Guide: Another Beast from Milan - a Historical & Technical Appraisal of the Lamborghini Zagato Raptor
Background
Zagato’s first collaboration with Automobili Lamborghini happened in a semi-official capacity during 1965.
At the time, Ferruccio Lamborghini’s auto maker had just got up to speed with production of its first offering: the Touring-bodied 350 GT.
Twelve months after the first deliveries had begun, two special short wheelbase 350 GT chassis were sent to Zagato at the behest of Marchese Gerino Gerini who ran Lamborghini's Milan agency, Lamborcar. At Zagato’s Milan factory, the two chassis were equipped with rakish new bodies, copies of which Gerini planned to sell in limited numbers.
However, only the two original Zagato-bodied 3500 GTZs were ever built.
Over the next 30 years, Lamborghini were most notably associated with Zagato’s Turin-based rival, Bertone, whose studio were at the cutting edge of high performance automobile design. During this period, Zagato’s fortunes ebbed and flowed; in the mid 1980s the company had to be rescued from collapse by Aston Martin, after which the Italian coachbuilder began a tentative revival.
By the mid 1990s, Automobili Lamborghini had also been through the rigour. A succession of owners had come and gone; in control at the time was Megatech, a Bermuda-registered holding company for Malaysian investment group Mycom Setdco and Indonesian group V Power Corporation.
Megatech had purchased Automobili Lamborghini from Chrysler in November 1993. In 1995, the green light was given to develop a Diablo successor that was initially dubbed the L147 and later the Canto. Zagato and Marcello Gandini (who had styled most of Bertone’s work for Lamborghini and now ran his own studio) were invited to submit design proposals for the new machine.
Lamborghini ultimately opted to work with Zagato who by this time had become the first Italian design house to master pioneering CAD/CAM computer-aided design and manufacturing software.
To showcase their new digital design capability, Zagato created a clean-sheet model to bridge the gap between the Diablo and Canto. The fully operational Raptor was the result and a short production run was anticipated.
Zagato completed the Raptor in less than four months. It was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1996.
Chassis
The Raptor was based on a brand new tubular steel spaceframe chassis. At 2650mm the wheelbase was 20mm shorter than a Diablo.
Suspension was via independent double wishbones with coil sprung four-way electronically adjustable Koni dampers (two per side at the back). Anti-roll bars were fitted at either end.
Whereas the standard Diablo used brake discs and calipers sourced from Brembo, the Raptor ran an uprated Alcon system. To save weight, there was no Anti-lock Brake System.
The new 18-inch diameter magnesium wheels had a modern five-spoke design and were originally shod with Pirelli tyres.
Engine / Gearbox
The Raptor’s four-wheel drive running gear was sourced from the Diablo VT.
In the engine bay was Lamborghini’s then current 60° V12, an all-alloy dual overhead camshaft power unit originally designed for the company by Giotto Bizzarrini back in 1963. By this time, the original 3.5-litre motor had been taken out to 5.7-litres.
These engines ran a dry-sump lubrication system, LIE digital multi-point fuel-injection and three-way cats with lambda sensors.
Displacement was 5709cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 87mm and 80mm.
With a compression ratio of 10.0:1, peak output was 492bhp at 7000rpm and 428lb-ft at 5200rpm.
Transmission was through a five-speed manual gearbox, dry single-plate clutch and Viscous Traction four-wheel drive system that transferred up to 25% of the power to the front axle.
Bodywork
Although Zagato had a well-established reputation for creating unconventional and occasionally controversial designs, the Raptor was a nicely proportioned and well resolved machine.
The front end was somewhat reminiscent of a Porsche 917 with its softly curved fenders and headlight assemblies mounted underneath large glass covers. At the base of the nose was a distinctive full width aperture that housed intakes for the brakes and radiators.
Undoubtedly the car’s most radical feature was a lift-up roof canopy that harked back to the futuristic design concepts of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The outlandish assembly was hinged at the leading edge and meant there was no need for conventional doors. It also incorporated a removable central roof panel that enabled the car to be used as a fixed-head Berlinetta or Targa-style Spider. In typical Zagato fashion, the roof had a distinctive Double Bubble effect.
Bulbous rear fenders gave the Raptor a Coke bottle profile. Large intake scoops were added down each sill.
Another cooling feature was an intake snorkel behind the roof. Two banks of slatted vents on either side of the snorkel allowed hot air to escape from the engine bay.
The back end of the car was characterised by a tail fascia with a large bank of vents. Integrated at the top of this was a single reflective panel that housed a full complement of lighting.
Body panels were predominantly fashioned from carbon composite. Zagato opted for a two-tone colour scheme of Corfu Blue with Grey for the sills and rear apron.
Interior
Like the bodywork, the Raptor’s interior was completely new.
The single piece dash was gently curved and incorporated a digital instrument display directly behind the three-spoke non-airbag steering wheel. Above it was a striking Double Bubble upper section attached to the roof canopy that swept round to envelop the occupants.
Between the fixed-back single piece seats was a wide transmission tunnel with a natural alloy control panel where the open-gate gear lever was located behind an array of switches and an analogue clock.
The Raptor prototype was upholstered in light grey alcantara and black carpet. The steering wheel was trimmed in black alcantara.
Without conventionally opening windows, air-conditioning was essential for when the roof was in place.
Options
In addition to a choice of colours, alternative upholstery types and a rear-wheel drive variant, the Raptor was expected to be offered with a supercharged engine option that had a projected output of 620bhp.
Weight / Performance
At a quoted 1350kg, the Raptor was 275kg lighter than a Diablo VT.
Top speed was ‘in excess of 200mph’ while 0-62mph was said to take less than four seconds.
Subsequent History
Following its appearance at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1996, the Raptor was sent to Lamborghini’s Sant’Agata factory for assessment.
Although the car reputedly handled well and was extremely fast, Lamborghini decided not to produce a short run of cars, preferring instead to focus on improving the Diablo until a long-term successor was ready.
As a result, the prototype (chassis P06) remained a one-off.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Zagato - https://www.zagato.it/ & Scott Pattenden - https://scottpattenden.com/ courtesy of RM Sotheby’s - https://rmsothebys.com/
