Lamborghini believes that the main attribute for a super car is not amazing horsepower but an astonishingly light car which meets the modern day crash and safety standards. The Sesto Elemento car by Lamborghini does just that. Sesto Elemento represents the sixth element in the periodic table, Carbon. The weight of the car is 999kilograms (2,202lb), thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber. Therefore it got the name Sesto Elemento.
The Italian super car brand has just released the specifications of the new car and has decided to produce the Sesto Elemento, though in limited numbers. It is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engine that develops 570 hp (419 kW) at 8,000 rpm and 540 Nm at 6,500 rpm. It can sprint from 0 to 100kmph in less than 2.5 seconds and has a top speed of over 300kmph. This amazing performance can be attributed to the fact that the power to weight ratio is just 1.75 kilograms per hp. The use of carbon fiber has been extensive, using it in the construction of the monocoque chassis, external panels, front frame and crash boxes as well. We can also see a drop in the fuel consumption due to the extremely light weight of the car.
Lamborghini, a 100 percent subsidiary of the Audi AG, has access to the expertise of the German car manufacturer in light weight cars as well. Lamborghini has undisputed expertise in the Carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) technology, which it drives in its two research centers, the ACRC (Advanced composite research center) and ACSL (Advanced composite structures manufacturing). The Sesto Elemento has made systematic use of carbon fiber to drive its performance. The entire front frame, the exterior panels and crash boxes, major suspension components and the rims are made from carbon fiber. The tailpipes are made from Pyrosic, which is an advanced glass-ceramic matrix composite, able to reach and stand very high temperatures up to 900° Celsius. Even the propeller shaft is made of the carbon fiber.
This car, they say is the future of the super sports cars – lightweight engineering combined with incredible performance. The design of Sesto Elemento has been carefully designed to give the car high performance and great power. Wedge shapes are typical for Lamborghini but this car is extremely angular. The front end and roof are marked by sharp, seemingly folded creases, and the rear part of the roof is graced by two intake ducts and two parallel lines of five holes arranged above the cylinder banks. Lamborghini has worked hard to move away from its clichéd styling designs. Every single edge serves a purpose. It has perfect aero dynamics. Carbon fiber can also be made into shapes that would be impossible to do with metal. The front and the rear body shell are each manufactured in a single piece, as the CFRP technology allows to integrate complex structures into a single component. Sixty percent of the car is one single piece. All the parts are around 30 percent lighter than their aluminum counter parts.
The Sesto Elemento is priced at around 2.5 million Euros. So start saving up for this exquisite asset.
Source: 4wheelsnews
