Future Additions to the Gallardo Line

Sant Agata, Italy. 8^th October 2004

The Lamborghini factory reveled that they are actively working on a Spyder/Roadster version of the Gallardo. Unlike its Murciélago Spyder cousin (which has  only a simple canvas sheet with manual attachment clips), the Gallardo roof will be fully automatic and will fold in under the engine cover. Also an SV version of the Gallardo is being worked on. Target date is set for 2006.  It will be at least 550 to 600HP depending on the competition at the time.

Future Lamborghini SV Style Murciélago GT Racer for Le Mans

Sant Agata, Italy. 6^th October 2004

The information coming out of the factory at Lamborghini currently speaks of an internal effort to build about 25 specialized SV style Murciélago GT road-going cars. They're expected to be launched at the end of 2005 and a few may be entered in the 2005 Le Mans series.  The R-GT will use a modified V12 that's (6.5 liters), up from the 6.2-litre unit in the current car. Power is hoped to get to 700+ HP. Like the Ferrari Enzo, it will also have ceramic brake discs (hopefully better priced!), along with an improved E-Gear paddle shift transmission. To save weight they will be SV style rear wheel only driven cars.  A 0-60mph time of less than 3.5 sec is set as a target. 

By the way, the 2005 (regular) Murciélago is expected to have upgraded brakes, suspension and larger wheels front and back going from the current 18 inch to 19 inch wheels like those of the Gallardo.
 

Krohn-Barbour Racing Discontinues Lamborghini Program

Houston TX. 28^th September 2004

In a surprising announcement, Krohn-Barbour Racing has announced it will not enter its two Lamborghini Murciélago R-GTs in the season finale of the American Le Mans Series at Laguna Seca, Oct. 14-16, and has discontinued its program with the Italian cars. Krohn-Barbour Racing was established this year by Tracy Krohn and sports car legend Dick Barbour, and has contested most rounds of the ALMS driving two Lamborghinis. The team’s two cars were driven by David Brabham/Peter Kox and Tracy Krohn/Scott Maxwell.  Krohn said that the program had been promised factory support. This was never delivered. Scott Atherton (president of ALMS), expressed the organization’s disappointment at the news.  He said  “The Lamborghinis have been some of the most popular cars that have ever competed in the American Le Mans Series and were very well-received by fans" , he went on to say  “We are very sad to see the Lamborghini program discontinued".

 

Achievement and Disappointment for Lamborghini at Le Mans Atlanta

Atlanta GA. 26^th September 2004

One of the Krohn-Barbour Racing Lamborghinis lasted the full nine hours and 35 minutes required to reach the chequered flag in the 1000-mile Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, but the team's other car skated off the track on someone else's oil after five hours while running strongly in third place in the GTS class.

The #6 Murcielago R-GT of Scott Maxwell, Tracy Krohn and Joe Fox came home fifth in GTS, completing the greatest race distance yet by the Italian supercar in the its first year of competition. The result was a notable feat for, of the 35 starters in the gruelling event, eleven failed to last the distance.

Progress of the #6 car was interrupted when Maxwell, struggling with a soft brake pedal and difficult gearshift, spun off the track into the gravel trap on the outside of turn ten shortly after the three-hour mark. The crew lost around ten laps before rejoining but ran solidly until, with seven-and-a-half hours gone, Krohn had to pit to rectify an oil leak by having an oil cooler replaced, when another 20 laps were conceded.

The #5 sister car of David Brabham, Peter Kox and Nic Jonsson was the faster of the two Krohn-Barbour Racing cars, moving up from fifth to third in class - and into the top ten overall - in the opening three hours of the race, pulling out 17 laps on the fourth-placed car.

Then the team's bad luck returned. Kox had the misfortune to arrive at turn ten a couple of seconds after an LMP2 Lola had its engine erupt, spilling oil on the track. With no way of avoiding the slippery surface, the Lamborghini spun lazily into a gravel trap at the circuit's edge, its wheels sinking in to the soft surface and its engine stalling. Corner workers towed the Murcielago out of the gravel, but the engine wouldn't restart. Kox got out of the car and poured the water from his cool-suit over the starter motor, thinking perhaps it had overheated, but still the car wouldn't start. Battery drained, the car was out. "I had no chance!" Kox lamented, "There were no warning flags out because the oil had only just dropped. It's so frustrating, because it was going really well. The car was running perfectly and third place was realistically ours. We were taking it easy, a walk in the park."

