The majestic Lamborghini V12 holds an iconic status in the world of automobiles but very few people are aware a derivative of the engine powered one of the most successful Hydroplanes that holds the speed endurance record for the last three decades. The Lucini Lamborghini Hydroplane was built by legendary Italian boatbuilder Lucini in 1992 with the intention to break existing speed records and win the Centomiglia del Lario (“One Hundred Miles of the Lake”) on Lake Como in Northern Italy. The beautiful vessel went on to win the event three times – 1992, 1993, and 1995. During one of the races, the Lucini Lamborghini Hydroplane managed to hit a record-shattering top speed of 195.434 km/h (about 121mph), earning it a legendary status. The iconic hydroplane is up for sale at RM Sotheby’s Open Roads, December auction, and is estimated to fetch anywhere between $100,000 to $160,000.
The Lucini Lamborghini Hydroplane is powered by a fuel-injected, dual overhead camshaft, 8.2-liter, V12 Lamborghini marine engine created by a little-known off-shoot of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A known as Motori Marini Lamborghini S.p.A. As the story goes, the marque’s founder Ferruccio Lamborghini was an enthusiast of speed boats and other marine vessels. Back in 1968, he had commissioned a special Riva Aquarama powered by two of Lamborghini V12 engines, making it the fastest Aquarama ever built. When the automaker started struggling financially a few years later, Lamborghini also started to explore the business idea of making V12 engines for both pleasure crafts and high-performance race boats. That’s how Motori Marini Lamborghini S.p.A was born and the mighty V12 powering the Lucini Lamborghini Hydroplane is a testament to its capabilities.
The 8.2-liter V12 Lamborghini marine engine produced a claimed 850 horsepower, giving the hydroplane a theoretical top speed of over 230 km/h (about 143mph). What makes the vessel unique is also its construction. The hull was made from mahogany, as opposed to the more common fiberglass of the time. After its successful stint at racing, the Lucini Lamborghini Hydroplane was placed on display in a private collection and was later acquired by an individual in 2017 who entered the vessel at historic race events, including the Sacca Racer Meeting and Campione D’Italia Gran Premio Mondiale F2.
[Via: RM Sotheby’s]
