During the late 1990s, Lamborghini presented two special models known as the 1997 Lamborghini (P147) Canto, and this car shown here, the 1997 Lamborghini (P147) Acosta. This project was initially headed by Vittorio Di Capua, a veteran in the automotive industry who was brought in as president and CEO in November of 1996. The Acosta of 1997 was one of just two prototype variations developed under the P147/L147 project. The Acosta was designed by Marcello Gandini, a famous Italian car designer known for his work with the automotive design house Gruppo Bertone. The P147 Canto on the other hand was styled by the famous Italian coach building company Zagato with Norihoko Harada of SZ designs leading the charge. Zagato’s Canto was quite a unique looking car, but from a performance and aerodynamic standpoint, it was deemed mathematically and scientifically unsuccessful. From engine cooling issues, to design issues, the Canto was seemingly not the answer they had in mind for a Diablo successor. Gandini’s P147 Acosta presented even more controversial issues than its competitor Canto model. While Gandini’s Acosta design appeared to be a more squared off and proportional design in comparison to the Zagato’s Canto, the Acosta concept was almost immediately shelved by Lamborghini and simply remained an empty engine-less chassis. The Canto model designed by Zagato was able to advance far enough into the prototype stage to receive an engine and multiple design changes. Upon Audi’s acquisition of Lamborghini in June of 1998 under Ferdinand Karl Piëch, chairman of the executive board of Volkswagen Group from (1993–2002) both P147 design projects were shelved indefinitely. Only two years later in 2001, Lamborghini & Belgian designer and former head of design operations at Lamborghini for five years, Luc Donckerwolke unveiled the new flagship V12 successor to the Diablo, which they called the Murcielago.
How many made? Just one Acosta built and it’s kept in the Lamborghini Museum
Engine: None
Debut: None
Top Speed: n/a
0-60: n/a
Photo credit: @lambolog
Research: @rarecarsonly