Andrei Avarvarii, a student getting his Master's degree at Milan's Scuola Politecnica di Design, designed this tasty electric Lamborghini concept. With assistance from Lamborghini Design head Filippo Perini, he used a "soft design language" in penning the Minotauro.
The concept would use four electric motors and split the power 30%/70% front to rear. A Li-Tec flat-cell battery out back and a KERS system in the front would be providing the power.
The press release goes on to explain the bonus of no big, bad V12 out back: "The absence of a big V12 engine in the rear creates enough room for a third passenger in a central position." That's right, seating for three.
While the driver's door would be normal, the passenger side's would be bigger to provide access to the back seat.
But the coolest design idea of all? Look no further than those triangular intakes/exhausts. "[They] serve for battery cooling and visually replace the traditional exhausts...[and] also act like the tubes of a subwoofer, channeling the sound of the electric motors, placed behind them."
Then there's the fact that owner's would theoretically be able to upload their own track ghosts to an online community.
If a real racetrack has been / is being covered, the GPS would record car placement / track time, allowing people worldwide to challenge an owner's record.
The name Miura conjures up images of Lamborghini's original V12 bad boy, considered one of the most beautiful cars in history. Even Lamborghini couldn't ignore it forever, bringing it back in modernized concept form in 2006. Marco van Overbeeke, a designer from the Holland, is determined to bring it back.
Enter the Lamborghini Miura Nuovo, meant to be a "contemporary interpretation of [a] traditional archetype"; that means a mid-rear V12 with seating for two. Could something like this work as a new Lamborghini halo car?
If consumers had anything to say about it, the answer's probably yes. People DID dish out exorbitant amounts of dough for the Reventon, re-skinned Murcielago.
Only one problem: Lamborghini CEO Stefan Winkelmann says, "Lamborghini is about the future...So we won't do the Miura." Too bad.
Not to go against the head honcho or anything, but what about using heritage-inspired cues on a Ferrari California competitor? That may just be the ticket to a little brand variety. Seems to be working fine for Ferrari.
This beautiful green beast is the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, unveiled tonight at the Volkswagen Group’s big party ahead of tomorrow’s 2010 Geneva motor show.
This LP570-4 Superleggera will hit 62mph in 3.4 seconds (its predecessor took four tenths longer and the LP560-4 needs 3.7 seconds for the benchmark sprint), dash past 124mph after 10.2 seconds, and reach 202mph flat out. It’s not a harder, faster version of the special edition, rear-drive Balboni Gallardo, but a harder, faster version of the regular LP560-4.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera? That means four-wheel drive and close to 570bhp, right? Spot on. LP stands for ‘longitudinale posteriore’ and means the glorious 5.2-litre engine is mounted longitudinally behind the driver, as in all Gallardos. The ‘570’ designates the output in PS, and ‘4’ means the power goes to both axles.
Over and above the regular LP560-4 Gallardo there is only a modest increase in power (9bhp), but there’s still 562bhp delivered at a howling 8000rpm. And that 562bhp means the dry-sumped V10 produces 108bhp/litre, along with a total of 398lb ft at 6500rpm. Incidentally, the Superleggera's power output, top speed and 0-62mph time match those of the new Ferrari 458 Italia exactly...
The fact that an E-gear equipped Superleggera will spit of 319g/km CO2 and consume a gallon of fuel every 20.9 miles – it’s 344g/km and 19.6mpg if you pick the six-speed manual – might not sound that impressive. Yet put the new Superleggera back-to-back with its 5.0-litre predecessor and Lamborghini claims a 20.5% improvement in fuel consumption and emissions. Thank direct injection for that, and for the increases over the old car’s 523bhp and 375lb ft.
Superleggeras aren’t just about power figures though – how light is the new car? Superleggera means ‘superlight’ and 70kg has been cut from the kerbweight, giving the LP570-4 Gallardo a dry weight of 1340kg. Some of you might not be too impressed – the first-gen Superleggera was 100kg lighter than standard and tipped the scales at 1330kg – but you can't call Lamborghini's efforts half hearted.
The rear and side windows are no longer glass but polycarbonate, as is the engine cover. The rear deck is carbonfibre, along with the side sills, rear diffuser, fixed spoiler, door mirror casings and various bits of the underbody panelling. Inside the transmission tunnel, door cards and frames of the Alcantara-trimmed seats are all carbon. In total the black stuff accounts for 40 of the 70kg Lambo’s engineers have saved.
Air-con and electric windows are standard, you still get mats and you can spec sat-nav, a nose-lift system and a rear-view camera. There are a few showy options too, including a carbon package for the engine bay, or for the interior that trims the centre console, instrument panel, handbrake, wheel and door handles. Also on offer is an R8-inspired LED package that illuminates the V10, plus coloured brake callipers, though the steel roll cage, fire extinguisher, four-point harness and ceramic brakes are the options that caught the eyes of the CAR office.
Andrei Avarvarii, a student getting his Master's degree at Milan's Scuola Politecnica di Design, designed this tasty electric Lamborghini concept. With assistance from Lamborghini Design head Filippo Perini, he used a "soft design language" in penning the Minotauro.