The GTS class was won for the eighth successive race this season by one of the two 'works' Corvettes, with Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta and Jan Magnussen completing 376 laps to place fourth overall. Behind the second Corvette, the Dodge Viper of Tom Weickardt, Jean-Philippe Belloc and Fabio Babini took third on 339 laps. The #6 Krohn-Barbour Racing car completed 313 laps.
 

Lamborghini Gallardo Wins British Design and Art Direction  Award

London, UK. 28^th September 2004

The Lamborghini Gallardo has won a prestigious award for product design, following its nomination for a British Design and Art Direction (D&AD) award.  The Gallardo rose above competition from BMW’s Z4 and DaimlerChrysler’s smart roadster to receive one of only 53 awards made out of 23,000 nominations from 55 countries. The only automotive product to receive an esteemed silver pencil in the transport and product design category, the Lamborghini Gallardo joins Virgin’s Upper Class suite redesign and Apple’s Power Book range on the winners’ roster.

The famous D&AD awards, widely recognized as the ‘Oscars’ of the creative industry and judged by approximately 250 eminent creative practitioners, are not automatically awarded each year. Known as the ‘Yellow Pencils’, the silver awards are reserved for the most innovative and creative work in advertising and design.

Manfred Fitzgerald, marketing manager for Automobili Lamborghini, accepted the award on behalf of Lamborghini designer Luc Donkerwolke at a London ceremony attended by 1400 design and advertising industry professionals and hosted by Matt Lucas ‘Marjorie Dawes’ from the series Little Britain.

 

Team JLOC Prepares Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT for Racing
Tokyo Japan, 31 August 2004

The Japanese Lamborghini Owners Club (JLOC) is preparing to return to the JGTC series with its Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT. Following delivery of the original pre-production car earlier this year, JLOC took the decision to test the R-GT in a JGTC race. The team now intends to compete in JGTC rounds and has decided to prepare its pre-production car to its full race potential.

JLOC's Murcielago R-GT is back with development house Reiter Engineering in Germany, in order that the chassis and engine may be prepared to the R-GT's current race specification. The car will return to the track for the fifth round of the JGTC at Twin Ring Motegi, September 3 - 5th, and the team will be joined by a number of mechanics from Reiter Engineering to support JLOC for this race weekend.

The privateer team is headed by one of the team's founders, Masahiko Mearashi, and Japanese Lamborghini Owners' Club president Isao Noritake.

"It is very exciting to see two Japanese teams contesting the JGTC with the new Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT," commented Manfred Fitzgerald of Automobili Lamborghini. "The spirit and enthusiasm of the JLOC team reflects the enthusiasm for the Lamborghini marque in Japan, and there will no doubt be a substantial following for the car in the JGTC."

 

 

2004 Annual Concorso Italino Event in Monterey California

Monterey, California.  August 13^th - 15^th  2004

The Annual Concorso  Italiano Car Show was held again in Monterey California.  This show is still one of the largest displays of Italian cars in the world.  As always the show was dominated by Ferrari. This year they pulled off a neat stunt by having their red, yellow and other cars arranged so that they created a Farrari pattern when seen from the air.

Lamborghini had the second largest consignment with all car types represented. There were numerous Diablo's, Murciélago and Gallardo's. I thought there were fewer Countach's this year. The highlight of the event was the two Murciélago roadsters that were on show. Unlike the case for other car shows, people could sit in one of the roadsters and generally paw the interior!  You could see this was a real experience for young and old alike! More on this machine in the Murciélago section. Suffice to say here, that the car looks far better in real life than it does in pictures I have seen.

The event itself: As visitors to this annual event know, getting in and out by car to this event is a nightmare. This year was no better than last. There was poor sign display, unused road surfaces and poor organization of the event. There was a higher than normal  number of older cars braking down getting there due to overheating in the stop and go traffic.  The good news was the food available was better this year and dare I mention it, the bathroom facilities (toilets to our European friends), were very much improved.

Lamborghini Second Place in ALMS Race

Sonoma California, July 19th July 2004. 

In an incident-packed fourth round of the American Le Mans Series at Infineon Raceway, Tracy Krohn and David McEntee took the Krohn-Barbour Racing Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT to second place in the hotly-contested GTS class.
The result, although in part aided by the rate of attrition of other cars, was the best yet for the new Murciélago, which only made its ALMS race debut just three weeks ago.

Before the weekend started it looked like the strong three car lineup from Corvette we might see an all GM win. However two accidents took out two of these cars and the lone unscathed #3 Corvette took the win for Corvette.

