Lamborghini Countach

The Lamborghini Countach LP500 S.

The first 'new' Countach was the LP500S; Ferrari had unveiled their Boxer, which was faster than the Countach LP400S, so Lamborghini had to do something.

They tried a turbo-charged version of the 4.0-Litre engine, but because of cooling problems, this project as abandoned in an early stage. Another option was tried out, but in the end, the best thing to do was to increase the displacement up to 4754 cc by enlarging both the bore and stroke.

Other changes were also made to this new engine, like redesigning the combustion chambers, lowering the compression ratio, fitting revised cams and larger Weber side draught carbs.

The exterior of the Countach didn't change much, A minor change was made to the side-mounted front turning indicators, and naturally the inscription on the tail panel changed, on some later examples this said '5000' instead of '500', a less well visible change was the use of OZ aluminum-alloy wheels instead of the Magnesium Campagnolo used on the early LP400 S models. These OZ rims were slightly heavier but retained the same design as on the later LP400 S edition.

The interior didn't change much either, the lining used for the inner door became more luxurious with some added stitching, on the LP400S this panel was a single piece of leather with no stitching whatsoever, also the lock on the glove box was altered to remedy a problem with the earlier types.

The enlarged 5-Liter engine needed just as much fresh air as the 4-Liter unit, so the intakes behind the doors remained the same. On the March 1982 Geneva Auto Show, the new LP500 S was introduced, the old LP400 S remained available, but naturally did not sell very well anymore. The LP500S was a little heavier, about 290 Kg., but was still a lot faster than the LP400 S. This 'all-new' Countach outsold its predecessors in only two years, in its three-year production run, the LP500S sold 323 units.
(Source:www.lambocars.com)

Lamborghini Diablo 6.0

The Special Edition Lamborghini Diablo 6.0.

On the 2001 edition of the famous Geneva Auto Show the final evolution of the impressive Diablo 6.0 Liter was introduced to celebrate the entry of the Diablo into the third Millennium, the new Diablo VT 6.0 Special Edition ...

The Diablo 6.0 Special Edition was created to again show that Lamborghini made cars with extreme performance and still be able to offer a reasonable level of comfort, this Special Edition of the Diablo was only available in two exclusive colors, 'Oro Elios' a special shade of gold metallic symbolizing the early sunrise and 'Marrone Eklipsis' a very unique maroon-brown metallic which actually shifts color with the angle of light, this latter color was chosen because it looks like the sunset, these two extremes of the day symbolizes this Special Edition Diablo's uniqueness, only 40 SE's will be built, 20 in each color.

The interior was color coded with the exterior color, special leather for the electric adjustable seats and the dashboard were used, and on the seats a special stitching pattern could be seen. The usual Alpine system was now upgraded into the latest available DVD audio/navigation system which could hold either the complete European roadmaps or the United States maps, depending on where the car was sold.

The multiple Carbon Fiber parts visible on either the outside or inside this special Diablo were now threaded with special titanium making these parts even more glossy than before, the same titanium finishing was used on the surrounds on the dashboard dials and for the gearlever and even the grid it could be moved in.

The performance levels remained the same as on the Diablo VT 6.0, but some details were changed however, the intake manifolds and the cylinder-head covers were now finished in magnesium to save weight and in the mean time draw the attention to the highly technical aspects of this magnificent V12 engine.

To be able to offer the best possible acceleration performance the Diablo VT 6.0 Special Edition was fitted with the short-ratio gearing.
Another minor detail was the fact that the Brembo logo on the brakes was replaced by a real Lamborghini logo, maybe not too visible, but the details are important when it comes to the entire look and feel of such a fabulous piece of workmanship.

With a MSRP of nearly $ 300,000 this latest Diablo evolution became in instant collectible, in 2004 this car would still be worth nearly $200,000, aside from the rare Diablo GT model, the 6.0 Special edition would surely be just about the only Diablo model that should keep it's value for years to come.
(Source:www.lambocars.com)

Lamborghini Murciélago

Lamborghini Murciélago 6.2, magnificent V12 power ...

