Lamborghini - a Ferrari Killer?

Just like when talking about Ferrari, Lamborghini projects a clear image of power and wealth to those who own one of these super vehicles. This is an Italian company founded by Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, so it can be said that this car manufacturing company is fairly new, but it has kept an excellent quality and performance record which rivals that of Ferrari.

Unlike Ferrari's founder (Enzo Ferrari), Lamborghini's founded did not have a passion for racing cars like Enzo did, quite the contrary, Ferruccio Lamborghini had a tractor factory!. This tractor factory was indeed the financial base used to create the car company Lamborghini.

The origins of the company as told by Ferruccio Lamborghini's son is quite amazing. It turns out that Ferruccio went to meet Enzo Ferrari at his factory to complain about he quality of the clutch in the Ferrari 250 GT which he owned at the time (this is a sports car model of the 1950's). Enzo Ferrari then sent him away by telling him to go drive tractors because he didn't know how to drive cars. Lamborghini then had his Ferrari's clutch dismantled and realized that the clutch manufacturer was the same company which provided the clutches for his tractors!, Lamborghini then found a spare part in his warehouse which the thought might solve the problem and voila!, it did the job indeed. Ever since, Lamborghini became a dissatisfied Ferrari client and aimed to beat Ferrari in his own game.

Ferruccio then decided that his cars would have a V12 engine so he hired Giotto Bizzarrini who worked under Ferrari's engine development team in the past.

And as it turns out, Ferrari and Lamborghini are two automotive groups which are considered rival companies, and equivalents in quality as well as price.

Ever since its creation, Lamborghini has experienced continuous sales growth. It's cars are among the most powerful, expensive and exclusive in the world, they feature several exclusive characteristics such as high tech V10 - V12 engines, carbon fiber construction and custom styling by the most prestigious automotive designers such as: Franco Scaglione, Zagato, Marcello Gandini, etc.

Among the most recent popular models produced by this company we have: the V12 Lamborghini Diablo reaching a maximum speed of 330km/h; the V12 Lamborghini Murcielago; the V10 Gallardo; the V12 Murcielago LP640 and last but not the least the one of a kind Lamborghini Reventon debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto show. This vehicle manufacturer is without a doubt one of the best in the world.

Lamborghini Embolado

Lamborghini Embolado

The Lamborghini Embolado is an extreme sportscar characterized by an aggressive design with sharp and steady lines. The author is Luca Serafini, an Industrial Design final year student at University of Parma, Italy.The project idea came from the designer's dream to work as a designer for Lamborghini; a very natural desire, since he lives in Modena, just a few kilometers away from Sant'Agata Bolognese.

As Luca Serafini explains "the inspiration came from the research of a Spanish festival, named "Embolado Bull" (or Toro Embolado).

"The choice of the name was the first step towards the creation of this concept".

"Based on the Gallardo dimensions, I started to define the main lines in a very marked and steady way, giving the front end taurin forms".

The movement of the side surfaces gives the car a natural sleek appearance. All the design is based on the "aggressivity" theme.

"After the recent launch of the Gallardo Superleggera, in order to make a tribute to it, I have adapted the Embolado Concept basing on the aestethic modifications of the new model, with some post-process in Photoshop."

The Embolado was modeled in Rhino; the final renderings were created in 3DStudio MAX, with some post-process in Photoshop.

About the Designer

Luca Serafini is currently in his final year of the Industrial Design Course at the University of Parma, Italy.

For three years he participated in the chassis design of the Formula Student racing car, in partnership with the University of Modena.

Among his professional experiences are collaborations with the MilanPolitecnico and with car cutomization projects. He is starting a career as a freelance designer.

SRT-10 Dodge Viper The fastest sports car

SRT-10 Dodge Viper The fastest sports car

SRT-10 Dodge Viper Powered by a 8.3 Litre V10 which is essentially a Dodge truck V8 with two extra cylinders grafted on, the Viper has incredible straight line performance. Handling and build quality of the Viper is however less refined and reassuring compared to its European rivals.Dodge Viper began in 1996.
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External review by Rodney Rawson
The Dodge Viper - The viper idea all started in 1988 with just a clay model. Soon after the car was was constructed and displayed at put on display auto shows. The Chrysler Corporation did not expect the Viper to be such a big hit. The viper certainly got a lot of people interested, and in 1992 The first Viper RT/10 Roadster was produced. It initially came in only two color choices, black and the more common red. In 1996 The Dodge Viper GTS was introduced. The GTS was a hard top instead of the soft top RT/10.

