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depth - LamboMAG

Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine
index JAN/FEB 2007
Some information about the Magazine you should know ...
You can’t have a Magazine without an index ...
Editor & publisher
Mark Smeyers
Distribution
Magazine.LamboCars.com
Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine is written by enthusiasts,
their names are listed with the articles, together with the original photographer or source of the images that accompany
the text.
Note that the graphical layout, the articles and all photographs in this publication are protected by Federal US and
International copyright laws and may not be reproduced in
any form without written permission from the author.
If you would like to use one or more of the photographs from
this issue, or any other material found on these pages for
non-commercial reasons, you can request a written permission by contacting Lamborghini Cars at Legal@LamboCars.
com
EDITorial
4
Premium SELECTION
5
A small word from the editor ...
A collection of our best Lamborghini photographs ...
QUICK look
All about Lamborghini you just need to know ...
PHOTO album
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10
Our cover car seen from every angle ...
Sneak PREVIEW
14
ONE OF A KIND
16
EVENT horizon
26
SpotLIGHT
38
In DEPTH
40
Online connection : when you see the web cursor on an
internet address or an add, you’ll be able to visit that site
right from inside the Magazine ... if you have an active connection naturally.
AUTOmobilia
54
Several of the photographs you’ll find in this Magazine will
be ‘hot-linked’ to the Magazine’s site were you can download
this image in the most popular screen resolutions so you can
use it as a background on your computer. Note that some detail shots or special images will not be linked to a wallpaper
version for obvious reasons.
LIFEstyle
56
TUNING corner
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LAMBORGHINI online
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NEXT time
65
It is however NOT allowed to modify or to create a copy of
the magazine on any other server or to publish it in any other
form, written or electronic.
The digital edition of Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine is
available from the Lamborghini Cars Magazine web site as a
free download, please post only the link to this page on your
servers, posting of the original PDF document is not allowed,
nor making any modifications to this electronic version.
The electronic edition of Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine
has a lot of interactive items added to the PDF document,
so you can enjoy your reading experience even more, just a
little word on how to navigate inside Lamborghini Cars, the
Magazine is described below :
In-line links : you can click on any section in our CONTENTS
page and you’ll go directly to that page inside the Magazine.
Also when clicking on the page number or the ‘Lamborghini
Cars, the Magazine’ footer on each page, you’ll come back
to the contents page.
For any further information or other questions you might
have, feel free to contact me at :
[email protected].
ONLINE : Magazine.LamboCars.com
I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I NAVIGATION
A look at what the future could bring ...
A closer look at a very special Diablo ...
Auto Moto Italia
Some very interesting Lamborghini Cars ...
The V8 experience
From scale cars to books ...
Lamborghini style ...
Taking the Bull one step further ...
the Magazine’s links to the internet.
EDITORIAL issue 2
Premium SELECTION
A small word from the author ...
You will immediately notice a
somewhat different layout inside
the Magazine, a slightly modified
format to distinguish Lamborghini
Cars, the Magazine from some of
the other automotive magazines
out there, Lamborghini’s are exotic, so a magazine about these
amazing cars should be exotic too,
perhaps even a little out of the ordinary, but still stylish, not overly
styled.
Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine is
back, with a second issue already,
and this time it’s a bit different,
there are more photographs, other
articles, more items ... in short :
more material you are bound to
like !
I’ve taken a look at all those positive mails and comments you‘ve
mailed me over the previous two
months and put some of these
ideas into my second issue, and
there are still many ideas that
didn’t make it into print yet ...
But let’s take a look at some of the
content in this Jan/Feb issue, the
2006 edition of both the Los Angeles Auto Show and the Bologna
Motor Show treated us to the stunning new Murciélago LP640 Roadster, a truly amazing car that offers
unparalleled ‘open top’ cruising
with that amazing V12 sound just
behind your ears ... naturally I had
to feature it in the Magazine.
We are however eagerly awaiting the 2007 Geneva Auto Show
in March, which will probably be
showing us some great new cars
made in Sant’Agata, a new, lightweight version of either the Murciélago or the Gallardo, something
like a new SV edition would be
nice, however a new 2+2 GT could
also be a real addition to the lineup, much like a
I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I EDITORIAL issue 2
A collection of our best Lamborghini photographs ...
high-power SUV, something to
succeed models like the Espada
or the LM002 would surely be welcomed by the many Lamborghini
enthusiasts out there.
As usual, don’t hesitate to contact
me with your ideas or comments,
both good and bad. If on the other
hand you would like to see your
own Lamborghini in a future issue,
drop me a mail or visit my Lamborghini Cars site to contact me, I’m
more than happy to take a look at
it and see how we can share it with
the rest of the world..
