Italy is the heartland of supercars and performance cars, and core to that is the legendary Lamborghini. The company began as a tractor manufacturer, set up by Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, before creating exceptional sports cars and supercars.
Models like the Countach, Diablo, and Miura instantly spring to mind when we think of Lamborghini. However, some never made it to production. This comprehensive list details some exceptional prototypes and concepts of Lamborghinis. Some of these are concepts that never made it to production, while others were either produced in low volumes as prototypes or in a small production run.
Lamborghini Pregunta
One of Lamborghini’s ugliest concepts, the Pregunta, emerged just before colossal uncertainty at the company in the late 1990s. The Pregunta was a modified Diablo, with 530 hp from the V12 engine as well as the four-wheel drive system of the Diablo. Lamborghini took inspiration from fighter jets for the cockpit and even used Dassault Rafale jet fighter paint on the bodywork.
Lamborghini Egoista
The Egoista was Lamborghini’s ode to some of its more wild creations. The Egoista has various open and shut flaps, plus extra intakes to cool the 600 hp V10 engine. The radical bodywork with the sharp and aggressive nose is unlike even the wildest Lamborghini production cars.
Lamborghini Bravo Concept
The Bravo was the intended replacement for the Urraco, with design work by the legendary Bertone. The car was first unveiled at the 1974 Turin Motor Show and underwent extensive testing, but it would never enter production. A 300 hp V8 sits under the hood, and the concept is now part of the Bertone collection.
Lamborghini Cheetah
The Cheetah came from plans sent by MTI from the United States to create a tough, rugged military vehicle. Only one prototype has ever existed, effectively a forerunner of the AM General Humvee.
However, Lamborghini hit severe financial troubles during its conception, and the US military, the destined customer, never tested the car. They opted for the Humvee instead. However, the Cheetah did lay the foundations for the wild LM002.
Lamborghini LM004
Lamborghini built the 1986 LM004 around the LM002 chassis but went much further than the production vehicle. A 7.0-liter V12 was under the hood, with 420 hp, but this new engine did not perform as Lamborghini had expected.
With the weight and size of the engine proving detrimental, Lamborghini scrapped the LM004 project after just one prototype.
Lamborghini Aventador J
The idea of a roofless Aventador is fanciful, but that is what Lamborghini design chief Filippo Perini did several years ago. It took six weeks to create, and only the hood, front and rear fenders, and headlights came from the production Aventador.
A new front diffuser and carbon fiber cross-brace over the engine were just two of the extra features of the Aventador J.
Lamborghini Zagato Raptor
Zagato is famous for its extreme takes on various supercars. The Raptor is no exception to that wheel. What started as a four-wheel drive Diablo became a wild production car in 1996 with a double bubble roof. There were no doors.
Instead, the middle of the vehicle swiveled up and forward for entry and exit. But under the hood, it still had a 500 hp Diablo V12. With the body made from carbon fiber, it was also exceptionally light.
Lamborghini Marzal
The Marzal is one of the most bizarre cars from the Italian manufacturer. The Marzal is a four-seat gullwing concept with a 175 hp straight-six engine, which is a big deviation from the usual V12.
The extended Mirua chassis allowed for the pair of gullwing doors, plus the large windows and smoked glass roof. This necessitated designer Bertone to create a reliable air conditioning unit so the car’s occupants did not cook in the Italian sun.
Lamborghini Bertone Genesis
While an in-house Bertone vehicle, the Genesis used many Lamborghini components. The Genesis was a strange-looking minivan with gullwing doors at the front and sliding doors at the rear.
It still had a huge V12 under the hood, this time the 455 hp 5.2-liter unit from the Lamborghini Countach Quattrovalvole.
Lamborghini Portofino Concept
The Portofino concept is a four-door, stretched version of the iconic Jalpa. Lamborghini engineered the Portofino without B-pillars, and all four doors opened upwards to allow easier access to the super comfortable interior.
Sadly, Lamborghini would make just the one Portofino. The sole prototype suffered a heavy crash in 1991, destroying it.
Lamborghini Cala Concept
The baby 1995 Cala was a revival of the 1987 Lamborghini P140, the intended replacement for the Jalpa. Italdesign worked on the Cala, made possible thanks to Lamborghini supplying the firm with a P140 chassis and engine.
The V10 made 400 hp, but the Cala was sadly put on hold after Audi bought Lamborghini. But it did lay the foundations for a baby Lamborghini, the Gallardo, and the sole Cala prototype survives in the Italdesign museum.
Lamborghini Asterion
The Asterion is a sleek, slender, and very modern-looking Lamborghini concept. But unlike many other ideas, the Asterion never became a real-life concept.
