Lamborghini Murcielago News

Seeing more than 100 Lamborghinis travelling in a rapid convoy is not one of the world’s more common sights, but that’s exactly what the supercar maker’s recent celebration of its 50th anniversary managed to create. The event saw 350 of the raging bull-badged models converge on Lamborghini’s home town of Sant’Agata in Italy.  Despite far from ideal supercar weather, a keen Lamborghini fan managed to capture at least 100 of the celebrating Lambos converge on a hairpin bend in procession. The convoy is somewhat of a walk down Lamborghini memory lane, with a 350GT, a couple of Muiras, Espadas and Countaches, a few Diablos, several Gallardo, Murcielago and Aventadors -- all displaying their distinctive visual and audible wares. For the keen-eyed, at least four of the Aventadors can be seen puffing blue flames from their exhaust orifices on overrun.   Watch the Lamborghini hairpin convoy video here. This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn  

Polish company Manufacture RETRO might have the answer for your Lamborghini lust in their Unique Racing Desks collection. Yes, that's a bright orange, Lamborghini Murcielago desk you see--and while it won't handle quite as well as the real thing, nor make your computer any faster, it'll do a pretty good job of brightening up your office with its vivid orange hue. It isn't the first time we've seen car-themed furniture, but it's one of the more affordable options. Some people will spend $240,000 on a beautifully-engineered but ultimately static Bugatti desk, or $25,000 on an office chair made from a Ferrari seat. But to the casual observer, they do just look like a fancy metal desk and nicely-trimmed office chair. No risk of this with the Lamborghini desk, which is as in-your-face as the real thing. The best part is the price. Its US$7,800 tag is expensive for a piece of office equipment, admittedly, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than the aforementioned exotic furniture. And in the grander scheme of unrealistic purchases, it's much cheaper buying an actual Murcielago and a Lamborghini desk than it is a Bugatti Veyron and a Bugatti desk. In fact, who needs the real Lamborghini? Hook up your games console and a TV to the desk and pretend you're driving the real thing. Though we will warn you: Owning a Lamborghini desk and not having the car to go with it is just as bad as those people you see dressed head-to-toe in Ferrari gear stepping out of their Corolla... www.motorauthority.com  

The lime green Murcielago Roadster is on its way to a Las Vegas body shop for repairs."Yeah, I got it on Saturday and I wrecked it on Saturday," David Dopp told local television. Mr Dopp was videotaped last month jumping up and down and hollering in speechless disbelief when Maverik convenience stores contest officials announced during a college football game that he won the car.Mr Dopp said he was taking friends and family on rides on Saturday evening on the outskirts of town when the vehicle hit ice or loose gravel and started spinning.Read more: https://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/joe-schmo-to-lambo-winner-crashes-prize-supercar-within-hours/

And it is among this year’s most slaveringly anticipated dish.While expected to be officially unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, an almost production ready test model of Lamborghini’s Jota has been captured up and close and personal by our spies at Germany’s Nurburgring.Looking lithe and lethal, but quite close to the concept version, the Jota lines have not yet been seen this clearly.The snapper has captured detailed images of the undisguised prototype, not least the front bumper and exhausts.The Jota will be powered by a V12 developing some 500kW of power.

Lamborghini used the Geneva Motor Show to unveil its new Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce, a more powerful, lighter and faster development of the Murcielago.The LP 670-4 SuperVeloce is even more powerful, lighter and faster than the Murcielago LP 640.With the output of the 6.5 litre V12 increased to 500kW and a 100kg weight reduction, the two-seater boasts a power-to-weight ratio of 2.3 kg per litre.This catapults it 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 342km/h via an all-wheel drive system that is split 35/65 front and rear.Distinctive design refinements ensure that each of the 350-unit limited edition cars looks distinctive.The sportscar has been extensively redesigned with a new front and rear, an innovative engine bonnet and a choice of two aerodynamic set-ups featuring either a small or large rear spoilers.The interior in Alcantara and carbon fibre provides a purist and minimalist approach.In order to slash the weight by 100kg the SuperVeloce was extensively reworked from chassis to engine and transmission, right through to the interior.The lift in engine power is the result of optimized valve timing and a reworked intake system.The significantly modified aerodynamics with substantially increased downforce brings considerable improvement to vehicle stability at very high speeds.With the small standard-fit rear spoiler, top speed stands at 342 km/h, while the large “Aeropack Wing” gives a top speed of 337 km/h.Visually the SuperVeloce gets plenty of matt black paint, carbon fibre front spoiler and redesigned front end.The large air intakes for the front brakes are more powerfully emphasized and new front mudguards have additional air intakes for brake ventilation. The air vent for the oil cooler located in the driver-side sill area is painted matt black to match the sills.The modifications are even more apparent around the engine bay.The 12-cylinder engine is presented under a transparent engine bonnet.The rear is dominated by a flat and extremely wide exhaust pipe and, on the underside, by a two-level diffuser system finished entirely in carbon fibre.The rear light clusters display their signals in that distinctive Y-shape that has been a fixed element of Lamborghini design since the Murcielago LP 640, Reventon and Gallardo LP 560-4.The panel between the lights is made from carbon fibre, while the large intake mesh below expands across the full width of the rear end. Made from thick-walled aluminum, the hexagonal pattern is laser-cut and a Teflon coating provides the necessary heat protection.The car’s structure uses a composite construction of extremely stiff carbon components and a tubular steel frame, as in a race car.The transmission tunnel and the floor are made of carbon fibre, attached to the steel frame using rivets and high-strength adhesives.The roof and the exterior door panels are formed in sheet steel, while the rest of the outer skin is made from carbon composite material.The SuperVeloce is equipped as standard with the sequential, automated manual transmission e.gear, which uses electro-hydraulics to shift gear extremely quickly and smoothly. A cockpit display informs the driver of the gear currently engaged.The car is also available with a six-speed manual transmission. 

