Lamborghini Sesto Elemento (Sixth Element) Officially Unveiled [Paris 2010]

Colum Wood
by Colum Wood


After much anticipation, Lamborghini has finally released it’s Paris Auto Show debut – a carbon fiber concept vehicle dubbed the Sesto Element (Sixth Element). Weighing just 2,202-lbs, it is named after the sixth element in the periodic table of the elements – Carbon. And as mentioned, this is a serious carbon fiber machine, taking even the carbon fiber elements of such modern supercars as the McLaren MP4-12C and Lexus LFA to an entirely new level.

Along with a carbon fiber tub for the cockpit, the front and rear crash boxes are also made of carbon fiber, as are the suspension components. In addition, there are carbon fiber wheels, carbon ceramic brakes and even an exhaust system made from a special mix of ceramic powder and synthetic resin.

With an interior that would make Colin Chapman proud, Lamborghini has designed seats into the carbon tub in a bid to keep weight to an absolute minimum.

In fact the only heavy things left on the car are integral to it being a Lamborghini, namely, a big engine and the company’s trademark AWD system. Sporting a 5.2-liter V10 engine with the same 562-hp output as the Superleggera, Lamborghini claims a 0-62-mph time of 2.5 seconds.

“The Lamborghini Sesto Elemento shows how the future of the super sports car can look – extreme lightweight engineering, combined with extreme performance results in extreme driving fun. We put all of our technological competence into one stunning form to create the Sesto Elemento,” says Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of Lamborghini. “It is our abilities in carbon-fiber technology that have facilitated such a forward-thinking concept, and we of course also benefit from the undisputed lightweight expertise of Audi AG. Systematic lightweight engineering is crucial for future super sports cars: for the most dynamic performance, as well as for low emissions. We will apply this technological advantage right across our model range. Every future Lamborghini will be touched by the spirit of the Sesto Elemento.”

That being said, there’s a possibility that the next-generation Murcielago and Gallardo models will use a great deal of this technology and it’s long been rumored that the successor to the Murcie would get a carbon fiber tub.

GALLERY: Lamborghini Sesto Elemento

Colum Wood
Colum Wood

With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.

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