When Audi took over, the Diablo replacement was nearly ready in Sant'Agata, the Zagato designed model that Vittorio di Capua, the president of Automobili Lamborghini SpA at that time, wanted to call 'Canto' was about to enter production, but Ferdinand Pïech didn't like this design, it featured giant air intakes at the rear and just wasn't what Dr Pïech expected from a Lamborghini, so he decided to have the Diablo successor redesigned.

Dr. Pïech asked for a new proposition from the Audi design department, this one would be compared with a reworked Zagato Canto, a design from I.D.E.A. and a third prototype that was ordered from the Bertone design studio's. Zagato's new design was again rejected, also the I.D.E.A. model wasn't what Dr Pïech had in mind, so the Bertone design and the one from Audi would be used. At this moment, time was running out on the Diablo replacement, so a restyling of the current Diablo model was needed, before the focus could be directed to the new model.
The Audi designer Luc Donckerwolcke was asked to update the aging style of the Diablo, so he created the refreshing 6.0 VT model, when we look at it, now that the L147 is shown, it is clear this model was a preview of what Lamborghini was about to present as a successor.

'A Lamborghini isn't just designed and presented to the public like a normal car, it is born from below the earth, like a volcanic eruption, under thundering lightning it will emerge from the dark ...'

The new Lamborghini, which was known only as the L147 project during development, was first unveiled during an awesome show at the foot of the Etna volcano on Sicily, a select group of about 200 people were flown to Sicily on Friday to participate in the most impressive release of any Lamborghini model ever.
On a closed down section of road on the Northern face of the Etna an entire stage was built for a special, 45 minutes show that would present the L147 to this small group of journalists, Lamborghini dealers, all-time owners, VIP's and celebrities, Prince Albert from Monaco was actually invited, but unfortunately couldn't make it.

At 10pm on Friday evening, the guests were driven to this area at a height of 1500m, it was very cold and windy, but still the stunning event would show the new Lamborghini emerging from the earth. The show used the 'Seven Mortal Sins' as a theme and featured music composed especially for the occasion, a series of dancers symbolized these 'Sins' while a 4min30 introduction movie of the new Murciélago was projected on a giant screen, special lightning and thundering sound effects were combined with artificial lava streams and smoke effects.
This very nice movie was actually recorded in the Andes mountains and took a total of eight days to complete and a massive budget, it can be downloaded from various sites.
At the end of the show, a brand new, black metallic Lamborghini drove by the audience at 90 Km/h while the giant screen showed the name, 'Murciélago', an extreme name for an extreme car, the latest Lamborghini model, for the first time under the mighty Audi wings.
Two other cars joined the festivities, another black one and a yellow one, the cars would be shipped to Frankfurt on Saturday morning to be shown to the general public.

At 9am on Saturday, this group of people flew back to Sant'Agata to take part of the press conference held at the factory during the afternoon, while at 5pm a large group of Lamborghini owners and fans were allowed into the factory which had been closed to all visitors for months while it was being renovated and made ready to take over the production of the Diablo successor.
Automobili Lamborghini SpA actually invited owners and enthusiasts from all over the world to witness the unveiling of their new model during a special event on September 8th at the factory, on Sunday morning the car would be shown on the town square of Bologna to the public together with a large selection of stunning Lamborghini's that were present, over 180 different cars were at the factory that weekend, most of them joined the Murciélago in Bologna.

It was possible to take a look on the factory floor and visit the brand new official museum and restoration department before a special show was organized to unveil the brand new, long awaited Lamborghini, Mr Guiseppo Grecco himself announced the Murciélago at 7 pm on Saturday evening, when it was driven onto a stage in a secured section of the factory floor, a shining, 'Miura' green metallic Lamborghini was presented, while two other cars, a black one and a yellow one, were simultaneously unveiled in the large entry hall of the factory.

