Currently reading: Spied: Lambo supercar
Likely to be called ‘Jota’, 700bhp, aluminium structure

These are the first spy pictures of Lamborghini’s next-generation supercar, the replacement for the Murcielago, snapped here testing outside Audi’s research centre in Germany.

According to insiders at Lamborghini, it is likely to carry the ‘Jota’ name, and is expected to be lighter, wider and faster than its forebear.

The test mule is based on the current Murcielago, but beneath its skin the next car is thought to have an aluminium chassis rather than a steel tub to reduce weight. The prototype is clearly wider than the Murcielago around the front end.

The engine’s expected to be a 6.0-litre V12 with direct injection, able to deliver around 700bhp to all four wheels.

We know little about what the finished supercar’s will look like but the styling’s expected to be inspired by the €1million Reventon hypercar.

It’s also a fair bet that carbon fibre will be used extensively to help keep weight as low as possible while the rood and doors are likely to be made from aluminium.

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TheOmegaMan 24 October 2008

Re: Spied: Lambo supercar

Where can I get those wheels?

Can't wait to see this new car for real.

Vertigo 24 October 2008

Re: Spied: Lambo supercar

macaroni wrote:
I just think it would de-mysitfy the name if used on a "mainstream" model.

Well, bear in mind that they'll want the new car to beat the benchmark that'll be set by the Murcielago SV. That car is expected to have around 700hp and weigh just north of 1500kg. If they pack that kind of power into an all-new, lightweight platform, we could very well see an absolute monster car - the first Lamborghini to compete at the ultra-high-end since the Countach, and the first F40/F50/Enzo competitor we've seen from the company. That would not be a mainstream car, and would not come at a mainstream price. It would make sense, too, because the Gallardo and Murcielago have always been far too close - the flagship needs to be taken waaaay upmarket.

For those who don't know much about Lamborghini history - the Jota name is pretty much the ultimate designation for a Lamborghini, and goes back nearly 40 years as others have explained. The very most valuable Lambos out there bear it - the Miura SVJ, which are factory replicas of Bob Wallace's original Jota (which was a 440hp, 800kg monster that was used as a testbed for improving the Miura platform, spawning the SV the following year). These cars are worth several million pounds.

luke skywalker 24 October 2008

Re: Spied: Lambo supercar

Jota was also the name given to the highest performance Laverda motorcycles.