SRT-10 Dodge Viper The fastest sports car

In the late 1980's and early 90's Chrysler was running out of money, and fast, and that is part of the reason for the Viper, they needed a 'halo car' car that could help them with their money problems and it worked.
In 1994 a television series starring the Dodge Viper was aired on NBC it was called of course, Viper. The show took place in a futuristic city and the Viper was a type of police car. It starts out like an ordinary Viper and with the push of a button it turned into the Defender, the ultimate crime fighting machine. Chrysler created the show to help there sales with the viper.
In 2003 the Dodge Viper was changed dramatically, in both appearance and performance. The Dodge Viper was the fastest sports car for under 100 thousand, until the Chevrolet Corvette ZO6 came along. Dodge plans to counter the Corvette with a new, faster and nicer Viper in 2008. Let's hope. The Viper is a true American sports car.

Lamborghini: Active Design By Sergio

Modifications on Lamborghini

Modifications on Lamborghini

Enough of Bugatti Veyron editions? This time, it’s a Lambo in the news. British tuner Prindiville Prestige is offering the most expensive, special edition Lamborghini since the launch of the €1 million Reventon. Prindiville is renowned for creating one-off, custom-made cars and this completely restyled Murcielago LP-640 is one great example. The roadster has been redesigned from the ground up and the interior modifications alone were done for €330,000. These modifications include saddle-tanned leather, hand-finished aluminum accents and specially engineered aluminum air vents. The car has been upholstered in buffalo foreskins. Carbon fiber work is all the rage these days, so they did the whole outer bodywork in carbon fiber, excluding the front compartment lid. Valances, sills and louvers have been used for a shark-like appearance. Other notable upgrades include a titanium sports exhaust system, handleless doors with remote electric opening, miniature cameras in the door mirrors and a restyled engine bay cover.

The total cost for the bespoke special edition carbon fiber Lamborghini goes over $1 million. The Lamborghini Murciélago by Prindiville is daringly designed, stylishly aggressive and one of a kind.

Use of Lamborghini in Games

Lamborghini In Games

Because of the reputation of the Lamborghini as a fierce fighter on the road, it has been able to attract the attention of game designers, directors etc. Many games of the Need for Speed series like NFS: Hot Pursuit 2, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Need for Speed: Carbon & Need for Speed: ProStreet have used a lot of Lamborghini cars in their games. The cars themselves look pretty good in the game and in real life and with mind blowing looks added with superb performance it's not hard to believe that these are classified as some of the best sports cars in the world. These cars have gained much popularity in the hit game series. And Lamborghini is one of the few cars that also many girls seem to be interested in. Believe me, talking about cars with girls could be regarded as one of the most stupid things to do in the world. They don't care what your'e talking about and your'e just yappi'n away. But the word Lamborghini seems to arouse some interest in them.

"With 571 horsepower put to the pavement through a permanent 4WD system, the Lamborghini Murciélago is capable of 205 miles per hour."
"The Lamborghini Murciélago has a top speed of over 200 miles an hour. Under the hood is a longitudinally mid-mounted, twin double overhead cam, 48 valve, 60 degree V12 turning out 571 horsepower at 7500 rpms."
"Welcome to the Lamborghini Murciélago. With a carbon fibre and steel alloy body, the Murciélago tips the scales at just over 3600 pounds. The Murciélago has the most powerful Lamborghini road engine to date."

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

After being left out of Need for Speed: Underground and Need for Speed: Underground 2 the Murciélago returns in Need for Speed: Most Wanted. It is unlocked after beating Blacklist member JV and originally comes in black.

Need for Speed: Carbon

In Need for Speed: Carbon has 2 editions of the Lamborghini Murciélago the normal edition and the LP640 edition. It is classed as a Tier 3 Exotic and driven by Wolf when he is a part of the Stacked Deck crew.
The LP640 Murcielago is only obtainable by achieving the Reward Card during Career Mode, and can only be used in Quick Race mode.

Verdict *****

Great speed and handling. Nice off the line and keeps the speed through the corners. Great looking car too.

Need for Speed: ProStreet

Only the LP640 edition of the Lamborghini Murciélago appears in ProStreet.

Lamborghini Murciélago

Lamborghini Murciélago

The Lamborghini Murciélago is a high performance sports car produced by Italian automaker Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. and designed by Luc Donckerwolke. It was introduced in 2001 as the successor to the Diablo. The Murciélago is a two-door, two-seat coupé. To celebrate the company's 40 years in operation, 50 special edition Murciélagos were built during the autumn of 2003. An open-top version called the Murciélago Roadster was introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year. The roadster features similar performance to the coupé with a more aggressive rear flank, as well as a considerably higher price tag.