As usual with Lamborghini, the 'Murciélago' name was taken from bullfighting, during a fight in 1879, this
Murciélago, how to pronounce :

The name of the latest Lamborghini model could be rather confusing to pronounce correctly, a small help can be found here, since the name is a Spanish word, you should roll your tongue and say it like 'more thea lago', with the accent on the 'thea' section, or something like 'murthialago', both pronunciations will be close to the original name.
legendary bull was still standing after 24 stabs from the 'espada',the matador's sword. Pressured by the audience, this fierce bull was kept alive, later it was acquired by Don Antonio Miura, yes, the guy that breeded the famous Miura bulls that named the very first mid-engine road car, the magnificent Lamborghini Miura.

The rather controversial styling of this new Lamborghini stirred some emotions from both owners and enthusiasts all over the world, it is true that the refreshing new Murciélago design wasn't created by an Italian, but by Luc Donckerwolcke, who was also present at the presentation at the factory. At first Donckerwolcke supervised the design together with a team of Bertone designers, but this combination didn't work out so it was decided to end this partnership and the new Lamborghini would be designed by Luc Donckerwolcke himself.

This 36 years old, Belgian designer, was raised in Peru, where his father was working as a diplomat, he first got an engineering degree before he successfully followed a degree in design.
He ended up at Peugeot and a year later, during 1992 he joined Audi AG, where he designed the stunning A4 Avant, after that he was responsible for the new designs at Skoda, where the Fabia and Octavia were drawn by him.

He returned to Audi to design the aluminum A2 model and the R8 Le Mans race car, he can also be held responsible for the prototype shown by Audi during the 1998 Paris Auto Show, it was in fact during that show that his bosses, among them Peter Schreyer, called him into an office and proposed him to design a car in a foreign country, Luc actually had to decide what to do without knowing Mr Schreyer was talking about Lamborghini, when Donckerwolcke accepted he sure didn't regret this decision.

Donckerwolcke wanted to create the ultimate Lamborghini, a combination of the best Automobili Lamborghini SpA offered until now, the Murciélago boasts a rather angular design, one could say it looks like a direct successor to the Countach, using similar angular lines at the front, although completely up to date. Some Diablo influence was also visible in the rather forward driving position, while the engine cover reminds us of the legendary Miura, it is therefore save to say, that even if it wasn't designed in Italy, the design still uses some details from the most famous Lamborghini models in the past to take the new Lamborghini model ahead into the future.

The styling of the Murciélago could be seen as an evolution of the last Diablo model, but it is clearly visible this new car featured a very clean design with a highly professional look, also the Murciélago still uses the wedge shape bodystyle with the cockpit completely integrated into the overall body. The design featured very angular lines, especially at the front, combined with magnificent curves and covered with various air intakes and outlets to cool the massive brakes and fabulous V12 engine. Lamborghini even revived the stunning 'Miura green' color on this new model. Note that there is no signature of the designer found on the car, not like on the early Diablo, were Marcello Gandini's signature was mounted on the side.

Donckerwolcke actually involved the Lamborghini engineers into the design, asking them what they needed and expected, their input considerably styled the bodywork, since they actually asked for the massive air intakes in the front bumper and the shoulder mounted intakes to cool down the massive, new 6.2-Liter V12.

The engine in the Murciélago was still closely related to the famous V12 that roared into life over 30 years ago, but now used the latest technology in motor management. Also a dry sump lubrication was used on this 6.2 liter unit, which allowed the engine to be lowered a full 50 mm in the chassis, improving the weight ratio and roadholding capabilities of the new Lamborghini.
The extra power was mainly created by using electronically controlled, tubular intakes with three different lengths, a by-pass valve and variable intake and exhaust valve settings, the induction system was in fact closely based on the one used in the very rare Diablo Jota edition, the Murciélago also featured a 'drive by wire' throttle, all of which made the new engine comply with the strict EU4 emission standards. At only 2000 rpm a massive torque of 400lb ft was already delivered, according to Ceccarani Lamborghini had been working for seven years on this system, they even developed a special exhaust system that wouldn't reduce the power output and still wasn't too loud for certain markets.

