Whenever you spy the badge of Lamborghini or Bentley on a sleek ride cruising the Vegas Strip, you know that an awe-inspiring engine rumbles under the hood. Naturally, it will be loaded with every imaginable luxury option. But that doesn’t mean you know everything about these legendary car manufacturers. Check out these little-known facts about your favorite supercars.
- You can buy a Lamborghini Tractor.
- The Ferrari Prancing Horse is not a speedy stallion.
- Aston Martin still handcrafts all of its vehicles.
- Rolls Royce wasn’t always made in England.
- The newest Bentley has a W12 engine.
- McLaren once made a model without an engine.
1) You Can Buy a Lamborghini Tractor
The supercar manufacturer started building cars in 1963. But its founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini, first established Lamborghini Trattori in 1948–a farm tractor company! Right after World War II, machined parts and engines for the private sector were hard to find, so they built their first tractors using war surplus parts.
Using the Spark, Spire, or Crono, you can still buy a Lamborghini to plow your fields today. But it won’t perform like the Lamborghini Veneno.
2) The Ferrari Prancing Horse is Not a Speedy Stallion
The iconic black horse found on the hood of every Ferrari is not a racing thoroughbred. Instead, it is an homage to the prancing pony painted on the side of the plane flown by World War I Italian ace Count Francesco Baracca. His parents were close friends of Enzo Ferrari, the founder of Ferrari. The yellow background honors Enzo’s hometown of Modena, Italy. The S and F on the shield stand for Scuderia Ferrari or Ferrari Stables.
3) Aston Martin Still Handcrafts Every One Of Their Vehicles
While the Aston Martin factory uses robotic cranes and the latest technology to help build the newest DBS, the company still values craftsmanship over speed. So instead of placing their cars on a rolling assembly line, the vehicle is placed at a workstation to allow each technician the time needed to install their part perfectly. As a result, it will take more than 200 hours to craft a single Aston Martin DBS.
4) Rolls Royce Wasn’t Always Made in England
You know that the 2022 Rolls-Royce Ghost is custom-built in the Goodwood, England, factory. But the iconic luxury vehicle manufacturer did extend its reach into the United States during the 1920s. The Springfield, MA factory built more than 1700 Ghosts and 1200 Phantoms. However, after the stock market crashed in ’29, the factory was shuttered, and all manufacturing returned to the UK.
5) Yes, That is a W12 Engine Under the Hood of the Newest Bentley
You expect to find a supercharged V8 behind most street-legal performance cars. Occasionally, you might find a V12. But a W12? Yes, the Bentley Bentayga Speed SUV features the twin-turbo W12 powertrain churning out an insane 625 horsepower and 664 lb-ft. of torque. Instead of two banks of six cylinders, it has four banks with three cylinders in a W configuration. 10% of the time needed to build the Bentayga is spent on its unique engine.
6) A McLaren Without an Engine? It Happened
The MP4-T5 won the only race it ever entered without using a single gallon of gas. The vehicle reached a top speed of more than 60 mph while rolling down the hill at the Goodwood Gravity Racing Club Soapbox Challenge in 2002. Built entirely of discarded parts from their F1 shop, it cost less than £1,000 in pieces to assemble.
Ready To Drive In Luxury?
Do you dream of piloting one of these legendary exotic cars, if only for a day? Then, make it happen on your next visit to Las Vegas. Reserve your ride at Dream Exotics for an evening, a day, or an entire week.