A 1993 Cizeta V16T, which wowed crowds in period at the Geneva Motor Show and was originally bought by the Sultan of Brunei, is up for sale at a Miami vintage supercar dealership. And having covered just 600 miles it’s barely run-in. Yet perhaps there’s good reason for that…
The story of the Cizeta began in the late 1980s when musician Giorgio Electric Dreams Moroder teamed up with Claudio Zampoli to create the ultimate supercar of the era.
Penned by Marcello Gandini and developed by ex-Lamborghini engineers the car was first unveiled in 1988 as the Cizeta-Moroder V16T. By 1990 Moroder and Zampoli had fallen out and the car became simply the Cizeta (from Zampoli’s initials as pronounced in Italian Ci-Zeta).
The design, especially at the front, was heavily influenced by Gandini’s work on the Lamborghini Diablo, and the side strakes would have been very familiar to Ferrari Testarossa owners.
What really set the Cizeta-Moroder apart was its engine. Its six-litre V16 was essentially two Lamborghini Urraco units joined together. With eight camshafts, 64 valves, two fuel injection systems, four cylinder heads, and two timing chains this was a fiendishly complex engine. Transversely mounted amidships it drove the rear wheels via a five-speed ZF manual gearbox. Power was a claimed 547bhp at 8000 rpm, giving the V16T a top speed of 204 mph, and the potential to charge from 0-60mph in 4 seconds.
Naturally, one can only speculate as to why the original owner was reluctant to drive it. Perhaps speculation was at the root of such a decision? Or maybe they were worried about the potential repair bills should they miss-shift a gearchange and over-rev the V16 engine?
The interior was a luxurious leather-fest by Bruno Paratelli and featured electronic climate control to cosset its passengers over long distances. With a 168-litre fuel tank the V16T could certainly cover a decent amount of ground without stopping.
In 1991 the list price was $650,000, but today the price is available upon application at Curated. Is it higher still today? There’s only one way to find out.
Via Hagerty US
The new Ferrari Omologata supercar is the dream of one lucky gentleman driver
