Alberto reports that the Lamborghini stand has been absolutely mobbed for two days. But
perseverance paid off, and he managed to grab these shots of Lamborghini’s latest – the Murcielago LP640.
The resurgent Italian supercar builder seems to be thriving under the Audi umbrella, and this new model certainly
won’t hurt. Full press release (and more pictures, of course) after the jump, but a few teasers for the impatient:
- 0-62 mph 3.4 seconds
- top speed 211 mph
- 6.5-liter aluminum V12 with drive-by-wire multipoint fuel injection (640 hp at 8,000 rpm, 488 lb-ft at 6,000
rpm) - 6-speed gearbox
- full-time AWD
- brakes – 8-piston front/4-piston rear, optional front/rear 6-piston ceramics
- steel tube frame/carbon-fiber chassis
(Lots more, including more than ten photos after the jump!)
Lamborghini Press Release:
GENEVA
2006
Automobili Lamborghini at the Geneva Motor Show
Automobili Lamborghini appears at the Geneva Motor Show following a highly successful 2005.
Last year the
“Casa del Toro” sold 1,600 automobiles worldwide: 1,071 Gallardo and 529
Murciélago cars
(including 250 Roadsters), with a turnover of 243 million euros and realising a
profit for the second consecutive
year.
2006 will also be an important year for the Sant’ Agata Bolognese company.
The Geneva Motor
Show has been selected by Automobili Lamborghini for the debut of another
important product development: the new,
more powerful Murciélago LP640 that will go on sale
this spring.
The new Murciélago is
being presented just a few months after the launch of the Gallardo Spyder,
which accompanies the other open-top
model in the Lamborghini range, the Murciélago Roadster.
First deliveries of the Gallardo Spyder are
imminent, with the response to this sports car so
immediate that all 800 units to be produced have already been
ordered by the 86 Lamborghini
dealerships worldwide.
In Lamborghini tradition, the Gallardo Spyder is
equipped with permanent four-wheel drive and has
a powerful 5.0-litre V10 engine (EURO 4) with 520 horsepower at
8,000 rpm (the same as the
Gallardo Coupé MY 06). The Gallardo Spyder reaches a maximum speed of 314 km/h
and goes
from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds.
The Gallardo Spyder is not just a topless version of the
Coupé, but an entirely new model. Its
design is clean and sharp, the result of perfect integration between
stylistic and functional
requirements. The Spyder’s truly innovative soft-top opening/closing system is
effected totally
automatically in only a few seconds, stowing the roof invisibly under the car’s engine
cover.
Like all Lamborghini models the Spyder is offered with a comprehensive range of standard and
optional
features, from the automatic e-gear to the rear video camera for facilitating parking. In
addition, customers
enjoy an opportunity to further customise their cars under Lamborghini’s
“Privilegio” programme,
which is also available on the Gallardo Coupé.
Today the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder is considered one
of the most captivating open-top
automobiles in the world, with no accident that a prestigious international jury
voted it ‘The
World’s Most Beautiful Car’ in the sports car category. This honour will be
officially awarded at the Triennale di Milano on 3 March 2006, at the start of the Geneva Motor Show.
As
such, Automobili Lamborghini is a state-of-the-art company with a focus always maintained on
the future, but
without forgetting its heritage; so much so that it is reintroducing the “Miura
Concept” at the Geneva
show, a modern version of the legendary Lamborghini Miura. The original
car was designed by Marcello Gandini and
presented at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show (exactly 40
years ago) by Ferruccio Lamborghini and Nuccio Bertone.
Designed by Walter de’ Silva, Director of Design of the Audi Brand Group and the manager of
Design
Lamborghini, the Miura Concept is a prototype. The Italian designer wanted to redesign each architectural and stylistic
element without misrepresenting the car’s original form. The concept car’s line, like the original model,
remains extraordinarily pure. The designer has focused on improving the surfaces and eliminating superfluous details,
in order to emphasise the clean shapes and proportions of the Miura.
The new Lamborghini Murciélago
LP640
Automobili Lamborghini will present the passionately developed evolution of the Lamborghini
Murciélago Coupé at the 76th International Car Show in Geneva.
