Italian car fans had their ears pricked up when voices started circling about Audi’s supposed intentions to sell the Sant’Agata Bolognese, since many suspect that Lambo is not being allowed to fulfill its potential by teaming it up too closely with Audi.

After Auto Motor und Sports published an article about this possibility, Audi categorically denied all rumours: Lamborghini is not for sale, and the rumous have been defined as the equivalent of an April fool’s day joke.

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The Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 was probably the most impressive car in Geneva. As bad a super-car as anyone can want. Seen live, the “navy gray” finish, with shiny black details and yellow brake calipers is even more striking than in photos.

Continue reading: Geneva: Lamborghini Murcielago LP640

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New photos of the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640. Even more menacing, when seen up close. You can find previous photos and technical data here [Via Fourtitude].

Continue reading: Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 - new photos

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Here it is, the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640. It’s not just a restyling. The Murcielago is more square and aggressive than ever, it’s more powerful than ever and it’s faster than ever.

LP640 means Longitudinale Posteriore 640 hp, and it refers to the position and power of the V12 engine, that gains 60 hp on the previous Murcielago (from 580 to 640 hp at 8,000 rpm, while the torque grows from 650 to 660 Nm at 6,000 rpm).

The technician in Sant’Agata Bolognese made new cylinder heads, a new crankshaft, new camshafts, a new exhaust sytem, with a single, gigantic and menacing central exhaust tube.

Top speed is now even higher than the 330 km/h of the old Murcielago, while it accerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.4 second (down from 3.8 seconds).

Continue reading: Lamborghini Murcielago LP640

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Our french friends at Le Blog Auto let us know that Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini CEO, said that “there will be a nice surprise for visitors to the Geneva Auto Show”.

If the nice surprise is just the European premiere for the Miura Concept, we’ll be a bit disappointed. We hope it’s something a bit more substantial, but declarations like “we’re a small business and we can’t immediately build all models that we’d like to” and “we don’t intend selling too many Lambos”” non lasciano molto posto per voli di fantasia.

The most down-to-earht hypothesis is the rear-wheel drive Gallardo, to differentiate it from the Audi R8, but it might be a Q7-based LM 00x SUV or an Espada 2+2 coupè (in the sketches), which is less likely because of the high development costs associated with a front-engined Lamborghini.

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Edmunds’ Inside Line has some news on the Lamborghini Miura Concept.

First: there are no certainties about a production launch, but Lambo CEO Winkelmann declared: “We are not yet talking about production. But every project has its meaning.”

Second: in the official announcement there’s no talk of engines, power, etc, but Inside Line writes different things from what was reported previously: there’s talk of a Gallardo-derived chassis, and that a production Miura could share the underpinnings with the Audi R8. So, a low-range Lambo, which would make the usual doubts about product segmentation at V-A-G resurface.

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The official announcement of the Lamborghini Miura Concept has come out (other photos in the previous post). At the moment, it’s not expected that it will go into production, but I think that a groundswell of public appreciation might convince Lambo otherwise.
Purists will be horrified to discover that the engine is in a lengthwise position (in the original it was in a crosswise position!) and that it has a 4 wheel drive.

The new Miura has grown quite a bit with respect to the original: it’s 4,59 meters long, 1,99 meters wide and 1,20 meters high (against 4,35 m / 1,80 m / 1,07 m). The engine is the Murcielago’s V12 (6.2 liters capacity, 580 hp).

Seems to me that they could have been a bit more courageous than taking the Miura’s body, blowing it up and cleaning it up a bit and then putting it on the Murcielago’s platform … Oops, I was forgetting the carbon fiber front spoiler and the in-mirror led direction indicators … [From Auto Motor und Sport].

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Talk of a new Lamborghini Miura has been cirgling for some time, and here it is: the Lamborghini Miura Concept! De Silva has penned a very nice tribute to Marcello Gandini, who designed the original, almost mythical, Miura, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the “most Lamborghini” of all.

We are wating for more detail, to see whether it’s the umpteenth “operation retrò” concept, or if there’s some substance to it. Da Silva has concentrated on a maniacal clean-up operation to get good aerodynamics and deportance from the Miura form factor. More details are expected after the official debut at the Detroit auto show. If produced, the Miura might be the low-end model, in which case, Lamborghini would have to build a new factory, and ditch that crazy talk about “1.900 Lambos a year are plenty enough” … [Via Racewaynews].

Continue reading: Lamborghini Miura Concept

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The dutch newspaper Telegraaf interviews Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini’s CEO. The interview is in Dutch, so between Babelfish and me, some errors might creep in …

Anyway, as for future Lamborghini projects, Winkelmann says that there are no definite plans about a Lamborghini SUV and a GT 2+2, heirs respectively of the LM 002 and the Espada, while a couple of new versions of the Gallardo are certainly in the works: one with rear-wheel-drive only, and one a spartan version, lightened (à-la Carrera GT3/M3 CSL ?).

2006 production is all booked up: 800 Gallardo Spyders, 600 Gallardo coupès and 500 Murcielagos, between coupè and roadster. It’s strange to see production mix so unbalanced in favor of the Gallardo Spyder. And Lamborghini “doesn’t want” to go over 2005’s production levels.

Continue reading: Lamborghini and Audi - no overlapping ?

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Oh-hum. Walter Da Silva officially takes over as Lamborghini’s chief designer, a post he took over provisionally when Luc Donckerwolke went to Seat …

Humble suggestion for V-A-G: Lamborghinis have no need for a “family-feeling”, a single frame grill, or models that seem designed with a pantograph (e.g. Seat). Lamborghinis need stylistic excess, must be awe inspiring when seen in a rearview mirror, must turn people’s heads.

Please, please, don’t go making the bottom right quarter of the image on top just like the other three ….

[From Auto Motor und Sport]

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