Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 claims carbon fibre roll cage production first

Lamborghini has announced its track-only V12 hypercar, the Essenza SCV12, is the first production car ever to use a carbon fibre roll cage homologated for the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Hypercar safety standards.

Replacing a steel roll cage with one made from carbon fibre represents a significant leap in safety innovation – even the Halo device found on a Formula 1 car is created from titanium rather than carbon fibre.

To ensure the carbon cage could take the pressures of a racecar crash, the Italian marque worked directly with the FIA on the project.

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As a result, the vehicle structure had to withstand 12 tonnes of force without exhibiting any significant deformations.

All together, it was subjected to more than 20 static and dynamic tests in order to be certified by the FIA, including impact speeds of up to 14 metres/second.

Created in the Charging Bull’s CFK department in Sant’Agata Bolognese, the carbon fibre structure and roll cage are, according to Lamborghini, the result of 30 years of experience in the study and application of composite materials.

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“The Essenza SCV12 was born as a ‘laboratory of ideas’. This allowed us to use technical solutions usually found in racing prototypes, such as the suspension installed directly on the load-bearing gearbox, which is an innovative solution for a GT car,” Giorgio Sanna, Lamborghini’s head of motorsport, said.

“In addition, it features the new carbon fibre monocoque chassis without a steel roll cage, resulting from technical collaboration with the FIA, thanks to which we’ve started a process which will lead to an exponential improvement in safety for GT racing drivers in the future.”

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The new carbon roll cage also gave Lamborghini an unprecedented chance to decrease the overall weight of the gentleman’s racer.

The Essenza SCV12 is 136 kilograms lighter than the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, with a kerb weight of just 1376 kilograms, which doesn’t seem like much at all, especially when there’s 620kW from a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 on tap.

Interior cabin space has also been drastically improved compared to a racecar fitted with a standard welded-in steel roll cage.

“Essenza SCV12 is not only a fast car that can deliver exhilarating experiences, but it’s also equipped with an incredibly comfortable and spacious cabin. This is a unique feature appreciated by all gentlemen drivers, for whom it is intended,” Marco Mapelli, Lamborghini factory driver, said.

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Just 40 examples of the 2021 Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 are being built, boasting performance figures of 0-100km/h in around three seconds and 1200 kilograms of downforce at 255km/h.