Sunday, February 6, 2011

Meet The Newest V12 Lamborghini

Lamborghini isn’t letting us see their latest V12 supercar up close and personal until next month’s Geneva Motor Show, but that didn’t stop them from leaking the above image of the new car in camo guise. The good news is that this test mule isn’t clad in black vinyl, so we get a decent feel for the lines of the car. If this is the final design, I have to say two thumbs up; Lamborghini had been going down a bizarre styling path lately (case in point: the Reventon), and this car pulls them back to center. You can see the influences from Murcielago, but I’m also seeing heritage here. The muscular front fenders remind me of the iconic Countach, but in a more evolved manner.

Lamborghini’s latest will be built using a carbon fiber monocoque, and will utilize a pushrod suspension similar to F1 cars for more precise control. The car will be powered by a 6.5 liter V12, said to be good for 691 horsepower and 509 ft lb of torque. Like newer Ferraris, buyers won’t get the option of a traditional manual gearbox; instead, the car will come only with a single clutch, automated manual gearbox. Drivers can select between Strada (Street) mode, which will shift like a conventional automatic transmission unless manually shifted; Sport mode, which will hold gears longer and quicken upshifts and Corsa (Track) mode, which includes launch control and provides the most extreme driving experience. To ensuring that the power gets to the ground, the new Lambo is AWD and includes a computer-controlled front differential, a Haldex4 center differential and a rear diff integrated into the engine casting to save weight. We promise more pics and more details after the Geneva Motor Show.

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