At first the Murciélago would use the 6.0 liter engine used in the Diablo 6.0 VT, but Lamborghini's Engineering Director, Massimo Ceccarani didn't think the possible customers would like the fact that the latest Lamborghini used an engine with the same displacement as the 'older' model. Therefore they decided to create a 6.2 liter unit, three prototype engines were tested on the Lamborghini test benches and proved to be extremely reliable, note that this new engine had an enlarged stroke of 86.8 mm resulting in a displacement of exactly 6192cc.
Torque output was very important in the development of this new engine, a very flat curve and a value of 650 Nm at 5400 rpm with a power output of nearly 600 Bhp was the result, however the placement of the radiators to cool this 'hot-blooded' powerplant at the rear of the car caused some headaches to Luc Donckerwolcke.

Enough cool air was needed to flow through the engine compartment, but the amount of air needed varied depending on the outside conditions and the cars actual speed, so installing intakes that would supply enough air, even at the most extreme conditions would be overkill, several options were tried and Luc finally decided on a system that was used in the Countach Restyling prototype, adjustable intakes, these were designed to be neatly integrated into the overall Murciélago design.

When conditions require it, these air intakes actually open up about 20 degrees to allow more air into the engine compartment, the intake surface is thus increased by no less than 80 percent.
Most of the time the intakes will only be raised when the car is at rest or driving slowly because at speed the intakes are sufficient in their lowered position, the positioning is naturally fully automatic, although a dashboard mounted button can also raise them, just to impress the guy next to you. The intakes would automatically open when the engine temperature rose above normal operating levels or when the outside temperature was above 32C, also once the speed of the car reaches 125mph, they would be retracted again to improve the aerodynamics of this Lamborghini.

The Lamborghini Murciélago will currently only be available in the well known VT version, a right hand drive version will become available during 2002 with a Roadster version following in 2004, when the new L140 V10 powered model will also be introduced for which both Luc Donckerwolcke and Giorgetto Giugiaro have made designs.
This new model, which could very well use the 'Gallardo' name, will be built on a aluminum spaceframe with an alloy body. Just like with the Jalpa in it's time, this new Gallardo bodywork will be built at an Audi plant in Neckersulm, from where the finished body shells will be shipped to Sant'Agata for finishing.

One can say without a doubt that the new Lamborghini model was probably the most developed model ever built by Automobili Lamborghini SpA, with the help of Audi this Lamborghini was thoroughly tested and re-tested, until everything was exactly to way it should be. The Murciélago had been tested in the most extreme environmental conditions, this was actually a first for Lamborghini, since the previous models were all tested on the roads surrounding Sant'Agata and on the Nardo circuit. The Murciélago was even taken to a deserted area in the United States to be tested in very high temperatures and at a very low humidity, just to make sure it would perform up to the specifications, no matter under which conditions.
Another note is that there were only 5 Diablo prototypes built before production began, while a total of twelve Murciélago road going test cars were made, with different bodies naturally, another four units were built to perform crash tests and airbag tests, the Murciélago was tested on the Nürnburgring and various test circuits from VW and Audi while top speed tests were conducted on the Nardo and the Imola circuits.

This new Lamborghini drove like no other model ever before, featuring a variable suspension with double wishbones both at the front and the rear, using automatic or manual adjustment, while the nose could be raised by 45mm when driving over speedbumps, and an adjustable rear wing would raise itself when speeds rose, it also used the latest technology available at that day, drive by wire to name but one, but also a Variable Intake system with very impressive air intakes mounted on the rear shoulders. According to Maurizio Reggiani, the man who supervised the L147 project, the near perfect 48/52 % weight distribution of the Murciélago made it perform extremely well under hard braking and accelerating while remaining very stable under all conditions.
The massive, cross drilled disc brakes were covered with new 18 inch wheels, also designed by Luc Donckerwolcke, they remind us of the first Bravo style wheels used on the early Countach S models, naturally now in a multi-piece design, these wheels used a special design to maximize the cooling effect of the disc brakes, the tire size at the front was slightly enlarged compared to the Diablo, while the rear wheels were still covered with massive 335/30 ZR 18 Pirelli's, only for the Murciélago the new Pirelli P Zero 'Rosso' was chosen.

