Monday 15 November 2010

LAMBORGHINI SHOWS OFF NEW 515KW V12



Lamborghini has released the first and possibly most important details about its upcoming supercar, the car which will be sent to battle against the likes of the upcoming new Ferrari Enzo, Pagani Zonda and the 2013 McLaren supercar (the one above the MP4-12C). Some people are saying it won’t be called the Murcielago like the current one, but the Aventador.


So, here are the details. The block itself is a 6.5-litre at a 60 degree angle for the banks. In total it weighs 234kg. There are 12 cylinders to speak of, making it a V12. Maximum power is 515kW achieved at 8250rpm, while peak torque is 690Nm made at 5500rpm.

Like its fellow Italian rivals, Lambo is staying away from force-induction (although Pagani may go this route with their next car since its engine supplier Mercedes-Benz have dropped the naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 in favour of the 5.5-litre twin turbo V8).

Again, staying sideways, Lambo is opting for a straight automatic 7-speed ISR gearbox, not the newly-favoured double-clutch system. It is said to change gears up to 50% quicker than the double-clutch equivalent. The quickest Murcielago so far is the LP 670-4 Superveloce with a 0 – 100km/h sprint time of 2.9 seconds and top speed of 342km/h. We expect the Aventador, or whatever its name will be (others say Jota), will be quicker, possibly hit the 2.5 second mark. This should make it a genuine Bugatti Veyron rival, despite a 230kW-odd deficit.

Its performance secret lies in weight, or rather, lack thereof. Lamborghini is getting really serious about shedding excess fat off its future cars and will be using light materials as far as possible, including aluminium and carbon fibre to achieve its goals.

The whole car itself begins production in early 2011 and should appear at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.

No comments: