Lamborghini Unveils Another Ugly Limited Edition Model
Lamborghini’s new Revuelto-based Fenomeno costs $3.5 million, has more than 1,000 horsepower, and nobody will remember it.
Lamborghini made the Countach for posters. It was striking. It was rare. It was exotic. It was the kind of thing that should only exist in fantasy, and it’s why it belonged on so many bedroom walls. The same is true of the Diablo in the 1990s and the Murcielago in the early 2000s. But in the current era, it’s hard to imagine any Lamborghini on a child’s wall. The problem isn’t just that the cars are less exciting, nor that they’re more common, but it’s that the specialness of a car comes from its place in culture. The Countach was like nothing else; however, as Lamborghini continues to release limited-edition, multi-million-dollar cars that are essentially reskinned versions of their standard models, they have lost all their excitement.
Nobody cares about the Sian, Centenario, SC18 Alston, Essenza, or Veneno — one of the ugliest cars ever made — and the “new Countach” sells below MSRP. And the same will be true for their latest special edition, the Fenomeno, to be revealed at the upcoming Monterey Car Week.
It’s based on their new Revuelto, but with a more aggressive motorsports-inspired exterior, the same interior, and the same powertrain, tuned for a little bit more power. The same 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 now produces 833 hp, and the electric motor has also been upgraded, resulting in a total of 1,065 hp, a 64-hp increase more than the Revuelto’s 1,001 hp.
The side styling is an improvement, featuring a chic horizontal split with exposed carbon and bodywork. However, the front is a poor imitation of a GT3 car, and the vertical Y-tail lights and ugly diffuser mistake dramatic aggression as style. The wheels are also rather awful. It’s lower than a Revuelto, which helps its presence, but it also looks like it’s trying too hard; its race car stance and aggressive aero clash with the reality that none of these cars will ever hit a race track, nor are they intended to.
It’s a lazy, boring car, and that’s such an insult to the legacy of this brand. They’re trying to sell a “limited” 29-car run of these, with prices at about $3.5 million — plus tariffs — but expect them to deliver far fewer than that. That they’re making it at all is a shame.