For the first time in Lamborghini history, a six speed gearbox was installed as standard issue, it could however be ordered with an optional, short ratio gearing for the four upper speeds, also a completely automatic by Magnetti Marelli manual gearbox is under development right now.
A special system was installed to limit wheel spin when accelerating fast, also the self blocking differentials were still used on the Diablo derived ViscoTraction system, 25% at the front axle, while 45% was used at the rear, a further development of the ABS system seen on the Diablo has been integrated into the Murciélago.

The Murciélago featured a very low drag coefficient and actually has zero lift at the front and only 0,02 percent downforce at the rear, a Cx of only 0.33 which would rise to 0.36 when the air intakes were in their open position and the rear wing was engaged at it's highest level. This rear wing sat completely flush with the bodywork until the car reached 130 Km/h, at which time it rose itself to it's first position at 50 degrees, around 220 Km/h it would raise itself a little further to its most upright position of 70 degrees were it would generate enough downforce for the Lamborghini to remain extremely stable, even at speeds over 330 Km/h.

The impressive front spoiler of the new Lamborghini incorporated some very large, rectangular air intakes, while the rear bumper also received large air extractors, a rather special intake was mounted in front of the rear wheels, pulling air onto the massive, ventilated and perforated disc brakes. The new Lamborghini featured Bi-Xenon headlight underneath square shaped covers, note that the small black section in front of them actually holds the special washers to clean the headlights.

A nice anecdote was found in one of the first magazine articles featuring the new Lamborghini, in the October 2001 issue of the UK based EVO magazine, they stated the next thing happened when Valentino Balboni saw the first L147 prototype designed by Donckerwolcke built as a full scale model, when the latter was introduced to Balboni, the famous test driver actually said to Donckerwolcke he was the guy who designed the engine cover, Luc replied by 'no, no, I designed the entire car' and Valentino replied without a doubt, 'sure, we'll built the engine and you'll design the cover around it'.

The interior of the Murciélago was also designed by an Audi employee, Ralph Kluge, who was involved in the Audi Rosemeyer concept car, the ergonomically perfect dashboard and seats were all new, the very luxurious interior featured dual airbags, an on-board computer and all the comfort anyone would like to have, special, new seats with integrated headrests were installed, a stunning two tone leather upholstery was optionally available.
Some minor switches were taken from the Audi parts catalog, like the mirror controls, but most parts have been designed and created solely for this Lamborghini. The interior became much roomier, mainly because of the enlarged wheelbase, a very clean dashboard which features an audio system created especially for this Lamborghini, a DVD based satellite navigation system was still available as an option however, compared to the Diablo the passengers have 40mm more headroom and about 25mm more space at the shoulders, a fully adjustable Momo steering wheel could be adjusted both in rake and tilt, combined with very stylish seats, nearly everyone could find a suitable driving position inside this stunning Lamborghini.

On the 2003 IAA Frankfurt Auto Show the Murciélago was shown with an optional e-gear, a sequential gearbox first seen on the Gallardo.

Note that the opening angle of the doors was enlarged by 5 degrees, while the sills were about 25mm lower than those on the Diablo. When we further compare both models, we'll notice the Murciélago has a 15mm longer wheelbase and used enlarged tracks, the new Lamborghini sits about 25mm taller, 5mm wider and 110mm longer while it also gained some 25 kg in the process.
The bodywork is made from Carbon Fiber, only the roof and both doors are made of steel to improve rigidity.