Happy reading
Mark Smeyers
© 2007 Lamborghini Cars
ONLINE : www.LamboCars.com
Neither this magazine nor the website Lamborghini Cars is associated with the Automobili
Lamborghini Holding SpA.
Lamborghini Cars is a non-commercial enthusiast website, we do not sell cars or parts, the
Lamborghini name, all model names and the
Raging Bull logo are registered trademarks of
Automobili Lamborghini SpA
Premium SELECTION I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I Quick LOOK
Quick LOOK
MURCIELAGO LP640 ROADSTER
Text Mark Smeyers - Photo’s : Ivan Barrera
It took Automobili Lamborghini about nine
months to turn the Murciélago LP640 into this
stunning Roadster version.
During the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show the
brand new Murciélago LP640 Roadster was
unveiled to the public, only a week later it also
made it’s debut on European grounds during
the Bologna Motor Show.
You might wonder why it took another nine
months to have the LP640 Roadster ready
for sale, but keep in mind that this new 6.5
Liter V12 flagship also offers 640 Horsepower
and a lot more torque than the earlier 6.2 liter
model, so extra reinforcements were required
to go ‘topless’ in all safety.
The special space frame over the engine
has been modified even further to offer more
strength, and as before it is optionally available in high gloss Carbon Fiber.
The canvas roof remained from the original Murciélago Roadster, so it is still only ‘in
case of emergency’, with a suggested maximum speed of 160 Km/h when fixed in place,
but this new Roadster is meant to be driven
open, that has been the philosophy behind
the Murciélago Roadster right from the start
when Luc Donckerwolcke designed it.
So what’s new on this LP640 version ? The
engine for starters, it was enlarged to 6.5
Liter displacement and power output went
up to 640 Hp, hence the LP640 name for
this modified flagship. The LP designation
returned from the Countach era to describe
probably the fastest streel-legal, factory built
Murciélago.
To distinguish the LP640 Roadster from the
original Murciélago the same aggressive
front spoiler from the Coupé version has
been mounted, coupled with those trademark
side air extractors, different from right to left,
it clearly shows Automobili Lamborghini SpA
has turned a corner and headed into the ‘function over form’ design, the right side needs a
larger air outlet for the cooler, so it’s a big exit,
while on the left there is no additional cooler
mounted, so the outlet can be smaller ...
Going round to the back unveils that impressive central exhaust pipe, only one remained,
but it’s looks are reminiscent of the exhaust of
a jet fighter. Taking a look at those bright tail
lights shows the new design of these units,
which will make the Murciélago LP640 Roadster immediately recognizable, both in the
daylight as during the night.
On the inside the new dashboard graphics
from the LP640 were transferred into the
Roadster version, featuring the new Kenwood HiFi system with DVD and MP3 player,
the navigation system is standard fitment for
the Japanese market, but on other markets it
remains an option.
Difference with the closed version is the use
of perforated leather for the driver’s seat,
but I’m sure any possible buyer will be able
to convince Automobili Lamborghini SpA to
have the seats finished with that amazing QCitura stitching as seen on the LP640 and the
Gallardo Nera, the Ad Personam programme
is available on all models ... at a price naturally.
is not available for the Roadster version, at
least not right now, but that’s won’t prevent
possible buyers from putting in their order for
this new supercar as soon as possible.
Note that delivery delays for the LP640
closed coupé are already reaching the 12
months figure, so we can safely state that the
LP640 Roadster will probably be heading towards this same delay. Perhaps even longer
as many prospective buyers have been waiting for this new Roadster evolution to buy the
open V12 Lamborghini.
Only downside on the LP640 Roadster version would be the engine cover, just as with
the Gallardo Spyder, the glass engine cover
I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I Quick LOOK
Quick LOOK I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I Quick LOOK
Quick LOOK
With the Murciélago LP640 Roadster, Automobili Lamborghini SpA again confirmed itself as a major player on the supercar market,
now offering a rather complete model lineup ranging from the stunning V10 Gallardo,
available both in Coupé and in Spyder version, and the flagship V12 Murciélago LP640
now also available in both closed version and
Roadster version ...
Note that the orange metallic car on these
pages was actually one of only two LP640
Roadsters in the United States in December
2006, a very rare car indeed that remained
the property of Automobili Lamborghini SpA,
it was only to be used for photo shoots in
various car magazines, and thanks to Ivan
Barrera I can show it to you right here inside
Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine.
What could be next ? We’ll have to wait and
see what will be shown during the 2007 Geneva Auto Show, this could be a new SUV
with the Raging Bull logo, or perhaps a new,
front engine GT model ... or the next evolution of the Gallardo model.
A restyled Gallardo along the lines of the
new Murciélago LP640 would be nice, with a
similar aggressive styling to set it even further
apart from the competition.
