Lamborghini Unveils Egoista Single-Seat Sports Car

Published in WSJ.com on May 13, 2013

Italian sports-car maker Automobili Lamborghini SpA unveiled a new vehicle called the Egoista, which is meant to mark its 50th anniversary.

The car, which seats one and has the look of a space ship (or a 17-year cicada), is powered by a 5.2-liter V-10 engine that puts out 600 horsepower. The company described its interior as a “cockpit, designed like a tailor-made suit for the driver.”

The driver’s compartment is built separately from the rest of the car to act as a “survival cell,” inspired by the design of the Apache attack helicopter, the company said.

“I am very attached to this Italian brand, being an Italian myself. I wanted to pay homage to and think up a vehicle to underline the fact that Lamborghinis have always been made with passion, and with the heart more than the head,” said Walter De Silva, design boss for Volkswagen Group.

Lamborghini indicated that unlike the special anniversary edition of its Aventador super sports car that rolled out last month, the Egoista will not go into regular series production.

The company said Lamborghinis may be cars for the few, but the Egoista is “a car for itself” that will “always remain a dream, for everyone.”