For a price around the same level as the previous Diablo 6.0 VT, around US $ 205,000, the new Murciélago was bound to become a success, Automobili Lamborghini SpA was counting on building nearly 400 units each year, this would make the Murciélago a very important competitor when compared to Ferrari or any other marque, although most competitors are more a GT while the Lamborghini is really a supercar in the purest meaning of the word, and with the workmanship and finishing level we all know from Audi, we can only expect the best from this new model from Sant'Agata.
(Source:www.lambocars.com)

Lamborghini Gallardo

The Lamborghini Gallardo, pure dynamic

Finally the new 'entry level' Lamborghini was presented to the public, the long awaited Lamborghini Gallardo was introduced during the 2003 edition of the Geneva Auto Show, drawing a lot of attention and reactions ... both good and bad.
The styling of this new Lamborghini model was very refreshing, somewhat angular and odd shaped in some places, but very different from anything Automobili Lamborghini SpA ever offered in the past, Fabrizio Giugiaro (ItalDesign/Giugiaro) sketched the original design down but Luc Donckerwolcke at the new Lamborghini Centro Stile did the final touches.

By using a rather long wheelbase and short overhang to both the front and rear, the initial impression of the Gallardo was rather muscular and dynamic, while retaining a 'compact' look.
The 'forward leaning' side view mirrors tend to create an impression of motion, even at a standstill, when looking at the Gallardo from the side, while the taillights, which take the design of the upper air intakes and pull it towards the rear, were mounted on the outskirts of an adjustable rear wing. According to some sources, the design of the new Gallardo was actually inspired by modern fighter jets.

The front of the Gallardo remained rather similar to the Murcielago, the 'big brother' to this new model, with the same basic shape of the air intakes in the massive bumper/spoiler combination leading towards two water radiators and an oil cooler.

The headlights were razor-sharp looking, and when seen from the side, the most eye-catching items would be the air intakes and the special way the exterior mirrors were mounted. The Gallardo features large side intakes that start on the doors and cut deeply into the bodywork to allow fresh air into the engine compartment, additional intakes mounted on the wide shoulders should help to keep the V10 engine cool enough, by the way, this engine can be mounted underneath an optional, transparent cover, so the people looking at your brand new Lamborghini can also admire the new work of art that's used to push this car to a top speed of 309 Km/h.

The aluminum cylinder heads and block of this new engine were built at the Cosworth Technology factory (also owned by Audi AG), after which they are shipped to Györ in Hongary to be finished, much like other engines from the Audi range, this mighty engine was actually based on the Audi 4.2 V8 engine, sharing the 90 degree V-angle and bore centers, however the Lamborghini unit has a four valves per cylinder configuration instead of the 'Audi trademark' five valves and naturally two more cylinders.

Apparently Audi AG has decided to use the same engine in their new Audi super car, the Nuvolari, with a twin turbo configuration they expect to create about 600 Bhp at only 6100 rpm.

Using a dry sump lubrication system, the engine could be mounted very low into the chassis, the actual center of gravity of the Gallardo is situated at only 46 cm from the ground, with four valves per cylinder, dual-length intake manifolds, variable control for both intake and exhaust valves, this new engine pumped out 500 Bhp at 7800 rpm, with a torque value of 510 Nm at 4500 rpm, 80 percent of which was already available at only 1500 rpm, driving sensations guaranteed ...

An interesting note was that the entire aluminum space frame or so-called body-in-white of the Gallardo, built at Neckarsulm like the Audi A8 aluminum structure, only weighs about 250 kg, completely finished, much less than a traditional steel space frame chassis would be thanks to Audi AG's extensive experience in this field.

As already mentioned in pre-release articles, the doors on this Lamborghini open in the traditional way, the impressive upward swinging doors remain reserved for the big V12 powered model, another way of distinguishing the Gallardo from the Murcielago, but just like on the latter, the Gallardo has a rear wing installed that changes its angle according to the speed of the car, at 130 Km/h it moved into the upward position resulting in nearly zero upward force at high speeds, while below 80 Km/h it would return to it's original state, flush with the rest of the car.

The interior of the Gallardo also means business, very functional and finished in the finest materials, an optional E-gear will get rid of the gearshift lever on the central console, and adds two levers behind the steering wheel to control the sequential gearbox, if you stay with the standard gearbox, you'll have a state of the art six-speed unit at your fingertips to control the VT drive train which would send about 70 percent of the power to the rear wheels in normal driving conditions, in case of traction loss at the rear, the front wheels can receive up to 50 percent of the available 500 horses located behind your back.