At this time only a few insiders at Sant’Agata
know what the near future could bring, so
we’ll have to wait a few more months before
we can admire the latest and bravest from
Automobili Lamborghini SpA at Geneva.
ONLINE : www.LamboCars.com
I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I Quick LOOK
Quick LOOK I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I PHOTO album
PHOTO album
CLASSIC BLACK
The Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2
Photo’s Mark Smeyers
10 I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I PHOTO album
PHOTO album I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I 11
PHOTO album
12 I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I PHOTO album
PHOTO album
PHOTO album I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I 13
Sneak PREVIEW
Sneak PREVIEW
Do note that Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of
Automobili Lamborghini SpA recently stated
in an interview he had no intention of expanding the current line up any further, the
factory at Sant’Agata is near it’s limit when
it comes to production numbers, so a totally
new model would mean a serious expansion
... or building it outside Italy, which is totally
out of the question naturally.
Another consideration would be exclusivity,
when production numbers start to rise, the
cars become less exclusive, and this could
create a negative effect on the image of the
marque in the long run.
A NEW LAMBORGHINI GT ?
Text Mark Smeyers - Rendering : Steve Eastwood
There have been rumours about a new Lamborghini GT going round for a while now.
Ever since Audi AG took over the factory at
Sant’Agata in the late Nineties, people started fantasising about new models to enlarge
the line up at Automobil Lamborghini SpA.
Note that Audi AG invested over $400 million
at Sant’Agata after they took over the factory.
With two new models in only a few years, the
Murciélago and the Gallardo, the line up from
Automobili Lamborghini SpA is regarded as
among the best in the industry today. And
sales figures show this, with over 2000 cars
sold in 2005 and 2006 is proving to be even
more successful, Automobili Lamborghini
SpA is in great shape today
However, one could start thinking about expanding this great line up even further, perhaps an SUV to succeed the gargantuan
LM002 or a new front engine Gran Turismo
could be possible, but there is no official
statement about any new models yet.
14 I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I Sneak PREVIEW
We can however be confident that the Design
Studio at Sant’Agata has prototypes ready for
both models, we’ve already seen scale models for a possible LM002 successor, and I’m
sure they’ve hidden some GT models from
view over the last years in the official Lamborghini Design Center at Sant’Agata.
Only a year ago, Automobili Lamborghini SpA
surprised everybody with their stunning Miura
re-creation ... back to basics so to say.
This Miura Concept was another proof that
Lamborghini could create some very impressive cars at Sant’Agata in total secrecy, nobody expected this, and you must admit that
it looked amazing nonetheless. It is unlikely
that the Miura Concept will be put into production, some rumours mentioned that it
would become a new, limited edition model,
that would be positioned above the Murciélago, both in price and in performance, but
Stephan Winkelmann clearly stated that this
new Miura would not be built in the near future, note even on special demand.
There are rumours about updated versions
of both the Murciélago and the Gallardo,
but personally I think the Murciélago LP640,
which by now is available both in Coupé and
in Roadster shape, can remain in production
for several years to come, maybe a special
SV or GT edition of this V12 flagship would
be interesting, something like a street legal
R-GT could boost sales of this V12 model
even further. But the question remains if this
is what they are looking for in Sant’Agata.
Probably the Gallardo could be updated very
shortly, but you might wonder why changing
such a great looking car, and it still sells very
steadily anyway, just like on the Murciélago,
perhaps an SV or a GT street version would
be possible, but again it remains to be seen
if Automobili Lamborghini SpA is really interested in offering more evolutions of existing
models or if they would prefer building a third
model.
So if they were thinking about expanding the
line up in Italy, it would mean building a new
factory hall, expanding the capacity to put a
new model in production, or they could decide to use an existing chassis to build an
new model on. Some started dreaming about
a new V12 SUV model based on the chassis
of the new Audi Q7 but in true Lamborghini
styling, this would mean that the capacity
at Sant’Agata could remain at the current
level, and a new Lamborghini SUV could be
built elsewhere, with only finishing done at
Sant’Agata but I personally would prefer any
Lamborghini to be built completely in Italy,
wouldn’t you agree ?
On the other hand, when you start thinking
about it, why not a new front engine V12 super GT ? I’m sure this would have a massive
impact on the market scene, especially on
some of the competition, imagine a brand
new, innovative front engine V12 supercar in
a 2+2 configuration, more spacious and luxurious than the current Murciélago, but with a
similar performance ...
The rendering on the previous page was created by Steve Eastwood, who has his own
design studio in Los Angeles, and the idea
of a new V12 Lamborghini with 2+2 seating,
or perhaps even a full four seater like the famous Espada, appealed to him. So he created a very impressive looking design, with
strong resemblance to both the Murciélago
and the Gallardo to keep a close relationship
with the rest of the line up, but featuring a
menacing, wide and low look, just like a new
Lamborghini should be.
