The Lamborghini SC18 Alston is an 800-hp, one-off wonder
We get an exclusive, up-close-and-personal look at Lamborghini's wild creation at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
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There's rich, and then there's "hey, Lamborghini , make me a custom car" rich. We don't know much about the latest super-wealthy person with the cash to commission a one-off, extravagant Lamborghini. But do know they have a son named Alston, hence, the Lamborghini SC18 Alston.
As for the rest of the name, SC stands for Squadra Corsa. The 18 refers to the year it was produced, although we had to wait until the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed for it to break cover.
The Alston is based on the Aventador SVJ, but the changes are numerous. The engine has a modified intake, which pushes the power up to 800 horsepower. A host of bodywork changes include a new front splitter, new rear deck cover and an adjustable rear wing that, in typical Lamborghini style, can be set to alto, medio or brasso, and can deliver more downforce than on the SVJ. A titanium exhaust and a new diffuser are also on hand, and we expect these to make their way to future Lambos soon.
There are also few smaller touches, like the lights, that can be recognized from the Centenario. Flashback to the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, the Centenario was built to celebrate the 100th birthday of Ferrucio Lamborghini, the company's founder.
This is where I usually say something like, "I'll take two," but only one will be built and I'm definitely not its buyer.
Back to the SC18, you might be shocked to learn it's road-legal. We wouldn't expect to see it in the parking lot of your local grocery store anytime soon, but in theory, you could. Just watch the ground clearance -- the SC18 sits even lower to the ground than the SVJ.
The interior isn't quite as excessive as the exterior, with a simplified steering wheel that's completely free of buttons or switches. It has the same centrally located infotainment screen that we saw on the Centenario, and the door pulls are simple leather loops. It's hard to ever call any part of a Lamborghini "basic," but this interior is about as basic as they come.
Presumably, that's entirely the owners choice, because from what we understand about the performance and handling, it's aggressive. Very aggressive. So it stands to reason that you'll want to keep focused on the job in hand if you take this out for a proper drive. In addition to having more power than the SVJ, Lamborghini says the SC18 has more grip and sharper throttle response, too.
We'll likely never know the full details of who this car belongs to, but considering this one-off request really ups the ante over the already-bonkers SVJ, it's fair to assume they'll be making good use of it.
