Laguna Seca Raceway hosted the November 2021 Velocity Invitational, a festival of historic racing, motorsports reunions, and exhibitions of some of the rarest cars in the world. Over two hundred cars spanning decades of motorsport history raced for honors around the 2.238-mile natural terrain road course.
Cars brought distinguished histories, many racing in their prime at the top levels of motorsport. The rolling timeline made for a compelling comparison, showing the story of automotive development through engineering progress and evolving design.
While guests marveled at rare Porsches, Ferraris, McLarens and vintage Formula One machinery, a brand-new Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 was amongst the rarest vehicles on site. The track-day special was one of only two in the United States at the time.
With a production run limited to only forty units, the Essenza SCV12 is the product of Lamborghini’s Squadra Corse racing unit and Centro Stile design team. The USD$2.6 million carbon fiber longtail Lamborghini is even rarer than a Lamborghini Huracán race car.
Among the Exotics: the Lamborghini Essenza at the Velocity Invitational
The Essenza SCV12 was part of the Luxury Collection’s display of modern exotics. Road cars from Lamborghini and McLaren, both of Walnut Creek, mixed with customer cars. A half-dozen McLaren models basked in the sunshine, including four Sennas lined up shoulder to shoulder. An orange Miura kept close company with the Essenza SCV12.
Under the Hood of the Lamborghini Essenza
During breaks in the track action, Lamborghini Super Trofeo driver Dario Capitanio gave rides around Laguna Seca Raceway to lucky guests in the Essenza SCV12. The soundtrack from the 6.5 liter 12-cylinder engine was pure music, specifically enhanced with Capristo-designed exhaust pipes. It crackled and popped at low speeds and wailed and screamed when unleashed. There was no mistaking the sound for an ordinary road car.
The white and black Essenza SCV12 at Velocity Invitational carried a number twelve and subtle graphics. Number twelve made the Essenza SCV12’s North American debut at the Quail Lodge Gathering in August 2021 as part of the annual Monterey car week festivities. It shared the stage with the re-imagined Countach, a Huracan STO (Super Trofeo Omologata), and the Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae.
The Essenza SCV12 is equipped with Lamborghini’s final non-hybrid normally aspirated V-12. There will be no more non-hybrid normally aspirated V-12 engines rolling down the assembly line. Fittingly, it is also the most powerful ever produced by Lamborghini, pumping out in excess of 830 horsepower.
The car, however, is not all about power. The racing influence is evident from the carbon fiber monocoque built to FIA specifications. An enormous benefit of the carbon fiber construction is the lack of a metal roll cage which provides more interior room and better visibility. The Essenza SCV12 delivers its power through a six-speed sequential gearbox.
The Look of the Lamborghini Essenza
What’s the result on a race track? Lamborghini says the Essenza SCV12 is about three seconds a lap faster around Monza than the Huracán GT3 EVO. The GT3 is subject to regulatory constraints, but the comparison makes the point that the Essenza SCV12 is quite a capable machine.
From a styling perspective, the Essenza carries common Lamborghini design cues. At first glance, it looks like a Huracán race car, but a closer look highlights the sharper edges and more aggressive scoops and spoilers.
The most dramatic and distinctive feature is the long, sweeping tail. The rear bodywork is topped by an adjustable carbon fiber rear wing.
The first units of the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 were delivered to customers in April 2021. The first delivery in the US was made by O’Gara Coach Beverly Hills to a customer at the Thermal Club (near Palm Springs, California) in August 2021.
The Thermal Club delivery involved a number eleven green and black car. The second US customer car is scheduled for delivery by the end of December.
The Lamborghini Essenza in the Limelight
Meanwhile, number twelve remains on duty as Lamborghini takes it on a tour of events and venues. Prospective customers and friends have taken it on test drives at places such as Thermal and Las Vegas, and it has been on static display at several dealerships. Number 12 in fact has been sold and will be delivered to its customer at some point when its current duties are complete.
As might be expected, all forty units are already sold. The majority have been sold in Europe, but about a quarter are destined for American customers. Production is still underway for the remaining cars and should be complete by the end of 2022. Final deliveries will likely extend into early 2023.
Customers not only tailor their car, but the program around the car. Lamborghini will host and support arrive-and-drive track day events. As an additional option, Lamborghini will store the car at headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese in Italy—complete with webcam streaming for owners to keep tabs on their car.
Lamborghini is organizing events away from the track as well. Ownership extends beyond the Essenza SCV12—it brings invitations to Lamborghini events around the world and a closer view into upcoming projects.
In future decades, will Lamborghini enthusiasts look back on the Essenza SCV12 as the pinnacle of the normally aspirated Lamborghini twelve-cylinder engine? Will it join the ranks of Lamborghini classics? In the meantime, forty new owners will be tearing around tracks to give the fighting bull on the nose some exercise.