Since the engine would be mounted at the
front, the rear can hold at least two seats,
and perhaps even some luggage, this design
clearly shows a ‘shooting brake’ style with
enough space to seat four adults ... exclusive, just like a Lamborghini GT would be
when they eventually decide to built such a
new model.
Do note that at this time there is no official
plan to even expand the line up, but it still
is really nice to dream about what the future
could bring, so why not create some designs
that might get the people at Automobili Lamborghini SpA thinking ?
ONLINE : www.s-e-design.com
Sneak PREVIEW I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I 15
One of a KIND
A closer look at a very special, unique Lamborghini
Right from the start the production numbers
were limited to 150 units only, so every Diablo
SE30 is a rather rare car, but the yellow Lamborghini Diablo SE30 on these pages is even
more exclusive.
It bears chassis number #RLA12010 which
makes this specific car number 10 of the 150
built back in 1994, but apart from being one
of the first SE’s in the United States, this car
has a real ‘one of a kind’ feature.
UNIQUE DEVIL
The Diablo SE30 normally had modified side
windows mounted, only a small section on
the lower part of the synthetic glass could
be opened ... by turning a knob on the door,
much like on the early Countach models actually. But this yellow Devil has full size side
windows, just like the regular Diablo, and they
are also powered, which makes number 10
of 150 truly a one of a kind Diablo, no other
Diablo SE30 was built with full side windows
at Sant’Agata.
Let’s just take a closer look into these rare
Diablo SE30 models ... back in 1988, Lamborghini built the Countach Anniversario, to
celebrate the 25 years of the founding of Automobili Lamborghini SpA.
The Diablo SE could easily be
called the sportiest car Lamborghini built in a long time
But in 1993 Lamborghini again designed and
built a special car to celebrate their anniversary, the Diablo SE30 was presented during
the third Lamborghini Day in September 1993
in Sant’Agata, surrounded by about 140 other
Lamborghini’s from all over the world.
The Diablo SE, where SE stands for Special
Edition, could easily be called the sportiest
car Lamborghini built in a long time, mainly
A very rare Lamborghini Diablo SE30
Text Mark Smeyers • Photo’s Michael Chatham
The Lamborghini Diablo SE30 was built back in the early Nineties to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of Automobili Lamborghini SpA, only 150 would be built, all numbered, but
number 10/150 truly is a one of a kind Diablo ...
Back in the early Nineties the Lamborghini
Diablo was in production for a few years, and
it was time to create a special edition to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding
of the the factory in Sant’Agata by the late
Ferruccio Lamborghini.
So work began on a custom version of the
16 I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I One of a KIND
Diablo which would lead to the introduction
of the Lamborghini Diablo SE30 Special Edition. During an impressive event right at the
factory an amazing lavender metallic Diablo
SE30 came out of a giant anniversary cake,
this color combined with a blue alcantara interior would be the standard color scheme on
this new Diablo SE model.
One of a KIND I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I 17
One of a KIND
because the SE was meant to be entered in
GT championship races around the world by
installing the legendary JOTA upgrade kit on
it.
looked rather elegant however, the seats and
the dashboard received a standard upholstery in blue Alcantara leather, which would
be combined with clear Carbon Fiber, white
dials and perforated, aluminum pedals.
Diablo SE’s sold in the United
States mostly featured a full
leather upholstery
Do note however that Diablo SE’s sold in the
United States mostly featured a full leather
upholstery, our yellow car received a black
leather upholstery with yellow piping, very
nice, and combined with those blue, fourpoint seat belts it’s an impressive looking
cockpit.
That is why a lot of weight was saved in the
design; the original side windows were replaced by synthetic glass and only a small
portion of them opened by turning a knob
inside the door, no more power windows for
the Diablo SE, but John, the Texas owner of
this yellow devil, convinced the factory to built
original windows into his Special Edition.
The rest of the interior inside a Diablo SE30
would be completely race orientated, it still
The dashboard came straight out of the then
new Diablo VT, but normally the Diablo SE
was stripped from some amenities. There
was no air conditioning, no radio nor CDplayer, but in their place you would find a
red button, which activated an automatic fire
extinguisher system underneath the engine
hood, in case it got too hot. Naturally John
did order all these options to be installed in
One of a KIND
One of a KIND
large oil-coolers.
A new, adjustable rear spoiler became standard on the Diablo SE, this spoiler slightly
dropped towards the bodywork at both ends,
while the central part was adjustable, for correct down force at high speeds.
several parts were made of
Carbon Fiber, like the side air
intakes on the lower sills
For the Diablo SE a new engine hood was
designed, resembling the one used on the
legendary Miura built during the Sixties. To
finish the exterior restyling of this Special Edition, the rear bumper/spoiler was changed,
now incorporating a rear-backup light and a
fog-light, while the grill between the taillights
held a raging bull emblem and a special 30th
anniversary crest to further distinguish it from
it’s standard siblings.
his Diablo SE, so he has the comfort of air
conditioning and a sound system while enjoying ‘his’ Special Edition.
