The art of coachbuilding becomes more and more scarce as the years go by, and the automotive industry becomes even more automatized and digitalized. Handbuilt projects become a rarity as modern technology takes over and, when something of this kind makes an appearance, we must pay vigorous attention.
Such one-of-a-kind creation made a sumptuous appearance at this year's Concours of Elegance, held at Hampton Court in England. The British automotive coachbuilding firm named 7X Design presented their latest work of engineering art based on the Lamborghini Huracan, calling it the 7X Rayo. The German high-performance donor machine had been taken through a comprehensive conception and fabrication process, which, after months of painstaking effort and dedication, resulted in a veritable one-off hypercar able to embarrass anything on the road and wow anyone behind the steering wheel.
As stated above, the base platform for the 7X Rayo was the LP 610-4 variant of the Lambo Huracan, powered by the famous 5.2-liter naturally aspirated Audi/Lamborghini V10 engine. Offering a generous output of 610 hp and 413 lb-ft (560 Nm) of torque, it targets all four wheels through a highly efficient four-wheel-drive system and a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. From a standstill, a stock Huracan can reach 62 mph (100 kph) in just 2.5 seconds and will keep on going until reaching its 212 mph (341 kph) top speed. Not a bad place to start from.
Of course, the exterior appearance is the main highlight of the unique 7X Rayo. The design language unequivocally resembles the Lamborghini star model of the '70, the Miura, featuring curvaceous and flowing lines, a protruding nose and splitter, and the all-too-famous eyelashes that help guide the airflow over the headlights. The body has been completely reworked using carbon fiber and, keeping only a few remains from the original Huracan, such as the windows, headlights, taillights, and mirrors. Otherwise, every other body panel has been recreated from scratch using 7X Design's custom coachbuilding techniques.
Photo: 7X Design
The firm worked closely alongside Envisage Group in Coventry. Besides giving birth to an alluring automobile, they also improved the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle. From a 0.39 drag-coefficient value, as seen on a stock Huracan, they obtained a much lower ratio of just 0.279 in Rayo's case. The main goal of this collaboration was to design Rayo's body paneling in such a way that would not interfere with Huracan's structural chassis integrity.
Although the front fascia is still reminiscent of a Lamborghini, albeit the modern Huracan or the classic Miura, the rear of the Rayo is completely bespoke, holding little to no resemblance to the donor machine. For starters, it features a meshed grille that surrounds the taillights and sits above a massive diffuser. Laterally, two generous round exhaust tailpipes make their way through the rear bumper and glorify the ten-cylinder orchestra on every tap of the throttle.
Speaking of the engine, the Rayo got a significant power upgrade, boasting more than three times the power versus the donor Lambo. Yes, that's right. Do the math and realize that the Rayo produces more than 1,800 hp! Allegedly, the exact number sits around the 1,875 hp mark, but it could very well reach the 2000 hp threshold.
Photo: 7X Design
How were these mind-boggling numbers even possible? Well, 7X Design turned to Underground Racing, an established American tuning company specialized in working with Lamborghini V10 and V12 powerplants. They fitted the Rayo with two mid-mounted turbochargers and alongside much more undisclosed mechanical wizardry that resulted in a rocket on wheels that could reach a declared top speed of 300 mph (482 kph). Speaking of the wheels, the Rayo sits on HRE alloys because of the brand's official ratings for speeds exceeding 260 mph.
The cost of this distinguished endeavor has not been disclosed but, we can safely assume that this kind of commission can dig very deep in one's pockets. Regarding this matter, 7X Design specifies on their website that "a complete project can be done for €1,2 million plus the cost of the donor vehicle" and that "considerably complex and detailed builds can cost more." In other words, bespoke coachbuilding is the game of a large number but, when passionate and knowledgeable characters come together, the results can be fantastic.
A veritable hypercar, a machine that is built upon an already excellent base platform while taking cues from the all-time classics, the 7X Rayo is a modern coachbuilding masterpiece that proves that this traditional art of craftsmanship must be kept alive.
Since his early childhood, Dan developed an avid passion for cars and, now he sees himself as a genuine petrolhead. His enthusiasm comes from his father, an automotive engineer. They love to reminisce about the days when his dad showed him the inner workings of an engine and why everything does what it does. Full profile
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