The new version of this
highly successful super-sports car features considerable innovations in
terms of body design and mechanics. And
also with a new name: Murciélago LP640, which refers
to its engine position – longitudinale posteriore –
and to its power 640 hp. Designers and engineers
have not only focused on reworking the engine, suspensions,
gearbox, exhaust system, brakes and
electronics, but also the interior and exterior design; improvements that make
the Murciélago LP
640 the most extreme and fastest sports car in its class, placing it at the very top.
The first vehicles will be available in spring 2006. Since the original Murciélago’s debut at the
2001
International Car Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, around 2,000 vehicles have left the car plant in Sant’
Agata Bolognese.
Unmistakable Design
In their reinterpretation of the Murciélago LP640,
the designers at the Lamborghini Style Centre
have remained true to the traditional Lamborghini principles of
purism, sport and function. The
Murciélago LP640 now appears even more aggressive, with the new front and
rear bumpers
contributing significantly to its appearance. The exhaust system terminal has been incorporated in
the diffuser on the rear bumper. Other innovations include the rear lights, which enhance the
distinguishing
features of the Murciélago LP640, making it unmistakable even at night. The design
of the sides is also
worth mentioning: while the area behind the air intake on the right side is
practically closed, the left side
features a vast aperture for cooling the oil radiator. Together with the
aerodynamically defined front and rear,
this proves yet again that the shape of a Lamborghini is
dictated by function.
For those wishing to
flaunt the heart of their Murciélago LP640, on request an engine hood made of
transparent glass can be
supplied. The rear view mirrors and the windscreen wipers have been
modified to improve aerodynamics and
“Hermera” light metal wheel rims have been added. The
graphics of the instrument panel lights in the
cockpit have been revamped. The interior upholstery
also has a new look thanks to the lozenge-shaped stitching.
More powerful engine
The engine of the new Murciélago LP640 has undergone outstanding and
radical modification. The
increased bore and longer stroke have boosted the displacement of the classic 60°
V-engine from
6.2 litres to 6.5 litres (6,496 cm3). Thus the already extraordinary 580 hp engine power has now
been elevated to an impressive peak of 640 hp (471 kW) at 8,000 min-1. The 12-cylinder engine
reaches a maximum
torque of 660 Nm at 6,000 min-1. Naturally, the Lamborghini Murciélago
LP640 complies with every European
and North American law governing exhaust fumes.
This “evolutionary leap forward” has been possible
thanks to a coherent review of every engine
component: the cylinder head and the entire intake system (based on
the tried and tested
Lamborghini variable geometry system), have been completely reworked. The crankshaft,
camshafts and exhaust system have also undergone innovation.
The increase in power naturally determines an
increase in performance. The maximum speed is now
340 km/h (before 330 km/h). The excellent performance of the
Murciélago LP640 means it can now
accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds (0.4 seconds faster than the
previous model).
Lamborghini engineers have also concentrated on improving torque development. The
“drivability”
of the engine is enhanced by a continuous variable timing system (intake and exhaust
side) and a
drive-by-wire engine management system.
To meet the thermal requirements of the engine, the
engineers have foreseen a considerably larger
oil radiator and subsequently, the air intake on the left side of the
vehicle has been enlarged. The
liquid cooling system, characterised by the Lamborghini VACS system (variable
geometry air inlet
system) remains the same. Electronically managed air intakes open depending on the outdoor
temperature and the need for cooling air, ensuring maximum aerodynamic efficiency.
Gearbox and
transmission: improved efficiency and strength
More power and higher torque call for superior gearbox
component performance. To meet these
new demands, the new Murciélago LP640 features a modified six-ratio
gearbox as well as a tougher
rear differential and new axle shafts. On request, the e-gear automatic gearbox is
also available
equipped with the new dedicated “Thrust” (acceleration programme) mode.
Just
like its predecessors, the Murciélago LP640 features permanent four-wheel drive, based on the
reliable
Lamborghini VT (Viscous Traction) system. The system is self-governing and does not
feature any electronic
controls. The drive force is usually divided between the front and rear axles
in the ratio of 30 to 70. An
independent control circuit adjusts the distribution of the drive force
depending on dynamic oscillation, weight
distribution and the relative friction factor in perfect
synchronisation with the Visco clutch. In extreme cases,
up to 100% of the drive force can be
applied to a single axle.