The Gallardo presented an entire collection of airbags, the driver's and passenger's airbag were 'two-stage' models, while the airbags mounted in the seats protected both the body as the head of those seated inside this super car, other nice touches found inside the new Lamborghini were a great quality stereo and air-conditioning (straight from an Audi A8), while a big screen DVD navigation system was available as an option, again much like the one found on the Audi A8.

Early, independent, tests have shown that the E-gear option would be advisable, since the clutch pedal for the standard gearbox required the footrest for the driver to be moved slightly towards the seat, creating a rather strange seating position that could become annoying during a long drive.

The steering wheel is adjustable for reach and height, while the leather seats are electrically adjustable in all directions too, finding a decent driving position shouldn't be too difficult inside the Gallardo.

Note that the new Gallardo was the first Lamborghini to be built with massive 19-inch wheels right from the factory, perhaps these would become an option on the Murcielago, which used 'only' 18 inch wheels when introduced in 2001, a nice touch is the availability of 19 inch winter tires as an option, to improve 'everyday use' of the new Gallardo.

According to Mr Werner Mischke (chairman at Automobili Lamborghini SpA), for the first time in history a Lamborghini will be priced at exactly the same amount all over Europe, at 145.180 Euro (around US $ 165,000) the Gallardo should be a worthy competitor in the rather crowed area of the 'smaller' super cars, makes like Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin were also very busy in this small market, but it seems the Gallardo could be a very though car to beat when put side by side for a comparison, let's wait and see what the first production cars will feel like on the open road when tested by the, sometimes, notorious motoring press.

One of the first independent road tests revealed some interesting points, the standard ESP couldn't be completely de-activated, apparently the button on the dashboard doesn't allow the Electronic Slip Prevention to be cut off entirely, it still kicks in when driving close to the limits of the car, preventing a overly 'sporty' way of driving in favor of safety.

The cars with the optional e-Gear actually have a reprogrammed ESP system, allowing a more sporty way of driving because the threshold of activation for the ESP has been increased, note however that this threshold is set at such a level that I doubt most owners will ever reach it on the open road.

Another point the journalist noted was the fact that the engine had a very distinguished sound, not raw or anything, but more like a deep roaring sound, less loud than a Murcielago actually, also the controlling of the e-Gear could still be improved, shifting up or down sometimes isn't as smooth as it should be. Note however that any tests have been performed on pre-production models, so some changes could still be made before the first customer cars arrive in September 2003.

The optional e-Gear offers three settings, Automatic, Normal and Sport, the first one puts the focus on comfort while Normal allows the driver to switch gears manually although when reaching the maximum rpm's, the electronic controls take over and shift upwards automatically. The Sport setting on the other hand will not 'shift up' automatically and dramatically shortens the time to shift gears.

Perhaps not perfect, but the standard six speed gearbox, although it retains the magnificent 'shifting grid' on the central tunnel, uses two cables to transmit the gearlever movement ...
The Lamborghini Gallardo is actually the first 'series' production car that uses the new Koni FSD dampers. Koni's Frequency Selective Damping is a passive system that allows the suspension to be modified according to road conditions, these dampers are set 'hard' when their frequency is below 7 Hertz (7 compressions and extensions of the damper per second), while a valve is opened when this frequency is reached, resulting in a softer setting to allow more movement of the wheels to improve comfort on bad roads.

The optional 'sport suspension' doesn't lower the car this time, to avoid damage to the already very low bodywork and chassis, but instead it increases 'stiffness' by 15 percent at the front and 20 percent at the rear.

The initial setup of the suspension was to have the Gallardo understeer mildly when entering a curve, while understeer would return to neutral during the curve and remain neutral on exiting.

