Autocar has got the absolute exclusive on the new Lamborghini Murcielago, and has test driven the company’s new V12 engine unit. A third prototype vehicle was made available to Steve Sutcliffe at Nardo in Italy, 18 months after he test drove the first one, and has been described as the future of Lamborghini - defining the brand for the next ten years.

Some technical characteristics about the Murcielago replacement are already known - its carbonfibre tub and new suspension - but what Lamborghini won’t reveal is how much it weighs. Take a standard 1,700 kg weight and subtract whatever you think the carbonfibre parts have saved and you’ll have your answer, is how Maurizio Reggiani responds. Whatever you come up with, it’s starting to sound exciting as Lamborghini saves on weight, while still producing extreme performance cars in a world where emissions and fuel savings are ever more important.

The new V12 itself has a different sound, but Sutcliffe described the overall feeling of the initial prototype as more like a smooth, standard supercar with the kind of refinement we now expect from these models. The actual driving experience is one completely different from the current Murcielago. It’s sleek, quiet, controlled and balanced where the old model was unpredictable and difficult to handle.

Continue reading: Autocar drives new V12 Lamborghini Murcielago replacement

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