The small Carbon Fiber seat
would grab you, and thanks
to the special upholstery you
would not move an inch
The Diablo SE30 would also have a system
installed to adjust the anti-roll bars from inside the cockpit, by using the right setting you
could actually increase the speed in a turn
with 2 to 3 Km/h.
The small Carbon Fiber seats used inside the
Diablo SE30 would grab you and thanks to
the special Alcantara upholstery, you would
not move an inch in them, strapped in place
by a four-point harness with 30th anniversary logo’s that would hold you very tight.
The steering wheel was also modified for the
Diablo SE30, it became smaller in diameter
and the bottom part of it was flat, to ease the
entry into the car, but since the power-steering had been abandoned, the small steering
wheel wasn’t easy to turn. Do note that the
badge used on this new steering wheel was
exactly the same as the one used inside the
350 GTV thirty years ago.
On the outside the Diablo SE30 was easily recognizable, most of the bodywork was
still made of aluminum panels like on the
normal Diablo, however several parts were
now made in Carbon Fiber, like the side-airintakes and lower side sills.
The front spoiler for the Diablo SE30 was redesigned, a little deeper, with two new, bigger
air intakes showing an horizontal grill. This
spoiler was also a bit wider than the original
one to counter-act possible turbulence at the
front wheels. The side air intakes now used
two vertical ducts to lead the airflow onto two
One of a KIND
One of a KIND
One of a KIND
One of a KIND
When we take a look underneath the ‘louvered’ engine cover we are pleasantly surprised, the magnesium manifolds on the V12
were finished in gold, but the best was still to
come, combined with the black Carbon Fiber
this created a really impressive view.
And things got even better, thanks to lowering
the dry weight of the engine by using magnesium for the intake manifolds and the modified
cylinder heads, reprogramming the Lamborghini LIE electronic injection and the use of
a free-flow exhaust system, this car pumped
out a massive 525 Bhp at 7000 rpm.
This power increase, together with a 125 Kg
decrease in weight, gave the new Diablo SE
staggering performance figures, 0-100 Km/h.
in only 4.0 sec and a top speed of 331 Km/h,
making it the fastest Diablo available at that
time.
The electronically adjustable suspension
used on the recent Diablo VT had been abandoned for this pure sports car, and a more
race oriented suspension was installed.
By doing so they actually managed to improve the Diablo’s road holding capabilities
slightly.
The Lamborghini Diablo SE would even have
a traction control system with four settings,
one of which could simply turn the system
off.
Automobili Lamborghini only offered the
rear-wheel drive version on this special edition and the very big tires at the rear became
even bigger.
OZ-Racing created a totally new design for
the wheels on this limited edition, still using
the well known five hole telephone dial style,
these were cast in expensive magnesium and
used titanium bolts to fix them to the hubs.
Note that the deep rear wheels were now a
massive 18 inch tall with Pirelli P ZERO tires
measuring 335mm wide, the front wheels remained 17 inch like on the other Diablo’s.
The Diablo SE30 didn’t have ABS installed,
but received larger, perforated disc brakes
to put a halt to those 525 stampeding horses
behind you back when needed.
Delivery of the 150 Diablo SE’s started in
June 1994, and only a handful were finished
in this Super Fly Yellow shade, you could
order any color available, even specify your
own mixture, but Automobili Lamborghini
SpA created an amazing 30th Anniversary
Lavender shade exclusively for this model,
combined with a blue alcantara interior this
shade looked really nice on the Diablo SE.
AUTO MOTO ITALIA
Italy’s best on display in Houten
Text Mark Smeyers • Photo’s Mark Smeyers
EVENT horizon
EVENT horizon
Lamborghini’s on display to the public ...
Each year Auto Moto Italia draws thousands of visitors to Houten, near
Utrecht, in the Netherlands. During this event the Euretco exposition center is packed with Italian-made cars, bikes, food, drinks, scale models,
books and hard to find parts to restore your very own Italian vehicle.
November 11. and 12. 2006 were the two
dates during which Auto Moto Italia opened
it’s doors at Houten, and just like previous
years, thousands of visitors would make the
trip to admire those amazing cars and bikes
we all dream about.
Official factory workshop manuals, sales
brochures or a parts catalog are all precious
finds for those that are restoring their own
Italian car, and need to figure out how it was
meant to be built up to original factory specifications.
These dreamcars can be exotics like the
Lamborghini’s or Ferrari’s on display, but
also those rare Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Autobianchi, Maserati models, or if you’re into
bikes, names like Bimota, Aprilia, Ducati,
Moto Guzzi or Vespa will sound like music to
your ears ... and eyes.
thousands of visitors would
make the trip to admire those
amazing cars and bikes we
all dream about ...
