Zagato-bodied Lamborghini Gallardo could make production

Positive reaction to striking one-off Lamborghini 5-95 Zagato show car may encourage a limited production run

The 5-95 Zagato is based upon the underpinnings of the Gallardo

This Zagato-bodied Lamborghini Gallardo could make production in a limited run. Collector Albert Spiess originally commissioned the model as a one-off for the Villa D’Este Concours D’Elegance in Italy last week.

The model, known as the Lamborghini 5-95 Zagato, has been given the approval of Lamborghini and Volkswagen Group design director Walter Da Silva.

Its carbonfibre body is the work of Stephane Schwarz, designer of the original Nissan Qashqai, while the mechanical package is taken from the Gallardo LP570-4.

Zagato and Lamborghini have collaborated on several cars, dating back to 1965 when the Milanese brand conceived two examples of the Lamborghini 3500 GTZ, a shortened, rebodied version of the 350 GT.

Spiess, who has an enormous array of Italian exotica, commissioned the Milanese atelier to produce a modern collectible car.

Spiess said: “I always appreciated the ability of Zagato to create timeless lines with a forceful visual impact. I believe that a sensual design inspired by nature, together with the best technology, strike a perfect balance that is possible to achieve only in Italy. The 5-95 will be a fundamental piece of my collection.”

Zagato’s restyling of the Gallardo features a floating spoiler that takes inspiration from the Lamborghini Raptor Zagato, ending with a carbonfibre firewall that conceals the front air intakes.

The pillarless body is surrounded by continuous glass surfaces – a technical and stylistic theme launched by Zagato in the end of the 1940s and reapplied in the 1980s – which help to reduce noise and improve aerodynamics.

The side intakes, as with the Lamborghini Raptor, have been reduced in size, while an air scoop has been added to the roof and additional apertures are concealed in the glass surfaces. 

The air scoop is functionally integrated with the double bubble roof, a signature of Zagato design, directing the cooling to the intake manifold.

The Lamborghini’s tail has been truncated and mechanical components, such as tail lamps heat release, aerodynamic features and the active spoiler protrude from the rear.

Zagato designers and engineers aimed to press the rear towards the engine and increase the proportion of the front, to give the car an aggressive stance.