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This $8 million Lamborghini seized from an African dictator's son just became the most expensive ever sold
This $8 million Lamborghini seized from an African dictator's son just became the most expensive ever sold
Oct 3, 2019, 21:37 IST
The roadster version of the Veneno originally ran €3.3 million, about $3.6 million, when it was first unveiled in 2014.
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All nine examples of the Veneno Roadster sold out immediately when it was unveiled.
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The Veneno was based on the Lamborghini Aventador and was created to celebrate the automaker’s 50th anniversary.
“This Lamborghini concept car represents state-of-the-art design inspired by aeronautics, capable of giving you the indescribable feeling of flying on the road,” the automaker claims.
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This car auctioned off for about $8.2 million, making it the world’s most expensive Lamborghini to have ever been auctioned, according to the auction house. The bidding war lasted seven minutes. The price includes a 15% surcharge that goes directly to the auction house.
A 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV held a previous record after it fetched €2.34 million, about $2.55 million, in 2017 Paris auction, according to Barron's.
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This was the seventh of nine Lamborghini Veneno Roadsters made.
It had 325 kilometers, about 202 miles, logged upon its auction.
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The car was auctioned in “as new” condition except for a slight scratch on the right rear wheel.
It has the iconic V12 engine, giving it a top speed of 221 mph.
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The zero-to-60 mph time is 2.8 seconds.
The auction house claimed the tires on the vehicles were replaced in 2015, although the battery still needed to be changed.
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“Lamborghini's aim with the Veneno was to create a close approximation to a sports-racing prototype that would nevertheless be road legal, which entailed making a big departure from the styling of previous Lamborghini models,” Bonhams said in a prepared statement.
The car has a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis with a body that was designed to improve airflow and decrease downforce, therefore increasing the car's speed.
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Like other Lamborghini supercars, the Veneno Roadster has scissors doors that open vertically.
The car was sold with the owner's handbook, car cover, books and tools, and Equatorial Guinea registration papers and technical inspection.
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Bonhams called ownership of the car a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”