As of when its production ended in 2013, the Lamborghini Gallardo was the best-selling Lamborghini model in history. To call it a success would be an understatement; it helped save the brand. But that hasn’t stopped one of the designers behind the original car from attempting to make it even better. Fabrizio Giugiaro, in concert with Cavën Atelier and GFG Style, has reimagined the supercar he first conceived in the late 1990s, and the result is the Hommage 26—a thoroughly modern interpretation of one of Lamborghini’s most important cars.
Looks are subjective, and you may love or hate the updated design. But the Hommage 26 was not created solely to give the car a fresh look; Giugiaro wanted to revisit his original design and incorporate ideas that weren’t technically possible nearly three decades ago. “We did not want to create a simple restyling exercise or indulge in nostalgia, but to show how one of our designs, with its timeless lines, can evolve through attention to detail, experience and today’s technologies,” said Giugiaro when talking to Top Gear about the Hommage 26.
The project begins with a donor Lamborghini Gallardo, but everything except the windshield, side windows, mirrors, mirror bases, and central roof section is changed; almost everything else is reshaped with carbon fiber. The 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V-10 is tuned to rev to 8,500 rpm, while horsepower ratings are quoted at 533 hp in GT specification and 552 in Performance trim. Other hardware improvements include active suspension, upgraded brakes, and 20-inch wheels.
Design highlights include retractable headlights, redesigned taillights, a new diffuser, active aerodynamic flaps, and a revised engine cover. There’s even an opening rear window designed to bring more of the V-10’s soundtrack into the cabin, which you’ll appreciate from the redesigned seats.
The conversion costs €900,000, or roughly $1 million at current exchange rates, and that doesn’t include the donor Gallardo. Just 25 examples are planned. Cavën says the Hommage 26 is just the first chapter in a Designer Series that will allow other automotive designers to revisit their creations, so if you miss out on the chance for a reimagined Gallardo, there may be other cars down the line to consider.
