Lamborghini Egoista concept

To celebrate the 50th birthday of Sant'Agata's most famous export, Volkswagen Group Design Director Walter de Silva led a team in the creation of the wild Lamborghini Egoista concept. "I am very attached to this Italian brand, being an Italian myself," said de Silva at its unveiling. "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."

This single-seat, V10-powered sportscar – with Alessandro Dambrisio responsible for its exterior design and Stefan Sielaff its interior – is an extreme interpretation of the faceted aesthetic introduced by the 2007 Reventón and last seen on the Veneno shown earlier this year at the Geneva motor show. The Egoista takes this fragmented theme further still as it cuts huge sections from the car's volumes, particularly around its nose, which appears almost as a trimaran. Its side profile is said to have been inspired by a bull on a charge with its horns lowered and its proportions certainly add to the feeling of forward motion with an extremely cab-forward stance although its long rear overhang (partially disguised by its web of a structure being finished in black) counters this.

Its cabin is described as a 'removable section' inspired by the Apache helicopter's survival cell. Sat under complex orange anti-glare glazing Seilaff's interior has an almost Steampunk aesthetic with its exposed piping, ornate instrumentation and electro-mechanical auxiliary controls. "The cockpit, made completely of carbon fiber and aluminum, represents a sort of survival cell, allowing the driver to isolate and protect themselves from external elements," says de Silva.

Other military aeronautical references include 'Step Here' and 'No Step' graphics for the rather acrobatic-sounding ingress and egress, afterburner-style exhausts, articulated aerodynamic control surfaces, anti-radar paint and LED clearance lights that give a three-dimensional impression of where aircraft are within air space.

It's not clear if this is marks an indication as to the upcoming Gallardo replacement, but it certainly makes another bold statement about Lamborghini's design strategy.

Lamborghini Egoista gallery>

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