We knew something was brewing at Lamborghini back in June when rumors of the brand’s most powerful road car yet began making the rounds. This past Friday at The Quail, CEO Stephan Winkelmann confirmed those rumors when the wraps were pulled off a bright yellow Lamborghini Fenomeno, built to mark the 20th anniversary of the Italian marque’s Centro Stile design studio in Sant’Agata Bolognese. It instantly became one of the highlights of this year’s Monterey Car Week.
Limited to just 29 examples (plus one museum car), and packing a combined 1,065 horsepower from its hybrid V12, this is the most powerful Lamborghini ever. It is also the quickest-accelerating in the brand’s history, with 62 mph coming up in just 2.4 seconds and 124 mph in 6.7 seconds. Top speed is rated at over 217 mph, putting it alongside other flagship V12 Lamborghinis ever. But for all the noise about its revolutionary drivetrain, one of the most critical elements of any supercar sits where you might not be looking, its tires.
Bridgestone has been named the exclusive tire partner for the Fenomeno, and the Japanese tire manufacturer isn’t treating it like any other OE contract, because these are not off-the-shelf Potenzas. The engineering team designed a bespoke set of ultra-high-performance tires in 265/30 ZRF21 front and 355/25 ZRF22 rear sizes to cope with the supercar’s hybrid layout, savage acceleration, and further aid in high-speed stability and handling. Lamborghini says tire improvements now account for nearly 70 percent of overall performance gains in its modern lineup, which puts Bridgestone’s work front and center.
“At Lamborghini, design and performance go hand in hand, and with Bridgestone, we have a partner who understands both” – Christian Mastro, Marketing Director, Automobili Lamborghini.
Now, if this all sounds familiar, that’s because we’ve seen this partnership in action before. Bridgestone has become Lamborghini’s exclusive tire supplier over the past five years, across its entire supercar range, from the Huracán STO and Sterrato. For the Lamborghini Revuelto, the brand’s first V12 high-performance plug-in hybrid, Bridgestone even developed tailor-made Potenza Sport tires, with customers able to spec dedicated Blizzak LM005 winter tires in sizes up to 21 inches.
“Our long-standing partnership with Lamborghini is rooted in a shared passion for innovation, excellence, and top performance” – Radoslaw Bolkowski, Vice President OE Sales at Bridgestone EMEA.
With the Fenomeno, the focus sharpens as these Potenza Sports feature Run Flat Technology, allowing up to 80 kilometers (49.7 miles) of driving at 80 kph (~50 mph) even at zero tire pressure. This could mean the difference between limping home and calling a flatbed at the end of an action-packed track session. For track work, Bridgestone is also offering a semi-slick variant, and unlike most competition-grade rubber, these tires are fully homologated for public roads. That means you can leave the pit lane, drive straight back onto the street, and not worry about swapping to another set.
What’s also new is the use of Virtual Tyre Development, a digital-first process that cut 200 physical prototypes, reduced test car use by 80 percent, halved development time, and slashed raw material consumption by 60 percent.
In the end, while practicality isn’t usually the selling point for a limited-run seven-figure Lambo, here, it’s a quiet advantage. The highly exclusive Fenomeno will forever be remembered as one of Lamborghini’s most outrageous V12 models ever. But its story cannot be told without the custom Bridgestones that keep all 1,065 of those rampaging Italian horses safely on the pavement.
Image Source: Bridgestone, Lamborghini