Electronics: a “closed loop”
for total control
The electronics have also been updated. The modified engine control units improve
engine
performance and “driveability” thanks to “closed loop” control.
Every
engine and vehicle parameter is managed and controlled by three “master” control units and a
“satellite” control unit. The master control units consist of two Lamborghini “LIE” engine
control
units, a Lamborghini “GFA” (Auxiliary Function Management) control unit and a Lamborghini
“PMC” (Power Motor Control) satellite control unit. The control units are interconnected by a CAN
Bus line.
Frame and chassis: perfect harmony
The body of the Murciélago LP640 with its
characteristic scissor doors is created from the prized
union of sheet steel and honeycombed carbon fibre, glued
and riveted together.
Driving, handling and stability at high speed are enhanced by new springs and stabilisers,
as well as
by a redesigned electronically controlled damper. The “anti-dive” and “anti-squat”
features on the
axles, which efficiently prevent so-called “brake diving” and “squatting”,
have not been changed.
The two springs on every rear wheel, the single spring on every front wheel and the damper
are
placed coaxially.
The new aluminium “Hermera” rims measure 8 ½” x 18″
(fore carriage) and 13″ x 18″ (rear axle).
The vehicle can be fitted with various sized Pirelli P Zero
“Rosso” tyres. The Murciélago LP640
features 245/35 ZR 18 front tyres and 335/30 ZR 18 rear
tyres. For sports use, especially on
racetracks, Lamborghini provides optional Pirelli P Zero “Corsa”
(Race) tyres. Pirelli P “Sottozero”
(Sub zero) winter tyres are currently being developed.
Brakes and safety: optional ceramic carbon brakes
A super sports car such as the Lamborghini
Murciélago LP640 ensures high safety levels.
The dual hydraulic circuit brake system equipped with a vacuum
brake booster ensures considerable
deceleration values. The self-ventilating front and rear brake disks measure 380
mm x 34 mm and
355 mm x 32 mm respectively. The control circuit of the four-channel anti-blocking system (ABS)
with electronic brake control (DRP) and traction control (TCS) features a new characteristic curve.
The system
consists in an electro-hydraulic control unit and four speed sensors.
When particularly high braking
performance is required, on request it is possible to equip the
vehicle with 380 mm x 36 mm ceramic carbon brakes
featuring six-piston brake callipers. Thus,
less pressure needs to be applied to the brake pedal and the braking
distance is reduced. Even in
extremely demanding conditions there is almost no perceptible fading. Considerably
reduced weight
and superior lifetime represent two further advantages, as well as a captivating graphic design.
The new Murciélago LP640 also meets with even the most rigorous safety requirements. Thanks to
the two
front airbags (a 60-litre single stage air bag on the driver side and a 130-litre two stage
airbag on the
passenger side), the Murciélago LP640 complies with every international law in effect
in terms of head-on
and side crashes, impacts against posts, occupant safety, fuel supply integrity
and flammability of materials. The
luggage compartment also complies with childproof safety
regulations.
Interior: even more exclusive and
customised
The seats in the cockpit have undergone the most radical changes; more spacious and equipped
with
redesigned head restraints, the seats now ensure better comfort. The leather upholstery features
lozenge-shaped stitching called “Q-citura”. The same design is recaptured on the upholstery on the
door panels, the panel between the seats and the engine compartment, and on the roof panel.
A new instrument
panel has been developed with lights featuring a new graphic design, flanked by
a new Kenwood car radio with a
6.5” widescreen monitor and DVD, MP3 and WMA player. An
optional navigation system is also available
(standard in Japan).
Like its predecessors, the new Murciélago LP640 can be customised thanks to the
special fittings
and upholstery packages. For the first time, the renowned characteristic Murciélago
Roadster
asymmetric and driver-oriented fittings and upholstery are available for the Coupé, featuring a
perforated leather driver’s seat and door panel.
Thanks to the “Privilegio” customisation
program, any Murciélago LP640 can be transformed into a
customised sports car. For example, the cockpit can
be enhanced with an extremely refined carbon
finish applied to the air conditioning control panel, the control
lever console and the parking brake.