When driving the Gallardo during an Italian test in June 2003, the car had such a smooth drive it couldn't be compared with anything else on the super car market today, while retaining a firm control of body roll while cornering and perfect handling of pitch and roll.
The rather controversial styling of the Lamborghini Gallardo caused some very emotional reactions among current Lamborghini owners, they didn't love the Murcielago either at first, and now the Gallardo is another step from the brutal Countach and magnificent Miura.
It looks like Automobili Lamborghini SpA shed the past and headed towards the future at a very high speed, putting the current models at a level of finish and drivability never seen before on a Lamborghini, extremely reliable and somewhat easier to drive, compared to the heavy clutch on a Countach for instance, it is obvious that since the Audi AG takeover, Automobili Lamborghini SpA came a long way from the 'out of this world' brutality of the Countach and the sensual lines of the Miura, without even mentioning the classic GT's from the late Sixties and early Seventies, perhaps the company is looking for 'new' buyers instead of appealing to current Lamborghini owners ...

With a projected production of nearly 1200 Gallardo's each year (note that 3500 Modena's are being built each year), a lot of new buyer's are required which is probably one of the reasons why the current 50 worldwide dealers will be expanded up to 80 official dealerships ...
(Source:www.lambocars.com)

Lamborghini Reventón

The brand new, super exotic Lamborghini Reventón has been unveiled during the press conference at the 2007 edition of the IAA Motor Show in Frankfurt, a totally different car than the Murciélago LP640 it was based on, but still very much a Raging Bull.

The official press release unveiled all the details, but some details are this, a modified LP640 engine with no less than 650 Hp from a total displacement of 6.5 liters, other than that the engine is just about the only item from the base car that hasn't been modified or replaced during the creation of the impressive Reventón.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the press conference, when Stephan Winkelmann proudly had the car unveiled by three lovely ladies, the Reventón marks another milestone in the history of Automobili Lamborghini SpA since it's founding more than 40 years ago, this will be the most expensive car ever to leave the gates at Sant'Agata. With a worldwide list price of a cool 1 million Euro (excluding taxes) and a production run of no more than 20 units, the new Reventón will become an instant collector's item, I can imagine only a few of these 20 cars will actually be driven on the road, which is a real pity actually.

With a totally new dashboard treatment and amazing seats, this is a Lamborghini that is destined to be enjoyed on the open road, as a side note, the entire dashboard cluster is machined from a solid piece of aluminum, covered by a Carbon Fiber section to avoid glare. The instruments itself are even more exclusive, there are three LCD monitors that actually display all necessary information, the central screen even shows G-Forces ... just to make sure you know how much G's you are pulling going around the corners, just like in a fighter plane, from which the initial design was taken in fact.

Going to the exterior design, it is different, very angular and wide, using a vast collection of angles and design clues ... the wide rear fenders are amazing, the front lights are innovative, and the taillight clusters are made of three arrays of special heat resistant LED's to be able to cope with the heat from the central mounted, massive exhaust pipe.
A close look at the design of the car shows that the wheelarches are somewhat angular now, not round like on the original LP640 Murciélago, it is obvious the car was based on this flagship, but still it is totally different nonetheless. The triangular design of the front spoiler and hood is taken all the way back to the engine cover and rear section. Also note that the engine cover is again finished with glass 'blades' to give everybody a glance at the heart of the car. Another styling detail, the special fuel filler is made from one single piece of aluminum, another detail that shows the impressive amount of workmanship that will go into each of the 20 cars that will be built and delivered to their lucky owners during 2008, all finished in the special grey/green shade, that actually isn't glossy, but due to the subtle addition of metallic flakes in the paint give an unseen shine when parked in the sunshine.

If you were under the impression the LP640 sits on nice wheels, the Reventón takes it to the next level, the black rims are finished in a high gloss, and each of the five spokes has a special Carbon Fiber fin attached to it, to create a jet turbine look and in the mean time create extra cooling for the standard ceramic discs.

There is no doubt the Reventón will stir emotions once again, but you can't deny the fact that Automobili Lamborghini SpA isn't following the well known path, they are building innovative cars, just like the Miura and the Countach were years ahead of their time when they were introduced, the Reventón is ahead of it's time, and it's competition today ... and rumour has it all 20 cars are actually already sold when this first prototype was shown in Frankfurt ...
(Source:www.lambocars.com)