The 2006 edition was again a big success,
split on two levels, you could find just about
all you would be looking for on the second
floor, were automobilia, books and scale
models were located together with hard to
find documentation.
28 I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I AUTO MOTO ITALIA
‘Restoration projects’ were shown during this
event too, in just about all stages of this very
time consuming hobby, from bare shells to
complete, showroom finished cars that prob-
AUTO MOTO ITALIA I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I 29
EVENT horizon
EVENT horizon
ably look better than when they left the factory all those years ago.
What could be admired at Houten, among
other things, were some highly skilled panel
beaters, that would form an aluminum part for
a car on a wooden jig ... just like it was done
years ago, before automatic production lines,
very impressive to see, and probably equally
expensive to make.
Many Lamborghini owners
will have their car restored at
the factory, by the official restoration facility in Sant’Agata
The Countach body was actually made this
way back in the late Seventies and Eighties,
the entire body of a Countach would be made
from aluminum panels ‘beaten’ over a wooden ‘master’.
That’s also the reason when you buy a spare
part, like a front fender, it won’t perfectly fit
your own Lamborghini or any other classic
car, because each car is just a little different,
and the parts were all hand-made to fit on
one specific car. You will have to spend some
time to get this fender to fit on your own car,
or have a workshop do it for you ... at a cost
naturally.
They had the great idea to
put no less than three Bulls
in bright Arancio on the stand
Therefore many Lamborghini owners will
have their car restored at the factory, by the
official restoration facility in Sant’Agata, those
people will make sure that any part will fit on
your specific Lamborghini just like it should
fit, with the correct gap between body panels,
just like it was built all those years ago, in the
‘old-fashioned’ way ... do note that this kind
of workmanship demands a high price, so be
prepared for a shock when the final ‘bill’ arrives for your prefect Bull.
But let’s get back to Auto Moto Italia to admire
all that magnificent Italian designed material
on display, both inside the Euretco doors and
outside on the parking lot. A lot of visitors
would arrive in their very own Italian car, or
motorcycle, so you should be spending some
time on the free parking zones too, admiring
the amazing vehicles parked there.
It was even possible to have a ride in a yellow Lamborghini Diablo or a red Ferrari, that
would be waiting for you outside the entrance
hall, a very impressive experience, within
safety limits naturally, as this drive was on
the open road and not an en enclosed circuit,
the latter being a totally different experience
altogether.
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Time to get inside and take a look at all those
amazing Italian made beauty on wheels or to
get a taste of the Italian way of life on one of
the food stands.
present, next to one of those very rare Gallardo SE’s and a stunning Gallardo Spyder,
and as mentioned, all finished in the bright
orange metallic over a black leather interior.
The Gallardo SE did have the twotone interior naturally, combining
black and orange leather to create
a very special look.
Naturally I went to the Lamborghini Club
Nederland stand first, being a Lamborghini
enthusiast like you, and it was impressive to
say the least.
the by now classic Diablo, finished in a bright
blue metallic bodywork
the legendary Lamborghini
Countach LP500S finished in
flawless white ...
Next to the award winning Lamborghini Club Nederland stand (they
won third place for most beautiful stand during the event) was a
showcase featuring four exotic Italian supercars.
We all know that the Dutch color is orange,
so they had the great idea to put no less than
three Bulls on the stand in Arancio, pearl metallic orange. The flagship Murciélago was
This square showed a legendary
Lamborghini Countach LP500S
finished in white over a flawless
white leather interior combined with
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Espada Series II model with a black leather
interior, both classics in their own right.
But there were more classic Bulls to be admired, like the 400 GT 2+2 finished in red
over a tan interior, again this car looked like it
just left the factory yesterday, but these early
GT’s are over 40 years old by now.
the 400 GT 2+2 finished in
red over a tan interior
But there were plenty of other special cars
around at Houten. A stunning black Lamborghini Urraco P250 was available for sale
during this event, this car looked factory fresh
actually, featuring special four-point seat
belts, very impressive.
Next to this black beauty was another Lamborghini offered for sale, a bright silver metallic
Also two Jarama’s were on display, one of
them was even for sale, this light blue metallic
US-specs model actually had a very special
feature, the left rear window could be opened
at the rear, like on the Islero, rarely seen on
the Jarama.
The silver metallic Lamborghini Jarama
400GT on display was owned by a real enthusiast, he did most of the work on this
car himself, and it shows, the car is in great
a contrasting red dashboard. Next
to the Countach you would find the
by now classic Diablo, finished in a
bright blue metallic bodywork, also
featuring a white leather interior.
