Lamborghini Aventador 1:8 scale model costs 12 times the real thing [w/exclusive photos]

When it comes to objects of automotive lust, few tip the scales further than the Lamborghini Aventador. Naturally, most mere mortals (like us) can't come up with nearly enough expendable income to ever fulfill the dream of owning an actual, drivable toy like that.

If we can't afford the real thing, at least we can get ourselves a smaller scale model, right? Well, maybe... unless the 1:8 scale Aventador you've got your eye on comes with seats, headlights and steering wheel made from diamonds, wheels fashioned from gold and platinum and a perfectly scaled copy of the body crafted from carbon fiber.

Just how much would such a fancy bauble cost? We hope you're sitting down: at least $4.7 million. Yes, in dollars. Auction house Sotheby's plans to sell the wee Lambo to the highest bidder in December with the lofty starting price just quoted, but if you just can't wait to get your hands on it, you can buy it from Robert Gülpen, the modeler, for a cool $6 mil.

Or, you could buy a dozen actual Aventadors for that price, which may be far more satisfying. Check out our exclusive photos of the model taken by photographer David Kaiser, and follow the jump for a video of the model on display behind bulletproof glass at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.