Lamborghini Raptor

The Zagato Raptor, sometimes referred to as the Lamborghini Raptor, is a concept car design, created in 1996 by Zagato in partnership with Alain Wicki for Lamborghini. The body features the Zagato "double bubble" design and an innovative door design where the whole middle section of the car swivels up and forward. The chassis is borrowed from a 4WD Lamborghini Diablo. The design was completed and a sample vehicle displayed at the Geneva Auto Show in 1996. At the time of showing, it was believed that the car was ready for production.

Utilizing the drivetrain and 492hp V12 engine from the Diablo, but eliminating the ABS and traction control, as well as the extensive use of carbon fiber for the body work made the vehicle significantly lighter than the Diablo, thus theoretically faster. To make up for the lack of ABS and the higher potential speeds, an upgrade from the Diablo's braking system was used.

Most media sources speculated that it would have been an excellent car to bridge the gap between the Diablo and its successor, then called the Canto, but Lamborghini chose not to produce the Raptor. Alain Wicki briefly tried to develop it on his own with Zagato's help, but nothing became of his efforts. He owned the only prototype until 2000, when it was auctioned at the Geneva Auto Show and was sold to a private car collector.[1]

Trivia

The story of the Raptor is similar to that of The Simpsons episode 7F16, in which Homer designs a futuristic "double bubble" car but only one unit is produced. The episode first aired in 1991, five years before the Raptor was created.

External links

• LamboCars: Zagato Raptor