A stunning black Lamborghini Urraco P250
Next to these two amazing Lamborghini’s you could admire one of
those rare Ferrari F40’s, finished
in the well known red, and a silver
metallic Bugatti EB110 SuperSport,
one of only two in the Netherlands.
All during the weekend, these two
stands were crowded with people
trying to get a glimpse of these rare
and exotic automobiles.
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shape. Considering these Jarama’s are almost forgotten by some, they still draw a lot
of attention, Jarama’s are real Lamborghini’s
nonetheless, with the legendary V12 engine
mounted in the front and featuring the same
low-slung profile as seen on the Espada or
even the sensuous Miura.
There was even a lightweight Gallardo on display that could be rented for a session on the
famous Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands.
So you could get an initiation in racing a real
Lamborghini on an enclosed circuit.
For that reason the interior was stripped in
this Lamborghini and two special race-style
bucket seats were mounted with full, fourpoint body harness just to ensure your safety
when running the track.
Naturally an Italian event also offers nonLamborghini’s on display so let’s take a quick
look at some other interesting vehicles at
Houten.
My personal favorite would have to be the
red Lancia Stratos that was shown. Why ?
Simple, Marcello Gandini also designed the
Stratos, just like he did the Miura and the
Countach, so there is a family resemblance,
and you have to admit that a Lancia Stratos
is a rare sight indeed.
Some other noteworthy cars were a bunch
of highly tuned Fiat and Alfa Romeo models,
a classic red Dino, the competitor to the Urraco back in the Seventies, some amazing
Maserati’s and naturally dozens of models
and makes I probably forgot to mention here,
but are all very interesting to those that are
owning a similar model.
If you got tired of looking at all those shiny
cars, you could relax on one of the stands offering real Italian style food, taste some wine
and catch up with those people you only encounter during such events.
That is what Auto Moto Italia is all about, having a great time talking to people that are as
interested in these vehicles as you are, discuss some problems you might be having
during your restoration or locate that one part
that has been eluding you for years now ... it’s
all possible at Houten.
Please keep an eye on the official website for
next year’s date, so you can note it in your
agenda as soon as possible, because you
wouldn’t want to miss this event now would
you ?
ONLINE : www.Auto-Moto-Italia.nl
SpotLIGHT
SpotLIGHT
LAMBORGHINI DIABLO BY KOENIG SPECIALS
Text Mark Smeyers - Photo : Mark Smeyers
We all know about Walter Koenig from the
impressive Ferrari TestaRossa he created
by installed a quad-turbo installation on the
12 cylinder boxer engine which raised power
output to no less than 1000 Bhp ! He even
turned the TestaRossa into a full convertible,
so when customers started wondering about
a Lamborghini Diablo Roadster back in 1992,
Koenig proposed to take a closed coupé
model and turn it into a convertible too.
You might ask yourself why people wanted
a Diablo Roadster, the answer was simple,
because Automobili Lamborghini showed the
amazing Roadster prototype during the 1992
Geneva Auto Show. They even sold it, but later decided not to produce it after all, so customers were refunded, but the idea of open
top motoring a massive V12 Bull remained.
So two Diablo owners turned to German
based Koenig Specials to re-create the magnificent Roadster prototype that Automobili
Lamborghini SpA showed them, it took Wal-
38 I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I SpotLIGHT
ter Koenig and his team only 3 months to create an almost identical replica of the Diablo
Roadster Prototype.
These two original customers were extremely
impressed with their final car, but one of them
wanted even more, a yellow Diablo Roadster
replica was taken one step further, Koenig
designed a complete body kit for this Diablo.
He created a new, more angular front air dam
which still used the original lights, installed a
modified rear bumper that again doubled as
an inverted spoiler, while a large central opening housed two big bore, thundering exhaust
pipes. In true Koenig style he also mounted
two turbo’s on the V12 and was able to derive
over 600 Bhp from this legendary engine, but
it required a new engine cover design to extract more air from the engine compartment.
Koenig even contacted OZ Wheels requesting
the Diablo wheels in larger 18 inch version,
but was refused by OZ because they could
only make these wheels for Lamborghini and
not for third party contractors, so Koenig decided to paint the crest in the same color as
the bodywork.
A nice anecdote was the fact that when you
asked Koenig Specials to built you a Diablo
Roadster replica, you would receive two helmets with is, mainly because the windscreen
was so low it hardly protected you from the
gale force winds when driving the car at
speed. When finished, the yellow Roadster
with the complete Koenig tuning package
was shipped to his owner in Japan.
The factory built Diablo Roadster was only
introduced in 1995, so between 92 and 95,
Koenig created several Roadster replica’s,
some were built with the low front windscreen
like the original prototype, but Walter Koenig
also proposed a kind of GTS version for the
same price of US $ 250.000. This version still
used the full front windscreen, only part of the
roof section was removed to create an open
style Diablo.
