Lamborghini Miura
The Lamborghini Miura is a sports car of Italian car manufacturer Automobili Lamborghini SpA
History
The Lamborghini Miura was - after the 350 GT and the 400 GT - the third car of Lamborghini. It was produced from 1966 to 1973 in Sant'Agata Bolognese. Successor was the Lamborghini Countach.
Equipped with a transversely mounted V12 mid- engine, he was one of the fastest sports car of its time. In contrast to many other Italian car this time, the hand crafted Miura was known for his almost meticulous workmanship. The car is named after the breeders of fighting bulls Eduardo Miura and with it began the tradition of Lamborghini models name in the field of bullfighting give. The Miura was the first passenger car model, could make a profit with the Lamborghini. He thus made it possible to develop other models and the persistence of the sports car production for this manufacturer.
Technology
For the design of the vehicle was the then chief engineer of Lamborghini, Gian Paolo Dallara, responsible. The body of the Miura was designed by the then 27 -year-old Marcello Gandini, a Bertone - employees. It rests on a platform frame. The transversely mounted mid-engine, which is located directly behind the seats, makes for a very favorable weight distribution, but also for a high noise level in the interior. The splinted with the differential, fully synchronized five-speed gearbox mounted directly on the engine. The power is transmitted to the rear wheels. All wheels are independently suspended from twin A-arms, with stabilizers on both axles. The steering works with rack and pinion. All-round disc brakes are installed, operated hydraulically without power.
With a vehicle height of only 1.05 m of the Miura is one of the slimmest sports car; also the length of 4.37 m and a width of 1.76 m yield the proportions typical of a sports car. The last series of the Miura SV, was built with a slightly widened bodywork. Was presented to the world of Miura in November 1965 in Turin. In his presentation at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966, the Miura experts and visitors to the fair enthusiastic alike. A special feature is the pop-up headlights, which are pivoted back into the body.
In addition to the Miura P400 S Miura and his successors and Miura SV ("S" = pinto driven, "V" eloce = fast) were made four copies of the Miura SVJ. The SVJ looked like the test vehicle Lamborghini Jota. Later, an unknown number of Miura models has been subsequently converted to SVJ; These cars are called Jota Replica.
Special models and prototypes
Iota
The Lamborghini Jota itself was a single piece and was made only for test purposes on the basis of the Miura. It was created under the direction of the race- inspired Lamborghini engineer Bob Wallace and differed only slightly from the Miura visually, but the vehicle structure was different. Many body parts were used in aluminum; the side windows were made of Plexiglas. Through these and other measures, it was possible to reduce the curb weight of the base vehicle Miura of 1350 kg 900 kg. Together with up to 323 kW ( 440 hp ) engine reached the Jota acceleration times of 3.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km / h
A special feature was the vehicle tank. Instead of the usual tanks of the Miura in front of the vehicle to Jota had two tanks, each with sixty liters, which were housed in the vehicle doors. The Jota was later sold, crashed and was scrapped.
Miura Roadster
Another unique piece was the Lamborghini Miura Roadster. He was presented in 1968; However, problems with the stability prevented mass production. The vehicle was for research purposes later sold to a company in the metal industry and is now privately owned.
Miura SVJ
When Miura SVJ is a visually and technically upgraded to Miura Jota Miura SV. Most of SVJ was rebuilt by external body and engine specialists, but some models also left the Lamborghini factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The extra power of the Miura SVJ against the Miura SV was 22 kW (30 hp). At the 3.9 -liter V12 engine, the power 305 kW ( 415 hp ) was.
Miura SVR
The Miura SVR 1974 has a 294 kW ( 400 hp) racing engine trimmed. Particularly striking were the extremely wide fenders and the narrow, black front lip, roof spoiler, clad with Plexiglas, and the open back tail.
P400 Stuardi Sonata
In the second half of the 1960s, the Americans designed the Enzo Stuardi he called P400 Stuardi Sonata. The almost totally composed of spare parts car looked like a usual at this time mid-engined prototype based on the Chevrolet Corvette. It remained in this unique piece. Its 3.9 -liter V12 engine developed 350 hp. This resulted in a top speed of 280 km / h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in about 6.7 seconds.
Engine and performance
The Miura decreed in his presentation under the name Miura P400 has an output of 257 kW (350 hp) from a nearly four -liter displacement, reaching a top speed of 274 km / h The car accelerated from 0 to 100 km / h in 6.7 seconds. First copies are said to have had only a power of 235 kW (320 hp ), but no official sources exist for them. In 1968, with the Miura S presented an uprated version with 272 kW ( 370 hp), which also brought numerous technical improvements. These included, among others, internally ventilated brake discs, and a revised rear axle. Externally, the Miura S was seen on the now chrome windscreen frame.
In 1971 was presented the Miura SV. Now with 283 kW ( 385 hp ) and a top speed - depending on the source - of up to 295 km / h, he just missed the 300-km/h-Marke. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, it took 5.5 seconds. Since the Miura SV, the information on the speed limit are not officially, there is little reliable values . The details range 280-296 km / h and due to the low additional performance ( 10% ) for the Miura 280 km / h appear more realistic.
About any modification of the engine of the Miura SVJ produced only four times officially nothing is known. In professional circles, but is often talk of a power increase of about 22 kW (30 hp).
Production time and numbers
The Lamborghini Miura was produced from 1966 to 1970 474mal whole; expects to add the Roadster, there are 475 copies. The production time of Miura S ranged from 1968 to 1971, where 140 units were built. The Miura SV was finally built 1971-1973 in a quantity of 150. If the customer so the Miura was further built even after the official end of production in 1973 in very small quantities. Precise information about unfinished Miura does not exist. The last vehicle left the production facility in April of 1975.
Miura Concept 2006
At the Motor Show in Detroit in 2006 the Miura, this time under the direction of Audi, a prototype named Lamborghini Miura Concept was on the 40th " birthday " was presented, the optically very strong based on the Miura. He has as the original V12 mid-engine; However, this is not transverse but longitudinally mounted. In addition, the engine has more than 6.2 liters and makes - as well as in the Murciélago - 426 kW ( 580 hp). The design of the 4.59 meter long, 1.99 meters wide and 1.2 meters high concept cars comes from Walter Maria de Silva.