the
automotive legend who was Lamborghini’s test driver for
over 40 years.
Making its second official appearance in Australia
following its debut at last year’s Australian
International Motor Show in Melbourne, the Aventador
LP700-4 is another highlight of the Lamborghini stand.
The specific car on the stand was worthy of particular
note – it is the same car used by the Nolan brothers in
the new Batman film, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.
Since its introduction last year, the spectacular
Aventador, which retails for over three-quarters of a
million dollars in Australia, has achieved outstanding
sales success. “It’s broken all of our sales
expectations,” Knight said. “In a little over a year,
we’ve delivered more than 1,000 Aventadors [globally],
and – frustratingly for many – the waiting period for
the car is still 18 months.”
The
stand is rounded out by the open-topped Gallardo
Superleggera Performante, described by Knight as a
lightweight “racecar for the road”.