The troubles started in warm-up when Dale Earnhardt's, Jr. corvette had a car wreck. The fuel neck broke loose and the car was engulfed in flames.  Earnhardt suffered second degree burns on 69% of his body. He was held at the hospital overnight for observations. Burns were focused on his chin and inner thighs. The race started and for much of the time the #3 and #4 Corvettes were dominating the race. However later in the race another GTS car hit one of the two remaining corvettes leaving a single corvette to win the race.

There were a few tense minutes in the closing stages of the race as the remaining Corvette of Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta pushed hard to catch the Lamborghini for second place. The yellow corvette was recovering from time lost in the pits while repairing accident damage incurred when it skated off-track on the same piece of asphalt as the Lamborghini.

With half-an-hour of the race remaining, the Lamborghini appeared to be well ahead, although the Corvette was slowly closing in. Then McEntee was called into the pits for a penalty, imposed because the pit-crew had started working on the Lamborghini before Krohn had cut the engine for its final scheduled stop. With the silver machine having held a few laps' advantage over the Corvette, the Lamborghini penalty stop was too much for an outright win. McEntee emerged still holding a decisive second place.

Lamborghini Shows Murciélago  Roadster

Geneva, March 4th, 2004. 

Presented as a concept car in 2003 in Detroit (see below), the production version of the Murciélago Roadster was made official at the Geneva Show 2004. Manufacture and sales are planned for the second half of this year for the Roadster.  The roadster will be almost as powerful as the  Murciélago.  A canvas cover can be quickly attached as a roof in case of rain.

Lamborghini May Add  A Third Car To Its Lineup

Sant Agata, Italy.  May 28th, 2003.

 

Lamborghini chairman Werner Mischke, announced today that the company is seriously considering adding a third car to its lineup. The decision should be reached by year end.  The car will be more expensive than the Gallardo -- probably falling somewhere between the Gallardo and Murciélago in terms of performance.

Since the company was purchased by Audi in 1998 it has returned to profitability. The company wants to keep the Murciélago production stable at 400 units a year and progressively grow the Gallardo from 600 units planned this year to 1,600 by 2005. In mid-2004 we will add the Murciélago roadster and by late 2005 or early 2006, the Gallardo ragtop he said.

In other news the company is also about to open a vintage car restoration center at or near the factory.  This is great news for those of us wishing to maintain our cars for future years enjoyment.

First Photographs of Gallardo Lamborghini

Geneva. March 4th, 2003.

Lamborghini released today the first Pictures of its new "mini" car. It will be called a Gallardo. All in all it looks nice. The doors do not swing upwards as in other recent Lamborghini cars. The engine is a 10 cylinder DOHC four valve V10 (90 degree), 5 liter, 500 Hp, 510 Nm engine. The car is capable of reaching a top speed of about 185 MPH.  List price in the US will be about $170,000

Lamborghini Diablo GTS to Enter Sebering Raceway in March

Florida. March 2003.

 

Vici Racing announced that it will enter a Lamborghini Diablo GTS in the 51^st Mobile1 12 Hours Sebring Race in Florida March 12-15.  The drivers will be Ronald Meixner, Miami, FL, Joseph Safina, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and Cristiano Piquet, Miami, FL. All three of these drivers have good experience. Ron won the GT class 24hrs Daytona race in 1993.

Other cars in the race are Porsche 911's, Ferrari 360 Modenas,  a BMW M3, a British TVR, a C5 Corvette, and a Panoz Esperante GTLM.

Early Pictures Of Lamborghini Baby Lambo

Germany. Feb 2003.

This photograph of the soon to be announced "Baby Lamborghini" was shown in several magazines this month. Within Lamborghini is known as the L140 project. It will be called the "Gallarado". It is hoped that the car will compete with the Ferrari 360.

 

It is a mid-engine all-wheel-drive car powered by a 5.0L 500-hp V10 engine.  It will have a six speed manual transmission with either steering wheel shift paddles of the normal traditional floor shifter. It will not have the upward swing doors of its larger brother the Murciélago.

Lamborghini Shows Murciélago Roadster Prototype

Detroit. Jan 2003.

Lamborghini  presented at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show a "concept car" for the roadster equivalent of the Murciélago. It is more than just a Murciélago with the top chopped off. Because the roof frame is absent extra structural considerations had to be addressed to stop the car from flexing on uneven surfaces. A special frame structure was installed above the engine to strengthen the chassis. The engine cover is now hinged at the rear of the car.

