Alar 777 news - Lambo or no? - 2007

Our apologies for inflicting this luminous affront to good taste upon you, but there's an interesting story behind it.

Called the Alar 777, this is the warped creation of Argentinian Jean Ferci.

It's based on the Lamborghini Diablo - a platform that Ferci has previously used to create the barely more attractive Coatl and the Eros GT-1.

The Alar 777 gets a tuned version of the Diablo's V12, which produces more than 700bhp. That's enough for a reported top speed of 223mph.

It's due to be officially unveiled at the Buenos Aires motor show at the end of this month. Ferci says it will go on sale in South America under the Lamborghini badge soon after.

But here's the rub. Lamborghini has categorically denied that the Alar 777 is officially authorised in any shape or form. The Italian manufacturer has also stressed that no licence agreement exists to use the Lamborghini marque in South America.

Curiouser and curiouser. We'll have to wait until after the Buenos Aires show to discover the fall-out from this saga.

But in the meantime we have to wonder: would Lambo have been happier to put its name to the Alar 777 if it didn't look like a particularly remorseful hammerhead shark that's been beaten with a big sack of bricks?