Ultra powerful, ultra light and ultra exclusive. Say hello to the 2020 Ducati Superleggera V4.

Last fall Ducati announced updates to its Panigale V4 and Panigale V4 S superbikes, including a new aerodynamics package and revised electronics, suspension and throttle-by-wire mapping. The 214-horsepower Panigale V4 weighs 436 pounds and the V4 S weighs 430 pounds (claimed figures)?that?s roughly 0.5 horsepower per pound for both models.

Read our 2020 Ducati Lineup First Look Review

Ducati has now unveiled the Superleggera V4, which is Italian for ?super light.? With a full racing kit and exhaust, it makes 234 horsepower and weighs a feathery 335.5 pounds, which is 0.7 horsepower per pound?a 40% higher power-to-weight ratio.
The frame, subframe, swingarm and wheels on the 2020 Ducati Superleggera V4 are made of light, strong carbon fiber. Bodywork is carbon fiber too.

How did Ducati shave 100 pounds off the already-svelte Panigale V4" The Bologna-based company says the ?Superleggera V4 is the world?s only street-legal motorcycle with the entire load-bearing structure of the chassis (frame, subframe, swingarm and wheels) made from composite material [carbon fiber], achieving a 6.7 kg [14.8 lb] reduction in weight.? Many other components, such as the bodywork and aerodynamic wings (which produce 110 pounds of downforce at 168 mph), are also made of carbon fiber, while others are made of titanium, magnesium or aluminum.

The Superleggera’s “biplan...