The original designer of the Gallardo has given it a whole new carbon body

If you had the cash, would you pay almost a million quid for a rebodied Lamborghini Gallardo? What if we told you that just five components were carried over from the donor car and that the new body was almost entirely made from carbon fibre?

Still unsure? Well, it might also help to know that this shouty CAVËN Atelier HOMMAGE 26 was reworked by none other than Fabrizio Giugiaro – son of Giorgetto and the man who conceived the original Gallardo while at Italdesign in the late 1990s.

“Returning to a project I designed midway through my career has been a fascinating and wonderful challenge,” said Fabrizio about this new HOMMAGE 26.

“We did not want to create a simple restyling exercise or indulge in nostalgia, but to show how one of our designs, with its timeless lines, can evolve through attention to detail, experience and today’s technologies.

“Certain key elements remain faithful to my first design from 1998 - particularly the front end, where we have retained the original identity and design cues while reinterpreting the idea we had back then of connecting the lights and air intakes through an innovative concealed lighting system that was not technically feasible at the time.

"The rear is even more distinctive, while the interior features fresh graphics along with redesigned seats to enhance both comfort and ergonomics,” he added.

Basically done our job for us there, Fabrizio. Still, we’re loving those new pop-down headlights and the Pagani Huayra-style active aero flaps at the rear. Giugiaro and his firm GFG Style also redesigned the rear lights and diffuser, while a new engine cover connects the roof to the rear deck. We’re also told about a new rear window below that cover that opens to “let the engine's unmistakable soundtrack resonate directly inside the cockpit”. Nice.

Only the central section of roof, the side windows, windscreen, side mirrors and the mirror bases are carried over from the donor Gallardo.

Said donor also has its 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V10 tweaked by Italtecnica to rev up to 8,500rpm, and we’re told that means 533bhp in GT spec or 552bhp if you go for the Performance version. There’s also new active suspension with comfort and sport modes, plus upgraded brakes and new 20in wheels.

Just 25 examples of the HOMMAGE 26 will be built, with the price a faintly terrifying €900,000 excluding the donor Gallardo. Yikes.

Oh, and this is only the start, apparently. CAVËN Atelier says that this car will be the first in a ‘Designer Series’ that’ll see the original creators of iconic cars rework them for the modern era. So, what would you like to see next, folks?