The back of the Veneno car is pictured on the Lamborghini booth during the second media day of the 83rd Geneva Auto Show at the Palexpo Arena in Geneva. [Photo / Agencies]

Millionaire tractor maker Ferruccio Lamborghini wanted to build a better, faster sports car in Italy than rival Enzo Ferrari when he established Automobili Lamborghini in 1963.

Half a century later, though both founders are long dead, the corporate rivalry continues unabated at the Geneva Auto Show, where Lamborghini, now an affiliate of the Volkswagen Group, on Tuesday countered the million-euro LaFerrari "hyper-hybrid" supercar with its own "extremely exclusive" Veneno two-seater.

It may not be the fastest car on display at Geneva's Palexpo - Veneno and LaFerrari are both said to exceed 350 km/h - but the new Lamborghini is among the most expensive, with a pre-tax sticker of 3 million euros ($3.9 million), triple the cost of the Ferrari.

The Veneno car is pictured on the Lamborghini booth at the 83rd Geneva Auto Show at the Palexpo Arena in Geneva. [Photo / Xinhua]

Only three Venenos will be built, and all three are pre-sold, the company said.

The Veneno is also way over the top in terms of styling, with scissors-style doors, massive rear wing, roof-mounted air scoop and "shark fin" stabilizer.

"This is one of the most extreme cars we've done to date," Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said in an interview Wednesday at the Geneva show.

Showgoers agree.

"I like sports cars, but this is too much for me," said Urs Weiger, a Bern resident.

 

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