Lamborghini boss, Stephan Winkelmann, has been on a whirlwind global tour to show the firm's Murciélago replacement to carefully selected customers.
“We’ve allowed the dealers to select which customers are invited instead of getting involved directly,” Winkelmann reported. “They know who they need to invite because, in some cases, these are people they have been dealing with for many years.”
See the spy pics of the Lamborghini Murciélago replacement at the 'Ring
Lamborghini’s R&D team was given just two criteria for the new motor to power the car: it had to be a V12 and have a 60-degree bank. In the end the team ended up with the old motor’s 6.5-litre capacity, but 59bhp more, at 691bhp. There’s more torque, too - a peak of 509lb ft - and it’s available 500rpm further down the rev range, at 5500rpm.
The new gearbox (called ISR, for Independent Shifting Rods) is a seven-speed, 70kg unit with a twin-plate, 235mm clutch. It uses four shifting rods to run the shift process “virtually in parallel”; times fall to as little as 50ms, around 40 per cent faster than with the Gallardo’s e-gear system.
Read more on Lambo's plans to put its Sesto Elemento concept into production
The new car is understood to have a carbonfibre tub as Lamborghini tries to shave weight from the Murciélago’s 1740kg bulk. Judging from the disguise on this test car, the exterior styling includes some of the angular panel surfacing that is expected to feature so prominently on the firm’s Paris concept, so far only seen in a succession of teaser images.
The car is expected to get a heavily revised interior, making Lambo’s flagship feel even more upmarket and justifying what’s likely to be a price increase, to around £250,000. It will be launched at the Geneva motor show in March.
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Re: Lambo shows new Murciélago
Re: Lambo shows new Murciélago
I think this car is almost too bland too dull,
Lamborghini have been radical from day
one!,this car is many things,in my opinion
however radical it is not.
Re: Lambo shows new Murciélago
There are plenty of descriptions out there from people who've been invited to see it. Loads of Reventon-like sharp creases, Estoque-like rear and interior, 570 Superleggera-like front bumper, huge side intakes behind the doors, scissor doors opening at a slightly more accessible angle, more headroom. New headlight design, although nobody's really tried describing them properly yet.
Doesn't sound like a recipe for something prettier than an LP640, but it will certainly turn heads.