Geneva Motor Show 2017
The Pope will auction the special edition Lamborghini Huracan to raise money for charity - Representational image Alain Grosclaude/AFP

Lamborghini gifted Pope Francis a special set of wheels from their collection of road-legal sports cars in Vatican City on Wednesday, 15 November. However, the pontiff won't be zooming around town behind the wheel of the speedster as the special edition of the Lamborghini Huracan is set to go under the hammer on 12 May, 2018.

Sotheby's will be auctioning off the car, with the proceeds going to three charities. One of the charities helps Christians rebuild their homes and churches in Iraq's Nineveh Plains that Isis terrorists destroyed, while another charity – the Pope John XXIII Community Association – helps female victims of human trafficking and forced prostitution. The third charity is involved in providing medical services in central Africa.

Coming to the details of the car, the special edition Lamborghini Huracan is decked up in colours similar to the Vatican flag and the Pope's robes – a white paint job with gold racing stripes running from the hood to the back of the two-seater. Gold strips also highlight the door and the lower part of the front and rear bumpers.

Under the hood of the car lies a 5.2-liter V-10 engine that can produce 571 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque. The car, a rear-wheel drive, is equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

While the normal version of the car, which was first launched in 2014, currently sells for upwards of $200,000 (£151,000) in the market, this version of the car, having a paint job resembling the Vatican flag and with Pope Francis' signature on the hood, is sure fetch a lot more in the auction that is set to take place next year.

In 2014, Pope Francis' Harley-Davidson fetched $284,000 in an auction, more than 10 times its normal price, while a Harley biker jacket signed by the Pope went for nearly $68,000.