Exotic car shoppers don’t sense a slowdown.

August 15th, 2008

In the midst of bleak sales numbers from almost every auto manufacturer, one email in my inbox stood out: “Houston exotic car buyers pinched? Hardly!”

Lamborghini Houston says that sales are “hotter than ever,” and has the inventory to prove it. Twenty examples of the hyper-exclusive Reventón supercar will be produced worldwide; four have already passed through the Lamborghini Houston showroom. I swung by to examine the $2.5-million sportscar firsthand. Matte “Grey Barre” paint, angular carbon-fiber bodywork, and bare carbon-fiber accents hint at the 6.5-liter V12 engine’s capability. Auxiliary LED lighting flanks the headlamps and pours into the cabin, where high-resolution TFT monitors replace a traditional meter cluster. If these trends tempt your wallet, don’t mortgage the house (and yacht) yet: the Reventón’s cutting-edge design elements are elementally functional, and could someday see series production in mainstream vehicles. Check out the detail gallery for a closer look!