This is the all-new 225mph replacement for the Lamborghini Murcielago, which will go on sale early next year with a price tag of over £300k and the clear goal of putting Lamborghini back at the top of the supercar tree.
Beneath the heavily disguised bodywork, the new car features a bespoke carbon composite chassis and a brand new 7.0-litre V12 engine, rumoured to have between 700-720bhp. The car is known inside Lamborghini as the “New V12”.
See the new Lamborghini Murcielago pictures
As ever, the new range-topper will be four-wheel drive, but because the chassis is made from carbonfibre, it will also be unusually light for such a big car.
Sources indicate that Lamborghini has achieved a kerb weight of less than 1500kg, making the car more than 150kg lighter than the current model. That will help give the new range-topper outrageous acceleration, thanks to a power-to-weight ratio of around 470bhp per tonne. If the rumours are true then 3.0sec to 62mph and 6.0sec to 100mph are entirely feasible, with a top speed beyond 220mph.
Unlike some rivals, the new Lamborghini will not feature a DSG dual-clutch transmission because it would be “too complex and too expensive” to engineer, according to an insider.
Instead the car is likely to come with a seven-speed paddle-shift robotised manual as standard, and the option of a sequential seven-speed unit. A traditional open gate manual will almost certainly not be available.
Inside, the driving position will no longer be offset towards the centre of the car because, at long last, Lamborghini has been able to start with a clean sheet design, meaning there will be no architectural compromises to work around. The design of the cabin itself will represent as big a step forwards as the carbon chassis and new V12 engine, and will be “totally cutting edge” in the technology it offers.
But it will still look like a Lamborghini, despite the big changes to the mechanicals and the aerodynamics, which have been described as pushing the boundaries of current technology as far as possible.
"We’re not going to throw away our design DNA just to make a statement that we’re 21st-century," said a source.
Dan Stevens
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Re: New Murcielago hypercar spied
Lesia44, no apologies required.
Maybe I didn't explain myself well enough. I live in Hong Kong and a Lambo is not exactly the kind of car to have as a daily driver. Peak hour traffic is a nightmare to say the least and I only get to stretch its legs a little on a saturday afternoon or sunday morning.
Re: New Murcielago hypercar spied
I drove an Austin Ambassador once. It was crap. What on earth are you lot on about - think yourselves lucky you are able to drive Lamborghinis, Porsches and even Audis. Us mere mortals down here (hello there!) can only drool over the pictures. Get some perspective!
Re: New Murcielago hypercar spied