THE FIRST pictures of Ducati's new Panigale Superleggera have been leaked.
The new Panigale has been created by Ducati to take advantage of the new World Superbike EVO rules and could possibly also be run in Superstock championships, just like BMW's HP4.
Ducati claim the bike is a more extreme version of the Panigale R, producing 200bhp at the crank and weighing in at an astonishing 166kg. Weight savings over the Panigale R are thanks to a magnesium frame, more use of magnesium in engine parts, even lighter wheels and a carbon fibre fairing.
Ducati have kept tight-lipped about the new Superleggera but its pricetag is expected to dwarf that of the ultra-exotic Panigale R. We've heard the bike may cost as much as £60,000 and it's only being offered to eligible racing teams and people on Ducati's VIP list.
Ducati claim their test rider Alessandro Valia lapped Mugello on the new Superleggera in the fastest time they had ever clocked on a production Ducati; 1m54.9 seconds. To put that in perspective, Andrea Dovizioso managed a best lap of 1m48.7 at this year's MotoGP.
