Lamborghini Centenario a beauty and a beast! …

We all know beauty is more than skin deep, but with supercars like those made by Lamborghini and Ferrari, well, the skin better be sizzling hot or why pay a million bucks for one, right?

So, the two Italian supercar makers are constantly trying to outdo the other by sculpting the ultimate in outward beauty, while also delivering a drivetrain that’ll rock your world.

Lamborghini’s Centenario is the latest Autoart release that fits this mold and excite the senses, but in 1/18 scale. So, you’ll just have to pretend you’re that macho dude in sunglasses and wide-open Hawaiian print shirt behind the wheel.

The History

The Centenario is almost too beautiful to drive, maybe better suited for an upscale industrial art museum where tuxedo-wearing maintenance workers wipe down its exterior with mink gloves and static-eating dusters.

In the car world there aren’t many rarer cars than the Centenario, which was created to honor the 100^th birthday of Ferruccio Lamborghini, the firm’s founder. Just 40 Centenarios were made, 20 each of the coupe and roadster models. Exclusivity counts for a lot here. In fact, it accounts for $1.9 million to buy one new, except they sold out so quickly even the monied classes would need an inside connection to land one.

Now, your best bet is buying an Autoart version for $230, which isn’t nearly so tough on the Swiss bank account.

So what did 40 special buyers get for their nearly $2 million. There’s no giant smokin’ hot HEMI under the rear bonnet. Nope, power here comes from a V12 that pumps out 770 horses without the need of a turbo. Lambo says that will bump the AWD supercar to 186 mph in 23.5 seconds, or 0-62 mph in 2.8 seconds. Either way it’s quick and officially lists its top speed at 217 mph, if you totally wind out the engine.

Fast enough, to be sure, plus there’s a rear-wheel steering system, the first in a Lambo, to help it handle any curves thrown at it, even when ripping along at 200+ mph. Yet the system also helps the car move more graciously at slow speeds too. In back Lambo incorporates the biggest diffusers ever on a car, and the double-decker rear wing is a monster downforce creator.

For the record, the Centenario is based on Lambo’s Aventador model and was made during 2016 and 2017.

Interiors are all individualized (rightly so at this price) by Lambo at its factory in Sant’Agata, Bolognese, Italy. There is a large infotainment screen, plus the seats are either leather or Alcantara and real carbon fiber is used as trim. If you want to drive one, the closest you’ll likely ever get is a session with the Forza video game.

The Model

I’m pretty sure you’d like a Centenario. Just look at this sample car in “Bianco Isis,” or Solid White if you prefer a less sexy name. It looks like a high-tech dart ready to be launched toward a monster dart board.

This white one has a red trim line that follow’s the roof’s curve and incorporates the Centenario name in it, just behind the scissors-style doors, that by the way have functioning door handles with latches. Push one forward and the doors swing up so you can see the supercar’s racy, yet tasteful, interior.

The cockpit includes matte black racing seats with red V-shaped designs working their way up from seat bottom to back. To pull those doors back down are red loop handles on each door and the black-trimmed windows are posed in the raised position.

This Lambo dash has red trim stripes too and there’s a flat-bottom racing style steering wheel, plus a beautifully detailed center console loaded with buttons and controls. Centenario also is spelled out on the passenger side dash.

Moving back outside the car features red trim lines on the diffuser that help the rear-end stand out, as if that’s needed. Centenario is spelled out just above that, and below are three centered exhausts.

Wheels are carbon fiber and chrome with large disc brakes visible behind. Tires are red-line Pirelli P Zeros and there’s a carbon fiber trim along the body’s lower portion, including some subtle wings for downforce.

Up front are sexy thin headlights, carbon fiber nose scoop, and a hood that opens to reveal, well, not much, just a lined cargo area that honestly wouldn’t hold much.

The roof is carbon fiber look too as is the black insert in the rear engine cover plate that perfectly fits into place. It’s shipped taped under cardboard in the car’s Styrofoam packing container. Hard to decide here whether to leave that engine cover in place or take it off to reveal a nicely detailed V-12 with Lamborghini on the header covers and all the correct plumbing and wiring. Plus, there are a lot of support struts and other engine detailing along with red springs over giant shocks.

There’s so much detailing to like here and the car’s design also is so stunning that you’ll feel like a millionaire just putting this on display in your exotic car collection. Gorgeous!

Vital Stats: Lamborghini Centenario

Maker: Autoart
Scale: 1/18
Stock No.: 79111
MSRP: $230

Link: us.autoartmodels.com