The Murciélago sports a 6.2-litre version of the Lamborghini V12 engine, a six-speed manual or 6-speed sequential automatic transmission, and four-wheel drive. It also has a rear spoiler that can be raised to an angle of 70 degrees, side mirrors that fold in to improve aerodynamics, and side scoops that automatically open to the needed size to let in just the right amount of air needed to cool its engine. The 2008 car's estimated fuel economy for the 6-speed manual is 8 miles per US gallon (29 L/100 km; 9.6 mpg_-imp) city and 13 miles per US gallon (18 L/100 km; 16 mpg_-imp) freeway, making it the least efficient 2008 car for city and highway driving, according to the EPA.

The coupé's base price is US $313,000, which is US $107,000 more than its smaller sibling, the Lamborghini Gallardo.

In 2006 the Murciélago's engine was replaced by a stronger 6.5-liter engine and the car's name was changed to Murciélago LP640. For the 2007 model year Lamborghini did the same with the roadster model, which is now called Murciélago LP640 Roadster. Both versions received a minor facelift.

The name

The name Murciélago (pronounced moor-thee-EH-la-go in traditional Castilian Spanish and moor-see-EH-la-goh in Spanish of Latin America) means "bat" in Spanish. A bull by this name survived 24 sword strokes in an 1879 fight at the arena of Córdoba, and fought with such passion and spirit that the matador chose to spare its life, a rare honor. In another Lamborghini tie-in, the bull was later presented as a gift to Don Antonio Miura, who was a noted breeder and whose bull ranch the Lamborghini Miura was named after, and went on to sire a line of famous fighting bulls.

40th Anniversary Edition

Lamborghini Murciélago 40th Anniversary Edition

In late 2003, Lamborghini announced a special 40th Anniversary Edition of the Murciélago, following in the footsteps of their Countach and Diablo Anniversary Editions. The limited production run of 50 vehicles featured enhancements including a limited-edition body color, carbon-fiber exterior detailing, upgraded wheels , a new revamped exhaust system, and a 40th Anniversary numbered plaque displayed along the side. The interior featured a new leather trim and additional electronic features.

LP640

The LP640 version was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2006, as a facelift for the coupé version. It features a 6.5 Litre engine, now producing 640 PS (631 hp/471 kW), improving performance substantially. Like the base Murciélago, the engine is mounted "backwards", with the transmission in front of the engine and the differential behind it, instead of a transaxle normally seen on mid-engine cars. There were also a few minor external changes, primarily to the low air intakes.

LP640 Roadster at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show

The front and rear bumpers have been reshaped to channel air more efficiently, and the new exhaust has been shaped into the rear diffuser to minimize aerodynamic lift. The air intake on the left side has been enlarged to accommodate the feeding of the oil cooler. The car's body is made up of steel and carbon fibre, while underneath a revised suspension has been added to keep up with the car's performance. It also has an all-wheel-drive system that normally distributes 70% of the torque to the rear wheels, but can allocate up to 100% to the rear, or up to 70% to the front, depending on where the available grip is. There are also new 18-inch (460 mm) Hermera alloy wheels running huge 335/30 tyres at the rear. The LP640 retains the original car's scissor-opening doors. The LP640 coupè U.S. MSRP rests at $318,800.

Inside the LP640, the seating has been reshaped to accommodate greater headroom, while an upgraded instrument panel is flanked by an improved stereo system.

The LP640's optional equipment includes Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite brakes for swifter braking, chrome paddle shifters and a glass engine cover which shows off the LP640's engine.

A special edition version of the Murciélago LP640 was introduced at the Paris Motor Show. The Versace edition features a customized all-white exterior and a matching white interior. However, a one-of-a-kind black LP640 Versace and LP640 Roadster Versace were also presented by the factory.

Lamborghini announced the LP640 Roadster version at the 2006 LA Auto Show.

Engine

LP stands for Longitudinale Posteriore, referring to the longitudinally-mounted, 6.5L V12 engine, capable of producing up to 640 PS (631 hp/471 kW) @ 8000rpm. Along with a new six-speed manual transmission, which can come in Lamborghini's optional paddle shift "E-gear" package, the LP640 can reach a top speed of 219+ mph. The LP640 is accommodated by an electronic Launch control device called "Thrust."

LP640 Roadster

The new Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 Roadster was presented on the 2006 Los Angeles Autoshow. It features the same engine as the LP640 coupé and replaces the 6.2 Litre Murciélago Roadster. The only design changes were oil cooling vents behind the air intakes, interior changes, and a reinforced body.

LP640 Versace

LP640 Versace Edition at Toronto Autoshow 2008, with the white-black trim in the door

Presented at the 2008 Paris International Autoshow, the Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 Versace is a special edition version of the Lamborghini LP640 Coupé, with all the same performance features. The only difference is the two tone white-black trim, shown on both the exterior and interior of the car. However, Lamborghini de Spa have also built 1 black LP640 & LP640 Roadster. It also features custom Versace leather seating and a Gianni Versace logo plaque inside the vehicle. The Versace material costs $10,000 per seat. Lamborghini have also announced that they will only produce 20 units of this model.

