Turn 10 Studios is known for going all-out on the cover of its Forza->ke3733 video games. Previous cover titles have featured a litany of performance cars, including the Ford GT, McLaren P1, Ferrari 458 Italia, and the Audi R8. But the next Forza game, whatever it’s title is going to be, might have the most exclusive supercar->ke177 of them all after the studio announced that the Lamborghini Centenario would have the distinction of gracing its cover.

Details have been limited on what kind of Forza game it’s going to be, but you can expect it to follow the traditional blueprint of the video game franchise. That would involve a lot of racing featuring a litany of production, performance, and race cars,->ke148 one of which would be the cover car itself. It’s a pretty impressive feather in the cap for a car that took the 2016 Geneva Motor Show->ke228 by storm, earning the kind of buzz reserved for exclusive exotics that only make appearances at shows as big as Geneva.

The super rare Lamborghini->ke44 was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of founder Ferruccio Lamborghini’s birth, hence the name Centenario.->ke5440 Lambo calls it the most powerful car it has created, a wink and a nod towards the car’s 770-horsepower V-12 engine and 217-mph top speed. As fast and as powerful as it is, the Centenario’s true calling card is its exclusivity. According to Lamborghini, only 40 examples of the car will be made, 20 of which would be coupe variants and another 20 packaged as convertibles. Unfortunately, none of the 40 units are currently on the market as all of them are already accounted for.

The good news is that those who missed out on any of the $2-million Centenario models will still get a chance to drive one, albeit in the virtual world. That’s one of the perks of being the “cover car” of a video game franchise as big as Forza. The game itself is scheduled to make its debut at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in June 2016, at which point we might learn the studio’s timetable for the release of the game. The only thing we know now is that the Lamborghini Centenario will grace its cover. It’s a well-deserved recognition for a car with the status and exclusivity that the commemorative Lamborghini has.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

Why it matters

It’s not the honor that Lamborghini would probably be celebrating, but from a pop culture standpoint, having the Centenario grace the cover of one of the most successful video game franchises in the world is a pretty big deal. It’s not unlike what EA Sports and the NFL does with the cover of Madden every year where fan voting has become the deciding factor on who gets the cover of Madden. Obviously, Forza isn’t as big as Madden – what game is? – but Turn 10 Studios has become fully aware of the value of having a desirable car on the cover of its video games.

There’s a reason why past cover cars have all been supercars or higher. It’s an invitation for fans who can’t get the cars in real life but have a chance to do so in the virtual world. Gamers don’t want to see cars like a Honda Civic or a Ford Fusion on the cover because a lot of them probably drive those things on the daily. They don’t sell the dream of wanting something people can’t have otherwise. That’s why it matters that the Lamborghini Centenario will be on the cover of the next Forza game. Only 40 owners will get the chance to own the real thing so for the rest of us, a virtual version is the next big thing.

The bottom line is that I’m going to give the next Forza game a long, hard look because I’m one of those people who’d like to drive an actual Centenario, but I have to resign myself to the fact that I’m never going to be able to. But if it’s available in the game, you better believe that I’m going to drive the wheels off of it.

I personally think it’s a great choice for a cover car. It’s rare, powerful, and fast. That’s the checklist right there. Having said that, I wouldn’t blame Turn 10 if they looked in a different direction too and put something like the Koenigsegg One:1 on the cover. Maybe have both of them?

Lamborghini Centenario

Read our full review on the Lamborghini Centenario here.