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 chleinikon is normally a peaceful village in the canton of Zurich. Children play, cattle graze, housewives potter about in their gardens An ordinary, sunny May morning, with nothing disturbing this idyllic scene - until a threatening roar announces the entrance of the raptor. But the villagers do not flee in terror. It is, after all, not a particularly aggressive dinosaur running amok, but simply the test drive of a sports car prototype which has been developed in the village up to production readiness.
The Raptor is an ambitious dream of Zagato and his project partner, Alain Wicki, in collaboration with Lamborghini. For Zagato, the futuristic two-seater signals the company's comeback as a leading sports car designer. It was this Milan company with the long tradition which built the superbly exciting Lamborghini 3500 GTZ in 1966.
A particularly exclusive limited series, aimed at bridging the period before Lamborghini launches the new Diablo
 he company's greatest successes came in the thirties, building bodies for racing cars and small series production, and then later those unforgettable lightweight versions on chassis of cars such as Aston Martin, Fiat and Maserati. Nowadays, the only thing the fans know is the sonorous Italian name. The last limited production series were the boxy Alfa Romeo SZ and the Lancia Hyena, a car of great character, of which only 25 models were built.
According to Alain Wicki, only around 50 models of the Raptor will be produced (at roughly the price of a Diablo) - a particularly exclusive limited series, aimed at bridging the period before Lamborghini launches the new Diablo.
This extravagant super sports car is the fulfilment of a childhood dream for the former Skeleton World Champion and racing driver. He has worked on this project with Andrea Zagato from the outset. The car was fully designed on a computer and, using the latest production methods, completely built within 4 months.
The engineering is supplied by Lamborghini, with the high quality chassis, the permanent all-wheel drive and the beefy V-12 all emanating from the Diablo.
he engineering is supplied by Lamborghini, with the high quality chassis, the permanent all-wheel drive and the beefy V-12 all emanating from the Diablo, as do the 5-speed gearbox and the suspension, which leans heavily on racing car design. A completely independent feature is the compact plastic body, with its eye-catching air intake, one-piece cockpit shell and giant tail end. A typical Zagato feature is the traditional double bubble roof, which can be quickly removed in fine weather.
 
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Zagato takes his variations one step further. The Raptor can be delivered to customers' orders as a single seater or two-seater with separate roof bubbles. Wicki reveals: "This is only the prototype, a driving laboratory. The Raptor II, which will go into production, will have one or two innovative details up its sleeve".
The central console contains only the most essential switches.
 n the test drive, even the prototype threw up a surprise. The stylishly Alcantara-trimmed interior has little more to offer than a Formula racing car: a digital display unit for all important handling and engine data, a central console, with only the most essential switches, a classic open gear shift gate and - the only luxury - air-conditioning.
The music is provided by the engine. To distinguish the Raptor from a standard Diablo, the Swiss tuning specialist, Z-Engineering can, on request, fit a belt-driven turbine compressor to the 12-cylinder engine, beefing the engine power up to 620 HP. It certainly does justice to the Raptor's name!
So much power under the bonnet, and yet as a result of the no compromising functionalism, it weighs in at around 300 kg less than the Diablo. This combination of high power and low weight guarantees truly breathtaking performance.
On corners, the mid-engined two-seater sticks to the road like a Kart. The all-wheel drive makes it astonishingly easy to keep in check.
 ven without a 6-speed gearbox, the mid-engined two-seater puts in sprints which are suspiciously close to being record breaking. On corners, it sticks to the road like a Kart. The all-wheel drive makes it astonishingly easy to keep in check. And exclusively fitted with Alcon callipers and enormous discs, the Raptor easily out-brakes the Diablo.
A conscious decision has been made to dispense with ABS and anti-slip control when the limited series is put into production in the autumn. Alain Wicki justifies this by saying: "The Raptor is intended to generate enthusiasm, totally in the style of epochal Zagato cars with functional design and visible engineering".
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