Lamborghini has the answer with its Gallardo Spyder LP560-4, which makes its show debut along with the coupe version and Murcielago LP640 coupe.The Gallardo LP560-4 coupe and Spyder arrive mid-year. They share a 5.2-litre V10 engine, bolted into an aluminium spaceframe chassis with aluminium and thermoplastic body panels.The V10 develops 412kW at 8000 revs and 540Nm at 6500 revs, which in the Spyder gives it a top speed of 324km/h and a zero-100km sprint time of 3.7 seconds.The Spyder puts all this power to the ground through a six-speed robotic sequential gearbox and all-wheel drive.The Murcielago LP640 pumps out 471kW and 660Nm from its 6.5-litre V12 engine.Not surprisingly, the Murcielago is quick too, reaching 100km/h in 3.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 340km/h. The 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show... 

No.. but we are closer than we have ever been.Even more than architecture, fashion and aircraft, cars are the most visually represented statement of our possible future. From Rust Heinz’ 1938 Phantom Corsair to Syd Mead's Spinner in Blade Runner, the car has been central to our dreams and the imaginations for our potential.The 1950's saw the emergence of a style of design exemplified by Nuccio Bertone, Virgil Exner and Harley Earl, that while it may be considered visually naive now still has profound influence on our perception of future possibilities. GMs Motorama of 1956 was the major showcase for this style of design that lasted into the early seventies, the over-riding feature being the human interpretation of function as driven by form.. The last truly great examples of this period; the Coke bottle Corvette of 67-73, the Ferrari Dino, Lamborghini Muira and E-Type Jag are now revered as works of art by car cognoscenti and their prices reflect their stature in the motoring world.. All of these cars display a human’s perception of the flow of air over metal; the mind as a virtual wind tunnel. Post these cars we saw a period of design that was quite - well...., square.The second coming of car design emerged around ten years ago and has been going from strength to strength. While the Futuristic period of the 50's set the visual benchmarks and boundaries for current designers, the designers of the period did not have the shackles of the oil, financial or environmental crisis to deal with. They also did not have the technology available that allowed them to add the function to the form efficiently. At the very heart of the current design period is the evolution of human possibilities that advancing technology and social dreams and responsibilities allow and dictate.. What we are seeing is art meeting and merging with technology to create form with function. If the 50’s were the golden era of car design we have now reached platinum. The Veyron, the 599, the DBS, 997, Murcielago and yes, still the Corvette – all are incredibly beautiful and also capable of 200 mph in relative safety.As exciting as car design presently is the Futurama period is hard to let go of, hence the number of Retro-future cars we continue to see. From the Mini to the Mustang good design should be celebrated, honored and mimicked. The re-interpretation of a classic design when made relevant to the current situation is not something to scorn as it just adds another variety, another choice - and there is nothing wrong with that.For a lot of current designers the benchmark for futuristic design was set in the 70's by Syd Mead  ...Visually we are there. Technologically we are close.We are at the dawn of the alternate propulsion era. We have broken through the political and financial barriers of the oil era. In many ways we can thank the current financial crisis for that. Electric is on the way, which will be an enthusiasts dream with its full size slot car performance and environmental friendliness.Let’s just not get to the point we ban petrol cars from our roads, let them naturally evolve out.With the future - we are almost there, but our past is continuing to remain with us longer. - Thankfully.The last turn of a V12 on a public road should be put off for as long as possible.Rod Halligan

You can have them all for a fraction of the price.P1 is a multi-million dollar version of a car-rental company but you need to be quick if you want to be a part of the action.Less than a year after launching its Melbourne office, memberships in the exclusive and expensive rental company are running out.More than 135 Australians have signed up and the company will limit its membership to 200 to make sure there are enough cars to go around.“We'll never go above 200 members,” says James Ward, general manager of P1 in Victoria, “basically to maintain a ratio of five new members for each new car.”Though only 29 vehicles are spread across the company's three Australian locations — in Richmond, Sydney and the Gold Coast — the quality of the cars and motorbikes has seen the company lay out $29 million on equipment.Set up by former Formula One world champion Damon Hill in 2000 in Britain, the club came to Australia in December 2006. The Richmond branch opened last March.Members can join for $4550 and pay annual charges ranging from $27,000 to $36,500 to have access to a dream garage.P1's roster includes three examples of the Lamborghini Gallardo, a Lamborghini Murcielago, Ferrari 430, Ferrari 575M, Aston Martin DB9, Bentley GT Continental, Porsche 997 GT3, Porsche Cayman S, Audi RS4 Avant, Lotus Exige, Hummer H2, and a Ducati 1098 and BMW K1200 for bikers.Packages give customers a bank of points to use through the year.As is befitting the cost, the company offers a range of services. They drop off the cars anywhere they are required and can store and wash the customer's personal car.“It's as much about the car as it is about the service,” Ward says . “It's whatever suits our customers.” 

