Lamborghini unveils US$3.9 million car — all three sold

Lamborghini's run of the new Veneno is sold out — though it only made three.

The latest in its tradition of bespoke cars, the Veneno is the fastest, most powerful Lamborghini ever built. At the Geneva Motor Show, where it was revealed Monday night, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann made sure to rev the engine as he drove the car out on stage.

Rest assured, the Veneno, which is named for an infamous fighting bull, sounds like a Lamborghini.

But why build a car for just three people?

“It gives you a high degree of freedom in terms of the design, you can test materials and new technologies, it has a halo effect on the other products,” said Winkelmann. “Last but not least, you're fulfilling dreams, at least for a few people.”

A carmaker like Lamborghini isn't immune from the travails of the economy, but sales of high-end cars, like many luxury products, have been surprisingly resilient. And a one-off like the Veneno creates a lot of buzz — or a halo — for the rest of the brand. Lamborghini is also part of the highly successful Volkswagen Group, which is weathering the European storm better than others.

Two of the buyers — both Americans — were in Geneva to get their first look at the car, having signed the contract long ago.

Antoine Dominic, who is the principal in a Lamborghini dealership on Long Island, and Kris Singh II, a Floridian who is the managing director of investment firm Tequesta Investments, both have collections of exotic cars and both plan to actually use the car.

Under the hood: Powering the Veneno is a 12-cylinder engine and a 7-speed transmission with five different driving modes. Lamborghini says the Veneno can reach speeds of 220 miles per hour (355 kilometers per hour) and accelerates from 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds.

Outside: The body is carbon-fiber to keep the car as light as possible and allow for that quick acceleration. The shape is angular and muscular, with cut-outs sprinkled throughout and a back fin that fades into the roof. The rear looks like the bottom of a rocket ship, and the car nearly kisses the ground it sits so low.

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