A Lamborghini Gallardo went up in flames in south-east Delhi's Badarpur area on Monday.
The incident took place at around 9.30am near NTPC complex in Badarpur. The car was registered in the name of a businessman, Satya Prakash.
The Gallardo, worth Rs 2.5 crore, was on its way to the service centre in Mohan Cooperative Industrial Estate area on Mathura Road. The driver of the car has been identified as 35-year-old Sujan Singh. He had noticed smoke emanating from the car's rear, where the engine was.
The rear section of the car caught fire soon after he came out. The cause of the fire has not been ascertained yet. Previously, Lamborghini had initiated a global recall of Gallardo in 2012. Up to 1,491 units of Gallardo coupe and Spyder that were manufactured between 2004 and 2006 were recalled due to potential power steering system leaks. When the fluid leak comes in contact with an ignition source, a fire breaks out.
Many luxury cars have reportedly been catching fire in India of late. Recently, a Porsche Cayenne Turbo SUV, belonging to Mumbai-based businessman Yohan Poonawalla, had caught fire even though there was no collision. Poonawalla accused Porsche of selling him a defective car.
The Lamborghini that caught fire in Delhi was a Gallardo LP 560-4, powered by a 5.2-litre V10 engine that develops 552bhp power and 540Nm torque mated to 6-speed E-gear transmission. The sports car can go from standstill to 100kmph in 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 325kmph.
Lamborghini manufactured Gallardo between 2003 and 2013. The sports car is the company's bestselling model with 14,022 being manufactured till date. The Italian supercar manufacturer had replaced Gallardo with Huracán in 2014.