No word yet on the final engine for such a roadster. The concept car here had the "standard" 6.2L V12 of the Murciélago.

 

Lamborghini Shows Photograph of Baby Lambo Engine

Sant Agata, Italy. Dec 2002.

Lamborghini  presented on its web site www.lamborghini.com the first photograph of the 10 cylinder engine it will use for its Baby Lambo. Looks like the car will be called the Gallardo. As with other cars it cakes its name from an 18th century fighting bull. Gallarado bulls were known for their spirit, power and courage.

The Gallardo will be a mid-engine four-wheel drive car sporting this all new Lamborghini engine. It will have a displacement of 5L and produce up to 500 hp.  It will be powered by a 6-speed gearbox (probably similar to the one in the current Murciélago) or with F1 type paddle shifters.  The latter would be a first for a Lamborghini.

Lamborghini Announces a New Chairman

Germany. Jan 1^st 2003.

Dr. Werner Mischke (53), Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Technical Development, was be appointed Chairman of the Board of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. in Sant Agata Bolognese (Italy). In addition, Dr. Mischke will become Chairman of the Supervisory Council of quattro GmbH, a subsidiary of AUDI AG, and will take on responsibility for the motorsport activities of Audi and Lamborghini.
 

Dr. Mischke (left in picture),  has been responsible for Technical Development at AUDI AG since May 1997. Dr. Martin Winterkorn (55),Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, will add the leadership of Technical Development to his responsibilities.

Dr. Mischke succeeds Dott Giuseppe Greco (55), who will, as of 1st January 2003, become Vice Chairman of the Board and Managing Director of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. The company points out that this management change comes “only a few months before the market introduction of a second Lamborghini.  This we know to be the "Baby Lambo" or as it is known internally at the factory as the L140 project.  It is expected to be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March 2003 and will hit the market worldwide in May.  There are by new numerous photographs of the car. Unlike the Diablo or Murciélago, it will have an all aluminum skin, a V10 engine and "regular doors".  It is expected to compete with the Ferrari 360 Modena.

Lamborghini 40th Anniversary Celebration at Factory

Sant Agata, Italy.  May 9^th 2003.

Lamborghini will have a celebration of its 40th year of making cars. It will be a three day event and will be held at the factory itself in Sant'Agata.  It is expected that at this event that  Lamborghini will show off its new "baby Lambo" or the L140 as it is currently called.  Attendance will be limited to press and people associated with Lamborghinis. For those that have never been to the factory it is essentially out in the middle of nowhere in farmland countryside in northern Italy. The best way to get there is to fly into Milan and take a car or taxi drive to Sant' Agata. Its about one and a half hours from Milan on a good highway most of the way.  Please book in advance. The factory has a car museum with a growing collection of Lamborghini cars and parts.   At this event they will show people around the factory. This is not normally done these days.

Murciélago Sets Three New Speed Records

Sant Agata, Italy. February 16^th 2002.

Lamborghini announced that a Murciélago set 3 new world speed records, at the Nardo race track in Italy. The 3 records were for a series production cars: 1-hour, 100 km., and 100 miles all from standing start. According to the regulations the car used 100% original equipment. It was not a special supped up race car version of the car.

The 1-hour drive included 1 pit-stop (for refueling). The car covered a distance of 305,041 km in that time according to Lamborghini. The 100 km test was covered in 18 min. 44.9 sec. with an average speed of 320.023 km/h. The 100 miles distance was covered in 30 min. 9 sec. with an average speed of 320.254 km/h.

It should be noted that these three records were set with quite poor weather conditions. There was a very strong wind blowing. Yet even under these conditions the Murciélago proven to be very stable at high speed.

2002 Annual Concorso Italino Event in Monterey California

Monterey, California.  August 15^th - 17^th  2002

The Annual Concorso Italiano Car Show was held in Monterey California.  This show has grown to be one of the largest display of Italian cars in the world.  Lately it consists of other cars as well. French, British, German groups were represented, even a US (big Corvette display) group was present.  It has now become essentially the premier sports car display event in the US each year.  Many of the Lamborghini pictures in this web site are from this event.  The Lamborghini Club of America (www.lamborghiniclub.com) has its own sub-section of displayed cars and judging at this event.  Spectator tickets are not cheap (($60 per person), but if you really want to see cars up close and personal this is the event to go to. The event also has historic car races, and historic car judging. Also present are many sport car venders these alone can make a trip to the show worthwhile.

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