Each decade Lamborghini presents a completely new supercar that aims at the leadership of its class. At the beginning of 2011, the Italian car will launch a successor for the currently in production Murciélago, that will try to attain the purpose of every Lamborghini ever, that of being better than the competitor from Maranello.

2011 Lamborghini Murcielago

Specifications
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In the 70s it was the Miura to excite the imagination of every teenager in the world, followed in the 80s by the Countach, and in the next decade by the famous Diablo. Nowadays, since Lambo is being owned by Audi, they have presented us the Murciélago,offered with AWD in standard, but as ruthless as all of its ancestors.

For 2011 Lamborghini are preparing a come-back, with a new supercar. The name of the future car is hard to be predicted, as by tradition, each new Lambo gets to be named after a famous fighting bull. Murciélago, as an example comes from a bull that survived 245 sword strokes in an 1879 fight at the arena of Cordoba, and fought with such passion and spirit that the matador chose to spare its life, a rare honor. In another Lamborghini tie-in, the bull was later presented as a gift to Don Antonio Miura, a noted breeder, and went on to sire a line of famous fighting bulls.

We can easily preview in the new car, the Traditional LP (Longitudinale Posteriore, Italian for “rear longitudinally-mounted) V12 engine, with a displacement increased probably to 7.0 liters. Power is expected to increase accordingly, and offer up to 700 bhp, for the “base version”. Transmission is expected to be AWD, as in the recent Audi developed Lamborghinis. 

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History

Lamborghini unveiled the Murcielago in 2002 as a successor for the Diablo. The Roadster version was unveiled in 2004 as a 2005 model year. The coupé's base price is US$ 289,000, which is US$ 90,000 more than its smaller sibling, the Lamborghini Gallardo.

At its launch, the Murcielago was powered by a 6.2 liter V12 engine mated with a six-speed manual transmission. It features a rear spoiler that can be raised to an angle of 70 degrees, side mirrors that fold in to improve aerodynamics, and side scoops that automatically open to the needed size to let in just the right amount of air needed to cool its engine.

In 2006 the 6.2 liter engine was replaced with a 6.5 liters one, and the name was changes in Murcielago LP640.

The Lamborghini Murcielago’s engine - which complies with the strictest emission standards in the world, including those of the United States, Japan and Europe - is a 12-cylinder V12 with a displacement of 6192 cc, made entirely from aluminium alloy and designed for unleaded fuel, producing 580 HP at 7500 rpm and 48- lbs-ft torque at 5400 rpm. Torque delivery is optimised across the entire engine operating band (even at engine speeds relatively low for a sports car) thanks to the adoption of a variable-geometry intake system (VIS), variable valve timing (VVT) on both inlet and exhaust camshafts, and the "drive-by-wire" electronic throttle control, which makes for reduced emissions, improved idle speed control and improved driveability. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that at just 2000 rpm, the Murcielago produces more torque than maximum value attained by the majority of Granturismo cars in today’s market.

For the Murcielago LP640, LP640 means Longitudinale Posteriore 640 hp, and it refers to the position and power of the V12 engine, that gains 60 hp on the previous Murcielago (from 580 to 640 hp at 8,000 rpm, while the torque grows from 479 lbs-ft to 469 lbs-ft at 6,000 rpm).

The engine of the new Murcielago 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 liters to 6.5 liters. Thus the already extraordinary 580 bhp engine power has now been elevated to an impressive peak of 640 bhp at 8,000 rpm. The 12-cylinder engine reaches a maximum torque of 487 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm.

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Competitors

Koenigsegg CCX

The CCX is the latest iteration of the Koenigsegg CC family. The CCX is in many aspects a new car since it has been re-engineered to comply with the US regulation and market demands. Still, it has been a key issue for the Koenigsegg Team to keep the distinctive and record breaking CC shape. We believe it is important to avoid trends and instead hone the aerodynamic shape of the CC range for the future, only enhancing its unique look and appearance with tighter lines and a more aggressive stance. We also believe in continuity. A new Koenigsegg shall show a clear lineage from its predecessor and shall not follow any other design trends - but enhance its already proven concept and shape to perfection.

The Engine in the Koenigsegg CCX retains the incredible performance and power of the CCR engine, while running on US 91 octane fuel and complying with California emission regulations. In order to reach this challenging goal, extensive rework had to be done to emission related items, such as new cylinder heads with larger valve area and more optimally flowing cylinder head ports. Dual smaller injectors per cylinder were integrated, as well as new camshafts, a new carbonfiber individual runner intake plenum, a new engine management system, updated fuel and EVAP system. New exhaust system where the catalytic converters are moved closer to the engine for earlier light-off time. A returnless fuel system has also been implemented with pumps integrated into the new fuel tank. All in all, a heavy rework in order to retain the unique performance of the CCR engine and at the same time comply with the strictest emission regulations in the world.

Ferrari F599 GTB

The 599 GTB Fiorano is the succesor of the Ferrari 575M Maranello launched in 2002 - an updated Ferrari 550 featuring minor styling changes from Pininfarina. Updates from the 550 include a renewed interior, but with substantial improvements inside, including bigger brake discs, a larger and more powerful engine, a different weight distribution, refined aerodynamics and fluid-dynamics and an adaptive suspension set-up (the four independent suspensions are also controlled by the gearbox, to minimize pitch throughout the 200-milliseconds gear shift).

Two six-speed transmissions are available, a conventional manual gearbox and, for the first time on a Ferrari V12, Magneti Marelli’s semi-automatic (sequential) ’F1’ gearbox. The model number refers to the engine’s capacity in litres, whilst the ’M’ is an abbreviation of ’modificato’ or ’modified’.

The Fiorano’s V12 engine delivers a maximum torque of 446 lb-ft at 5,600 rpm and means that the car pulls well at all engine speeds. The new model’s breathtaking sportiness is due in part to record maximum revs for an engine of this displacement (apart from the Enzo).

Its maximum power output is 620 bhp at 7,600 rpm with a maximum engine speed of 8,400 rpm. Particular attention was also paid to fuel consumption which is the same as in the previous model, under similar use, despite a significant leap in performance. Development work for the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano also focused specifically on the distinctive sound the engine makes, reducing mechanical resonance in favor of a pure V12 soundtrack from both the intake manifold and the exhaust system. This not only enhances driving pleasure but makes for a quieter ride inside the cabin itself.

Pagani Zonda F

Unveiled at the 2005 Geneva Auto Show, The Zonda F is one of the fastest supercars ever made. Built using Pagani’s extensive experience in carbon fibre construction, the Zonda is leader with regard to fit and finish. With this car, Pagani Automobili is among a small group of independent supercar manufacturers that challenge more established competition such as Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini.

It features larger intake apertures and, when combined with a larger, hydroformed exhaust, the 7.3 liter Mercedes-Benz engine reaches 620 bhp. This is up from 550 achieved with the standard Mercedes intake. A clubsport model is available as an option which increases power to 650 bhp @ 6200 rpm.The chassis receives several upgrades which lighten both the overall and unspung weight of the Zonda. Newly designed 19 and 20 inch wheels make room for much larger brakes which can now be ordered in a ceramic compound for the first time. Combined with the titanium wheel nuts, and various trimmings of the carbon fiber tub, the Zonda F weighs 1230 kgs without liquids.After all these changes it should come to no surprise that Pagani has made a much superior Zonda.