It would remain a digital creation from 2014, intended to be a plug-in hybrid. Lamborghini promised a power output of 910 hp and a top speed of 185 mph, but unfortunately, Lamborghini never pursued a real-life version.
2006 Lamborghini Miura Concept
Many consider the Miura to be Lamborghini’s most incredible creation and the first true supercar. So, it is no surprise that in 2006, Lamborghini came up with a modern reinterpretation of the Miura.
The new Miura retained much of the original styling of the classic, with some sleeker lines and enhanced aerodynamics. Out of all of Lamborghini’s concepts, this is one we would have loved to go into production the most.
Lamborghini Espada
While not a concept, the Espada is a rare Lamborghini that is not so well remembered. The Espada was in production from 1968 to 1978, and Lamborghini produced just 1,277 units.
It is a four-seat grand touring coupe or, in other words, a Lamborghini shooting brake. A big 3.9-liter V12 sits under the hood, and the Espada is also one of the most practical Lamborghinis ever created.
Lamborghini Terzo Millennio
The Terzo Millennio was the product of a partnership between Lamborghini and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The idea was to create a car that would “rewrite the rules on super sports cars” for the third millennium, hence the name.
It’s one of the most striking vehicles ever to leave the Lamborghini drawing board and one of the most sinister.
Lamborghini Sesta Elemento
Out of all of Lamborghini’s special editions, the Sesto Elemento might be the king. Based on the Gallardo, the Sesto Elemento made its first appearance at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Under the hood is a mighty 5.2-liter Lamborghini V10 engine with 562 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque.
The Sesto Elemento weighs just 2,202 lbs, making it one of the lightest Lamborghinies ever. The manufacturer planned to make 20, but only 10 Sesto Elementos have ever existed.
Lamborghini Athon
The Lamborghini Athon took inspiration from earlier Bertone concept cars, and the design house built the car in partnership with designer Marc Deschamps. The Athon allegedly explored themes close to Bertone’s heart, which included V8 power from a 3.0-liter 260 hp engine.
The chassis came from the Lamborghini Silhouette, and a five-speed manual transmission created a true drivers’ car.
Lamborghini Veneno
The Veneno takes its name from one of the most famous fighting bulls, famous for brutally killing a matador in 1914. Based on the Aventador, under the hood is the supercar’s 6.5-liter V12 engine boosted to 739 hp and a top speed of 220 mph.
Unlike the Aventador, the Veneno has an adjustable rear wing, a flat underbody, and a Le Mans roof scoop. Lamborghini made three Venenos and then created the even crazier Veneno roadster.
Lamborghini Estoque
The Estoque is effectively a 2008 take on the Espada. Lamborghini unveiled the one-off concept at that year’s Paris Motor Show, and it was also the first front-engine Lamborghini since the LM002.
A Gallardo 5.2-liter V10 was under the hood, yet despite a positive reception, Lamborghini never put the car into production. The Estoque may be one of the greatest “what ifs” in Lamborghini’s history.
Lamborghini P140
The P140 was the intended replacement for the outgoing Jalpa, and a series of prototypes showed Lamborghini was serious about it. But this 4.0-liter V10-powered supercar never entered production.
Lamborghini said this was because of the fading interest in high-performance cars as a result of the Gulf Oil Crisis in the 1990s. The P140, however, had the distinction of being the first Lamborghini powered by a V10 engine.
Lamborghini Faena
In 1978, Italian coachbuilder Pietro Frua came up with the Lamborghini Faena. At the time, it was the only four-door Lamborghini in existence. The company built the car around a reinforced 1974 Espada Series II chassis, and it was under construction for eight months.
It was, however, much heavier than the Espada, weighing 4,400 lbs, but its luxurious interior and new bodywork with Citroen SM headlights certainly caught the public eye.
Lamborghini Miura Roadster Concept
Despite looking fantastic, Lamborghini made just one Miura Roadster in 1968. The car had more oversized air intakes, a lower roll-over hoop as well as a rear spoiler, and different taillights.
A 394 hp V12 sits under the hood. Lamborghini gave no reason as to why it never went into production. Its current whereabouts remain a mystery, with it last seen in 2015.
Lamborghini Flying Star II
The 1966 Flying Star II was one of the very last cars designed by Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. A shortened 400 GT chassis was the basis, and its body became the subject of some controversy.
Despite that, the Flying Star II still exists today, and it underwent a complete restoration in the early 2000s.
Lamborghini 3500 GTZ
The 1965 GTZ came from the workshops of Zagato. They crafted a stunning-looking sports car with a new Ercole Spada-designed body. It was Lamborghini’s efforts to explore a new sector as the company branched out from tractors to sports cars.
It is another Lamborghini shrouded in mystery, as Lamborghini allegedly built a second 3500 GTZ, but its whereabouts are unknown.