Lamborghini loses the roof and windshield with SC20

Imagine being able to provide your own thoughts and wishes to the design team at Lamborghini during the very early stages in the development of a new car. What would you ask for? One lucky customer has gone for an open-top track car that is also road ready.

“The SC20 is one more technical and styling exercise that associates Squadra Corse experience with Lamborghini design, masterfully interpreted by our Centro Stile based on the customer’s wishes, which was the focus of the project during the entire vehicle development and construction process,” says Giorgio Sanna, head of Lamborghini Motorsport.

Ready to get the skin melted from your face? The lack of roof is one thing, but the SC20 doesn’t even have a windshield. It’s all in the name of aerodynamics and weight saving. Lamborghini says that its engineers and design team have carefully crafted the front end to ensure its comfortable enough to sit in while driving. Maybe the low ride height and wedge-shaped front end do really work to minimise all air flow to the face, even at high speeds, and perhaps the occupants will only use the car for very short trips and to tear up the track. However, some protection against the elements and a shield to prevent swarms of flies/insects splatting against your forehead may not go amiss… It seems the glass-less SC20 is more a one-off design experiment to answer the question ‘What if?’ than an exercise in functionality.

Influence from previous Lamborghini’s can be spotted all over the SC20. The air intakes on the bonnet, for example, are lifted from the Huracán GT3 EVO, while the side profile is similar to that of the Essenza SCV12. Other sources of inspiration, according to Mitja Borkert, head of design at Lamborghini Centro Stile, include the Diablo VT Roadster, Aventador J, Veneno Roadster and Concept S.

There also seems to be some crossover from the Sian, such as the triple hexagonal light signature in the rear lamps. However, in the SC20, each hexagon is linked together and the shapes gently fall in height, bringing the eye to the centre of the vehicle and the ’Lamborghini’ text. The use of hexagons continues elsewhere, at the back of the vents that are positioned above the heads of the occupants, as well as parts of the rear bumper and exhaust surroundings.

As a result of all the influences and inspiration, the overall shape of the SC20 and its exterior details appear very familiar, but that’s not to say it isn’t dramatic. The car cuts a striking and formidable silhouette from every angle. It is a delight to look at.

There are several exclusive design details to the SC20. A new white paint titled ‘Bianco Fu’ was specially created, which acts as a sharp contrast to the ‘Blu Cepheus’ blue. The same blue features on certain parts of the interior, such as a strip of material that runs along the top of the dash as well as the sides of the seats.

Carbon fibre is featured inside for the casing of the centre console, on the rear wall, the door panels and even the steering wheel trim. Aluminium is used for the door handles, while soft black fabric covers most of the other surfaces. The air vents, however, have been made using 3D printers at Lamborghini’s Sant’Agata Bolognese factory.

Sadly the SC20 is a one-off vehicle made for a specific customer, just like the SC18 Alston that was produced in 2018. We will likely never get behind the steering wheel to find out whether the lack of glass was a stroke of genius or not.