Zagato Raptor
Encyclopedia
The Zagato Raptor, sometimes referred to as the Lamborghini Raptor, is a concept car
design created in 1996 by Zagato
in partnership with Alain Wicki
for Lamborghini
. The body features the Zagato "double bubble" design and an innovative door design where the whole middle section of the car swivels up and forward. The chassis
is borrowed from a 4WD Lamborghini Diablo
. The design was completed and a sample vehicle displayed at the Geneva Auto Show in 1996. At the time of showing, it was believed that the car was ready for production.
Utilizing the drive train and 492 hp V12 engine from the Diablo, but eliminating the ABS
and traction control system
, as well as the extensive use of carbon fiber
for the body work made the vehicle significantly lighter than the Diablo, thus potentially faster. To make up for the lack of ABS and the higher potential speeds, an upgrade from the Diablo's braking system was used.
Most media sources speculated that it would have been an excellent car to bridge the gap between the Diablo and its successor, then called the Canto, but Lamborghini did not produce the Raptor. Alain Wicki briefly tried to develop it on his own with Zagato's help, but nothing became of his efforts. He owned the only prototype
until 2000, when it was auction
ed at the Geneva Auto Show and bought by a private car collector.http://www.lambocars.com/rel/raptor.htm
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
design created in 1996 by Zagato
Zagato
Zagato is a design consultancy and engineering services company situated just outside Milan, Italy.The company's premises occupy an area of , of which are covered....
in partnership with Alain Wicki
Alain Wicki
Alain Wicki is a Swiss skeleton racer who competed from the 1980s to the early first decade of the 21st century. He won a complete set of medals in the men's event at the FIBT World Championships with a gold in 1989, a silver in 1998, and a bronze in 1982.Wicki won the overall men's Skeleton World...
for Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
. The body features the Zagato "double bubble" design and an innovative door design where the whole middle section of the car swivels up and forward. The chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
is borrowed from a 4WD Lamborghini Diablo
Lamborghini Diablo
The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance mid-engined sports car that was built by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001. It was the first Lamborghini capable of attaining a top speed in excess of . After the end of its production run in 2001, the Diablo was replaced by the...
. The design was completed and a sample vehicle displayed at the Geneva Auto Show in 1996. At the time of showing, it was believed that the car was ready for production.
Utilizing the drive train and 492 hp V12 engine from the Diablo, but eliminating the ABS
Anti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
and traction control system
Traction control system
A traction control system , also known as anti-slip regulation , is typically a secondary function of the anti-lock braking system on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction of driven road wheels...
, as well as the extensive use of carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
for the body work made the vehicle significantly lighter than the Diablo, thus potentially faster. To make up for the lack of ABS and the higher potential speeds, an upgrade from the Diablo's braking system was used.
Most media sources speculated that it would have been an excellent car to bridge the gap between the Diablo and its successor, then called the Canto, but Lamborghini did not produce the Raptor. Alain Wicki briefly tried to develop it on his own with Zagato's help, but nothing became of his efforts. He owned the only prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
until 2000, when it was auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
ed at the Geneva Auto Show and bought by a private car collector.http://www.lambocars.com/rel/raptor.htm