LP 650-4 Roadster

It is a limited production (50 units) model. Engine is rated 650 PS (641 hp/478 kW) at and 660 N·m (487 lb·ft) torque. Exterior changes include Grigio Telesto exterior that combines grey bodywork with a special bright orange Arancio LP 650-4 featured on the front spoiler and sills, orange brake calipers and a transparent V12-engine cover. Interior changes include black Alcantara Nera on the driver's side (including door panel and central tunnel), and black leather Nero Perseus on the passenger's side.

LP 670-4 SuperVeloce

A Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 Superveloce in Irvine, CA

The Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce is the latest and most extreme variant of the Murcielago models. Engine power was increased to 670 PS (661 hp/493 kW) at 8000 rpm and 660 N·m (487 lb·ft) at 6500 rpm torque through engine airflow enhancements and improved valve timing.

The vehicle is 100 kilograms (220 lb) lighter than predecessor via new super high-strength sectional steel on chassis (-20 kg (44 lb)); carbon fiber based front fenders, rear side panels/fenders and the casing for the third brake light, removing drive for moveable spoiler (-13 kg (29 lb)); carbon fiber door panels, cockpit, roof lining, Alcantara upholstered seat (leather seat available as option), omission of the radio-navigation system (available as option) (-34 kg (75 lb)); lighter single disc clutch, lighter exhaust system (-26 kg (57 lb)); ceramic disc with carbon ceramic brakes, "Ares" alloy-forged wheels (-7 kg (15 lb)). The car now has a dry weight of 3,450 lb (1,560 kg).

The e.gear transmission became standard, which includes "Corsa" and a "Low adherence" modes; while 6-speed manual transmission became a no-cost option.

Handling is improved via stiffened chassis, enlarged front spoiler and the twin rear diffuser, the new fixed rear spoiler. Buyer can choose between small rear spoiler or the optional larger Aeropack Wing (a large, fixed, carbon-fiber wing mounted on two carbon-fiber brackets) for improved downforce. Suspension is the same as the LP640.

Lamborghini estimated 0-100 km/h acceleration of 3.2 seconds, with top speed of 342 kilometres per hour (213 mph) (337 km/h (209 mph) with Aeropack Wing).

The car was unveiled in 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

Motorsport

Reiter Engineering's Murciélago R-GT, campaigned under the InterProgress Bank Spartak Racing name

The Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT is a race-only version of the Murciélago, developed jointly with Reiter Engineering and Audi Sport. It has rear-wheel drive unlike the standard Murciélago to comply with the FIA, ACO, and JAF rules. The car retains the standard Murciélago V12, but has air restrictors to manage power. Its acceleration and top speed are highly dependent on the gearing selected for a particular race track.

In March 2006 at the Super GT Suzuka 500 km, a Murcielago R-GT specifically built for Super GT (and rebadged RG-1) for the Japanese Lamborghini Owners Club (JLOC) recorded the first win ever for a Murcielago when they earned a win in the GT300 class. In March 2007 in the FIA GT Championship, the All-Inkl.com Racing Murciélago won the Zhuhai 2 Hours.

In December 2006, Reiter Engineering tested an upgraded Murcielago R-GT LM, featuring redesigned body work and a new rear wing with less drag.

In April 2009, in LMS 1000 km de Catalunya race, a Murcielago R-GT of the russian IPB Spartak Racing Team has won the GT1 class, against Corvette C6-R and Saleen S7-R. The drivers of the IPB Spartak Racing car were the russian Roman Rusinov and the dutch Peter Kox. They crossed the finish line 2 laps ahead of the first Corvette, in 2nd place. Before of the race, Lamborghini has set the pole, but has been moved at the end of the grid due to some technical irregularities. The second, international win for the Ragin Bull GT car. In 2009 LMS, IPB Spartak Racing is in the firts place of the GT1 class.

Cars based on the Murciélago

Lamborghini Miura Concept

Lamborghini Miura Concept

A Lamborghini Miura concept car was presented at the Museum of Television & Radio on January 5, 2006 alongside the Los Angeles Auto Show, though it was not present at the show itself. Instead, the Miura officially debuted at the North American International Auto Show two weeks later. It was the first design by new Lamborghini chief, Walter de'Silva, and commemorates the 1966 introduction of the original Miura in Geneva.

Lamborghini president and CEO Stephan Winkelmann has denied the concept will return the Miura to production, saying “The Miura was a celebration of our history, but Lamborghini is about the future. Retro design is not what we are here for. So we won’t do the Miura.”