Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 Honors Ferdinand Piëch At Frankfurt

Live photos of the Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 from its debut at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show have been added to the photo gallery below.

Among the many electrified debuts at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show is the Lamborghini Sian. It's the first hybrid offering from Sant'Agata Bolognese, and with its covers coming off on September 3, it was among the earliest new car reveals for the big show. However, not all the information was revealed, or perhaps more accurately, special changes were made to the Sian moniker. Today, Lamborghini tells us the name of this special hybrid hypercar is actually the Sian FKP 37.

We're used to seeing alphanumeric suffixes from Lambo, though it's usually something along the lines of LP 640 or EVO or SVJ. FKP 37 is something completely new, but there is a very good reason for it. The suffix pays homage to Ferdinand Karl Piëch, the former chairman of Volkswagen and the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche. The letters are obviously his initials, with 37 standing for the year he was born – 1937. Piëch collapsed on August 25 and passed away shortly thereafter.

Why would Lamborghini grace the Sian – the company's most powerful road-going car in its history – with the initials of someone having such a deep legacy with Volkswagen and Porsche? It's possible Lamborghini wouldn't exist today, or at least, it wouldn't be nearly as successful if Piëch hadn't taken a tremendous interest in bringing the automaker under the Volkswagen Group umbrella. Piëch was chairman of VW Group's executive board when Lamborghini was acquired in 1998, and according to Lamborghini's press release, he played a significant role in making that happen.

The Sian FKP 37, then, is a rather fitting tribute. Its electrified V12 powertrain develops 819 horsepower (611 kilowatts) and can reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.8 seconds. Only 63 copies are slated for production at a cost of $3.6 million, though if you’re considering buying one, it’s already too late. Each Sian is already sold, but you can at least see the ultra-exclusive hypercar starting September 12 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.