Fashioned from a half-ton block of pure gold and encrusted with 700 diamonds, this scale model of the Lamborghini Aventador is expected to fetch $7.5 million at auction, making it the world’s most expensive model car.
Designed in 1:8 scale by former Mercedes-Benz engineer and German model maker Robert Gulpen, the diminutive 24-inch-long supercar is 14 times more costly than its full-size, seven-speed, blazing-fast counterpart.
About $2.6 million of the total value can be attributed directly to the precious metals and gemstones used in the design. The finished model contains more than 55 pounds of pure gold.
The wheel coverings are fabricated in pure platinum, and the Lamborghini logo is designed in gold, platinum and diamonds. The car’s two seats and steering wheel are trimmed with 700 fine diamonds. Diamonds are also used to accent the headlights and taillights.
Gulpen claims that it took one-and-a-half years and a team of 10 engineers to make the model.
The actual full-size Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 has a seven-speed transmission, V12 engine, and goes from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds.
A near-exact prototype of Gulpen’s solid gold model is currently on display in Dubai, famously known as the “City of Gold.” The prototype, which is secured in a bullet-proof-glass case, mimics the final product, but is made of less valuable materials. The designer will be customizing the actual pure-gold version for the eventual owner.
Gulpen said the golden Lamborghini will secure three entries in the Guinness Book of World Records: most expensive model car, most secure showcase and the most luxurious logo. He also noted that $650,000 of the purchase price would go to charity.
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