Lamborghini says the Centenario LP770-4 gives “designers and engineers the freedom to create a technology demonstrator in the form of a limited edition.” The Nardo Technical Facility is perfect for letting it demonstrate just what those stylists and tech wizards have created. It has 20 tracks and it’s owned by one of Lamborghini’s corporate cousins, Porsche.
In the following video, auto journalists take the limited edition Lambo through its paces at the NTC. We have a feeling they were as cautious about pushing it as Lamborghini was in selecting people to invite because the automaker is only producing 40 Centenarios – 20 coupes and 20 roadsters, all of which have already been snapped up.
We do hope they had a chance to open it up at least once, though. It would be a shame to not let the full force of the Centenario’s 6.5-liter V12 out – all 760 horsepower and 507 lb-ft of torque. The straightaway on Nardo’s Handling Track would be a great place for doing that and for validating Lamborghini’s claim that the Centenario can hit 62 mph from a dead stop in 2.8 seconds.
However, the Centenario doesn’t have to move at all to demonstrate that Lamborghini can still make an eye-catching wedge of Italian sculpture.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
