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The DIY Aventador Replica That Caught Lamborghini’s Attention

A video-game-inspired father-son project became the AXAS Interceptor, a home-built Aventador look-alike that earned a 2019 Lamborghini campaign feature and temporary loaner.
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Sterling Backus and his son Xander built a home-made Aventador look-alike called the AXAS Interceptor. The project drew an extraordinary response: Lamborghini featured the family in its 2019 Christmas campaign and, according to contemporary reports, loaned them an Aventador S Roadster for a limited time. The Interceptor itself was not a factory Lamborghini, and reports from 2019 describe a car still in progress—not a verified, road-legal vehicle today.

How a video-game idea became a father-son build

AutoWeek traced the idea to a session of Forza Horizon 3. Backus began the project in February 2018, with his son Xander involved in the build. They named their homemade Aventador-inspired car the AXAS Interceptor. The story was not that they had bought or restored a Lamborghini; they set out to create a dramatic supercar-shaped project themselves.

The scale of the undertaking is clearer in WhichCar’s December 2019 interview: Backus described an ongoing engineering and fabrication project, not a simple kit assembly. He told the publication, “Failure is part of success. That is the main talking point here.”

How the AXAS Interceptor was constructed

CAD, a custom chassis and printed body panels

WhichCar reported that Backus started from a 1/10-scale CAD model, then scaled it using measurements from a real car, including wheelbase and track width. He refined the design in SolidWorks and used three 3D printers to make body panels. The interview says the printers were bought from Amazon but does not identify their brands or models.

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Maisto Assembly Line Lamborghini Aventador Roadster Die Cast Model Kit (1:24 Scale) (39124)
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The printed parts were only one piece of the construction. Reports describe a custom welded tubular-steel space frame, panels receiving a carbon-fiber or composite outer skin as the work progressed, and some sheet-metal components. In other words, “3D-printed Lamborghini” is an incomplete description: the project combined digital design and printing with metal fabrication, composite work and adapted components.

Donor-car powertrain and hardware

The reported drivetrain paired a 5.7-litre LS1 V8 from a 2003 Chevrolet Corvette with a G96 transaxle from a Porsche 996. Reports also described independent suspension with coilovers and six-piston brake calipers, alongside parts adapted from other vehicles. This was a custom powertrain and chassis arrangement, not an Aventador’s factory mechanical package.

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Maisto 1:24 Scale Assembly Line Lamborghini Aventador Coupe
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These are details reported in 2019 and 2020, not findings from a current inspection. They do not establish the car’s present configuration, engineering certification or roadworthiness.

Why Lamborghini took notice

The unusual recognition came from Lamborghini’s response to the family’s ambitious home project. Contemporary reports say the company featured Backus and Xander in its 2019 Christmas campaign and lent them an Aventador S Roadster temporarily. That loaner was a factory Lamborghini; the AXAS Interceptor remained the family’s own replica project.

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Aoshima LB Works Lamborghini Aventador (Limited Edition) 1:24 Scale Plastic Model kit
  • An import from Aoshima
  • Commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Liberty Walk and the 50th birthday of Wataru Kato
  • Features a sportier design than the first Aventador
  • Kit is designed with ease of assembly in mind

The contrast made the story compelling: a family building an Aventador-inspired car in their own workshop was welcomed into a campaign by the company whose design had inspired it. The reports support that promotional response, not a claim that Lamborghini endorsed, certified or produced the Interceptor.

What it cost—and what “finished” meant in 2019

In WhichCar’s December 2019 interview, Backus said his early target of less than US$20,000 had already been exceeded. At that point he estimated a likely final cost of US$25,000–US$27,000. That was his then-current projection, not a verified total spent on the completed car.

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Revell 14579 Lamborghini Revuelto 1:24 Scale Model Car Building Kit
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WhichCar also reported that the car ran and had been driven a short distance, while still needing panel, electrical and interior work before it could be roadworthy. Backus hoped to take it to a local school to start conversations about science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM). The reporting does not establish whether the Interceptor was later completed, registered or made road-legal, so its 2026 status should not be inferred from those progress reports.

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Could someone build a functioning “Lamborghini” from scratch?

This project shows what a determined home builder can attempt, not a shortcut to an affordable, road-ready supercar. Backus combined CAD skills, three-dimensional printing, welding, composite and metal work, donor-car parts and substantial mechanical problem-solving. A custom space frame and a printed body also bring fabrication and fitment challenges that a finished kit or donor-platform conversion may avoid; the reports do not provide tested comparisons of those approaches.

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Airfix J6026 Quickbuild Plastic Model Car Kits - Lamborghini Aventador - Yellow - Easy Assembly Snap Together Model Kit, for Adults & Kids to Build, Sports, Building Toys Set
  • Airfix Plastic Model Car Kits: This model car kit depicts the iconic Lamborghini Aventador model in yellow. The pre-coloured pieces simply push together, without glue or paints, to build an impressive model which can then be decorated with the included self-adhesive stickers
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The project’s educational value was part of its point. Backus described the car as something that would keep evolving, telling WhichCar in 2019: “I think the Interceptor will never really be completed as a project, it is going to evolve, I will always find something to tinker and improve on, maybe drop in a V12 some day.” That is a builder’s ambition, not evidence that a V12 conversion happened.

Tools note: Three printers were used for the reported body-panel work, but the interview names no model and does not show that a consumer 3D printer alone can produce roadworthy vehicle panels. A 3D printer for maker projects is a broad category, not a recommendation of a particular machine for building a car.

Quick Recap

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Maisto Assembly Line Lamborghini Aventador Roadster Die Cast Model Kit (1:24 Scale) (39124)
Maisto Assembly Line Lamborghini Aventador Roadster Die Cast Model Kit (1:24 Scale) (39124)
Authentic 1:24-1:27 scale model kit; Die-cast metal body with plastic parts; Working steering and opening doors
$24.26
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Maisto 1:24 Scale Assembly Line Lamborghini Aventador Coupe
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Opening parts, Rolling Wheels; Easy assembly, Pre-painted metal body; When finished the vehicles are fully functional
$18.59
Bestseller No. 3
Aoshima LB Works Lamborghini Aventador (Limited Edition) 1:24 Scale Plastic Model kit
Aoshima LB Works Lamborghini Aventador (Limited Edition) 1:24 Scale Plastic Model kit
An import from Aoshima; Commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Liberty Walk and the 50th birthday of Wataru Kato
$57.33

Sources

  • Hackaday, January 18, 2020 — the AXAS Interceptor name, chassis and body construction, drivetrain outline and Lamborghini response.
  • WhichCar, December 23, 2019 — Backus interview, quotations, printer count, projected cost, reported progress and educational aims.
  • AutoWeek, January 2, 2020 — project origin, drivetrain and suspension details, and the temporary loan of an Aventador S Roadster.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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