It’s a collaboration that was always going to happen, and now for 2021 Italian powerhouses Ducati and Lamborghini have finally joined forces on a two-wheel special edition motorcycle.
But how does such a collaboration come to be? Well apart from both being the pride of Italian speed demons, both Ducati and Lamborghini are, in fact, owned by the German Volkswagen Group so in a sense they are kind of step-siblings.
But unlike what usually happens when step-siblings are forced to cooperate, the resulting motorcycle from the Ducati/Lambo collab is quite a cool bit of kit.
Set to be made in a limited and numbered edition of 630 units, the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini as eye-grabbing as the car it has taken its inspiration from.
Ducati’s designers took their inspiration for the project from the Lamborghini Siàn FKP 37, the most prestigious car ever made by Lamborghini with only 63 to be made referencing the year Lamborghini was founded. Each of which is personalised to specific customer requests from their rather well-to-do owners.
The Siàn itself is inspired by the legendary Lamborghini Countach, and as such has razor-sharp lines, aerodynamic elegance and an unmistakable silhouette. The hybrid powertrain produces a claimed 819hp (602 kW), making it the most powerful Lamborghini ever produced.
"In creating a Diavel inspired by the Siàn, we are celebrating the values we share with Lamborghini: we are Italian, we are sporty, and design is a distinctive element for our creations," says Andrea Ferraresi, Director of the Centro Stile Ducati.
"The Diavel 1260 Lamborghini was designed using the same stylistic language that distinguishes the super sports car, so we have redesigned the elements that most characterize the Diavel. For example, the rims, which are a fundamental component for a motorcycle like this, are forged and immediately bring the bike close to the car. The entire bodywork was made of carbon fibre, a precious and light material. The result is a bike with a great stage presence, a true collector's item from the point of view of style and a 100% Diavel in riding."
The Diavel 1260 Lamborghini is the result of the joint work between the Centro Stile Ducati and the Centro Stile Lamborghini. It was conceived by transferring the basic components of the design of the Siàn FKP 37 to the motorcycle world and redesigning the parts that most characterize the Diavel. First of all, the forged wheels, light and with a new design, but also the air intakes and radiator covers, made of carbon fibre and designed by superimposing floating elements onto the main structure.
The livery of the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini was achieved by using exactly the same paints as those on the Siàn FKP 37, with the bodywork characterized by the "Gea Green" colour, while the frame, the seat tail and the forged rims are embellished with the use of "Electrum Gold" colour. There is also a touch of "Ducati Red" recalled by the colouring of the Brembo M50 radial-mounted brake calipers.
The thumping heart of the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini is the 1262 cc Ducati Testastretta DVT with variable timing. This Euro 5 homologated engine is capable of delivering 162 hp (119 kW) at 9,500 rpm and 129 Nm at 7,500 rpm with a flat torque curve right from medium-low revs.
Backing up the raw power of the engine is a sophisticated suite of electronics including a 6-axis IMU from Bosch which allows the use of Cornering ABS EVO, Ducati Traction Control EVO (DTC), Ducati Wheelie Control EVO (DWC), Ducati Power Launch EVO (DPL) and Cruise Control.
The Diavel 1260 Lamborghini is due to start arriving in European dealers from December with no word yet on how many have been allocated to the NZ market or what price point the rather special collectable will command.