A worldwide crackdown on emissions and economy will not hurt Lamborghini, according to the chief executive of the Italian brand.Stephan Winkelmann, who heads Lamborghini for the Audi group in Europe, says this year is already a sellout and Australian sales will probably be up almost 50 per cent on the 45 cars delivered last year.He says his company is booming and he is not worried about future emission standards.“Apart from the question of what is environmentally acceptable now and in five years, there is the question of social acceptability,” Winkelmann says.“Lamborghini means power and power means emissions".“But our cars are not driven regularly from point A to point B. Realistically, our emissions impact is zero.”During a brief trip to Sydney on a visit to the Asia-Pacific region— including the booming Chinese and Indian markets — Winkelmann says support for Lamborghini has never been better.He reports a record result for last year, with more than 2400 sales, dominated by a 75 per cent share for the Gallardo.But Lamborghini will never fight Ferrari for sales supremacy in the supercar class.“If you do that you destroy the dream; no one wants to buy your cars,” he says.“We are a two-model brand. Worldwide the average waiting time for delivery is 12 months, no longer than 18.”That, he says, ensures anticipation without causing frustration.It also guarantees the brand's elite status, which in turn should favour Lamborghini when the European Union's new emission standards come into effect in 2010.Because Lamborghini is a subsidiary of a subsidiary — owned by Audi, which is part of the giant Volkswagen Group — the parent companies will absorb the emission targets with their more mundane and fuel-efficient models.This will leave Lamborghini free to produce its immensely powerful V10 Gallardos and V12 Murcielagos.Winkelmann says Lamborghini has no interest in copying Audi's decision to fit a V12 diesel engine into its R8 supercar in addition to the existing V8 petrol powerplant, or to move into petrol-electric hybrids, despite Porsche's commitment to a hybrid in its forthcoming Panamera flagship.Indeed, Lamborghini's current elderly V12 — which is several decades old — may be produced beyond the current model cycle after some refinements in efficiency.Winkelmann says Lamborghini is a motoring icon, which ensures public goodwill and should help in the negotiations over emissions.“My own car is a Gallardo Superleggera and as I drive this much more often than a typical owner, I have a feeling of how people think of it,” he says.When driving around, he gets a lot of feedback.“With this car it is always this,” he says, giving a thumbs-up sign.“And never this”, giving the thumbs-down. 

Stephan Winkelmann spoke to carsguide during the Sydney stopover of his meet and greet tour of Asia-Pacific, which also takes in the burgeoning Chinese and Indian markets; the region Lamborghini has identified as its biggest potential market.Locally, 2007's 46 Australian Lamborghini sales figure is likely to increase by almost 50 per cent this year. Local dealers would sell more if they could get them, but the worldwide production for 2008 is already spoken for.Despite a record 2007 which saw more than 2400 sales, some 75 per cent of which were Gallardos, Winkelmann is adamant the marque will never pursue Ferrari figures.“If you do that you destroy the dream, no one is wishing to buy your cars,” he says. “We are a two model brand. Worldwide the average waiting time for delivery is 12 months, no longer than 18.”That, Winkelmann says, is about the right amount to guarantee anticipation without frustration. It also guarantees the brand's elite status, which in turn should favour Lamborghini when the European Union's new emission standards come into effect in 2010.“Lamborghini means power and power means emissions,” Winkelmann says. “But our cars are not those that are driven regularly from point A to point B. Realistically our emissions impact is zero.”Because Lamborghini is a subsidiary of a subsidiary (it's owned by the Volkswagen Group-controlled Audi marque) the parent companies would absorb the emission targets leaving Lamborghini free to produce its immensely powerful V10 Gallardos and V12 Murcielagos. There is no interest in emulating the V12 diesel version of Audi's R8, nor it seems, much acknowledgement of the hybrids recently vaunted by Porsche.Indeed, the current V12, a venerable device that traces it origins back several decades, will continue possibly beyond the current model cycle, albeit with some refinements in terms of efficiency. Surety is further provided by Lamborghini's status as a heritage icon, something Winkelmann is satisfied that not only European Union commissioners comprehend, but which translates to public goodwill.“Apart from the question of what is environmentally acceptable now and in five years, there is also the question of social acceptability,” he says.“My own car is a Gallardo Superleggera and as I drive this much more often than a typical owner, I have a feeling of how people think of it."“With this car it is always this,” Winkelmann says giving a thumbs up, “and never this,” giving the thumbs down.