Gallardo reborn: V10 manual Homage 26 limited to 25

A 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V10, revised to 8,500 rpm and paired with a manual gearbox, is the centerpiece of Homage 26, a 25-unit reinterpretation of the Lamborghini Gallardo by its original designer Fabrizio Giugiaro.

CAVËN Atelier unveiled the project at the Concours at Wynn Las Vegas as the first entry in its new Designer Series. The Homage 26 begins with Giugiaro's 1998 Italdesign sketch that led to the Gallardo, then rebuilds that idea with contemporary engineering and no commercial constraints.

Design and construction

Although the Homage 26 preserves the overall Gallardo silhouette, almost every major body panel has been replaced. Only five elements from the donor car remain: the roof, side windows, windshield, mirrors, and mirror bases. The rest of the body is carbon fiber and incorporates design changes such as retractable front headlamps, active aerodynamic flaps and a rear-opening glass over the engine bay intended to enhance the engine's acoustic presence.

Giugiaro left the front profile broadly faithful to his 1998 lines, while the rear and the cabin receive fully modern reinterpretation. The base for each build is a first-generation Gallardo platform supplied either by the buyer or sourced by the atelier, and the conversion replaces the original shell with bespoke carbon components.

Mechanical package and intent

The chassis receives a new suspension with selectable comfort and sport modes, upgraded brakes and 20-inch wheels. Italtecnica has revised the original 5.0-liter V10 to reach 8,500 rpm and the engine is coupled to a traditional manual transmission to preserve a raw driving feel. The Homage 26 is offered in two tune levels: a GT version rated at 540 horsepower and a more aggressive Performance version at 560 horsepower. The project explicitly does not pursue 1,000-horsepower figures and instead aims to deliver a pure driving experience for twisty roads and long-distance touring.

Only 25 examples will be built, and the base price for a completed Homage 26, excluding the donor Gallardo, starts at €900,000.

Each car in the limited run is hand-built on the donor Gallardo chassis with bespoke bodywork and mechanical upgrades. CAVËN Atelier describes its working method as returning to the original creator rather than commissioning reinterpretations from third parties: the Founder studio asked Giugiaro to revisit his own design and apply modern materials and systems.

Owners of the Homage 26 will also receive priority access to future Designer Series releases, which CAVËN Atelier says will continue with collaborations with other prominent automotive designers scheduled to launch in 2027.