Lamborghini’s next supercar has been spied undergoing sign-off testing at the Nürburgring, six months ahead of its planned public debut at next year’s Geneva motor show.
The firm’s next-generation flagship - which has yet to be given a name - is likely to retain the same four-wheel drive layout as the current car, and use an all-new V12 engine producing as much as 700bhp. That’s a gain of more than 10 per cent on the outgoing model.
See the latest spy pics of the new Lamborghini hypercar
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.
Less is known about the rest of the car’s running gear. Insiders say that a dual-clutch unit has been ruled out, but hint that the car will offer a different proposition from Lamborghini’s automated manual e-gear system. And Lamborghini is said to have been working on an all-new suspension set-up, possibly a pushrod configuration.
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.
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Re: Next Lambo hypercar - new pics
Well, we're talking about supercars here, so much of what you list could be categorised as 'compromise'. And that's a word we don't have to deal with too often when it comes to the design of suprercars. Boot: Current Murciélago doesn't have much of one. Pedestrian-friendly bonnet: Tricky one admittedly. But if they really wanted to do it I'm sure there is a solution waiting to be found (external airbags, perhaps?). Surviving crashes: Most of that happens in the car's structure not in the absurdly thin skin that gives a car its shape. Engine cooling: Ferrari have done a pretty good job of providing adequate engine cooling on the 458 without any of the usual macho vents (fire cracker glue aside, of course). Body creases: With modern manufacturing techniques they can pretty much make whatever they can imagine. And visibility is nothing that can't be either fettled or sorted with cameras and heads up displays etc. That's the whole point of supercars - you don't have to compromise (though, ironically, that leads to its own set of compromises).
I don't dislike the Murciélago, but I do think it's a little bland for the flagship car from Lamborghini. In fact, to answer my own question, I think the reason that cars end up looking like they do and not as good as the many excellent design exercises you can find wandering the net is that there are too many fingers (fingers that should probably stick to pen pushing) in the pie when it comes to designing real cars, but the artist gets to really fly when he's working on his own time. Ah, I think we're back at compromise...
Re: Next Lambo hypercar - new pics
Most supercar design sketches look rather like that - the Murcielago's wasn't a million miles away from it. But it's a whole different game to design something that actually has to be produced - do you think that car has much of a boot? Or a pedestrian-friendly bonnet (which is the law)? Would the bonnet compromise the car's ability to survive a crash? Is the shape aerodynamic? Does it have enough cooling for the engine? Would it be cost-effective to manufacture a car with so many enormous creases in the bodywork? And while rumours are saying the new Lambo flagship may be more practical than before, that car looks even harder to see out of than a Countach.
Not trying to be condescending, just disagreeing. I think the Murcielago LP640 in pearl white is the prettiest car of the modern era. In my opinion, the best car designers are employed by the manufacturers. Or Lamborghini, at least...
Re: Next Lambo hypercar - new pics