Koenig also modified the interior of the Diablo, as usual a complete custom made leather
interior was available, but more importantly
a different dashboard console was made, it
became smaller and more integrated into the
overall design.
To complete the outside modification, a massive rear wing was available that would render
the Diablo even more aggressive, another
option was a big decal that could be mounted
in front if the side air intakes featuring hightech Diablo scripting.
Naturally the entire tuning package for the Diablo was also available on the Coupé version
like the red one seen here, it is however unclear how many Roadster replica’s have been
built over the years, but finding one could be
very difficult ... and very expensive.
ONLINE : www.Koenig-Specials.com
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A closer look at a specific Lamborghini ...
THE V8 EXPERIENCE
The Lamborghini Urraco, Silhouette and Jalpa
Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini SpA was only in business for a
few years when the late Ferruccio decided it was time to explore a
more lucrative market, he wanted to boost sales so he went on to
create a model that would compete with cars like the Dino or the famous Porsche 911.
The recent Lamborghini Gallardo wasn’t
the first ‘entry level’ Lamborghini made at
Sant’Agata, in the early Seventies the late
Ferruccio Lamborghini already decided it was
time to add a smaller model to the line-up
that until then only consisted of V12 engine
cars, it was time to add a V8 powered model
to be able to compete on the same level as
the Dino 246 or the successful Porsche 911,
so preliminary work began on a model that
would become the Urraco.
On the 1970 Turin Auto Show the first preproduction Urraco designed by none other
than Marcello Gandini, was on display both
on the Lamborghini stand and on the Bertone
stand.
The original Urraco used an
engine cover similar to the
Miura, with louvres to cool
the engine
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THE V8 EXPERIENCE I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I 41
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Unfortunately the Urraco prototype was far
from finished, and another two years were
required before the first customer car could
be delivered.
impressive road manners thanks to an all-independant McPherson suspension that was
perfected by Bob Wallace.
Similar to the Miura, the V8
engine was mid-mounted, but
that’s were the comparison
ended.
car you would acknowledge it as a true Raging Bull.
But the Urraco was born into some troublesome times for Automobili Ferruccio Lambo-
The original Urraco P250 used an engine
cover similar to the legendary Miura, with louvres to cool the engine, note however that a
handful of Urraco’s were delivered with an
engine cover similar to the one used on the
later Silhouette model, probably to comply
with local regulations.
Similar to the Miura, the V8 engine was midmounted, but that’s were the comparison
ended. The Miura was a full blooded exotic
supercar, nearly a street legal race car, the
Urraco on the other hand was not as impressive, it was merely a nice touring car with
rghini SpA, the entire future of the company
didn’t look as sunny as before, and because
it took over 24 months before the first Urraco’s were available, several people cancelled
their order, a serious blow to the already unstable financial state at that time.
in October 1972 an improved
Urraco S was introduced
The Urraco was a good looking car, with a
steep windshield, a sharp front with pop-up
headlights, large, wide opening doors, all in
all a well balanced car which drove like a kart
actually, the deep steering wheel took a little
getting used to, but once you got to know the
The very first Lamborghini Urraco delivered
were really not up to the specs Ferruccio intended for his GT’s, workmanship left much
to be desired, interior ergonomics were not
on the top of the list apparently, the driving
position could have been better and only
dead ahead would you have great vision in
this first baby Lamborghini, although this latter was true for most exotic cars of that era.
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However, things were shaping up, during October 1972 an improved Urraco S was introduced, using a full leather upholstery, powered windows that were now also tinted and
optional metallic paint was available while the
engine received new Weber 40 DCNF carburetors for cars with no emission control.
more reliable chain drive, the heads incorporated the combustion chambers which placed
this brand new V8 ahead of it’s V12 cousin in
terms of specifications.
All these modifications made the Urraco S a
lot more reliable than the early models, however the belt drive used on the V8 engine was
still a point to take into account when owning
the P250.
Final evolution of the Urraco was a Tipo III,
in fact nothing else than the US legal version
of the Urraco, featuring large black bumpers,
different taillights and a down-rated engine
with only 180 Bhp instead of the earlier 220
bhp, adding another 200 kg in antipollution
equipment. It didn’t take a genius to understand the Tipo III was seriously under powered, and subsequently didn’t sell too well,
causing the original 2.5-Liter Urraco to end
it’s career rather soon, only 520 units were
made, but this didn’t mean the end of the Urraco series.
A much improved P300 was introduced in
1974, this new 3-Liter model would make a
difference, the engine was enlarged and featured dual overhead camshafts with much
But not only the engine was changed, the
transmission and suspension was also modified which resulted in a more balanced ride,
also the bodywork was slightly altered, the
headlights were moved forward and the front
hood now used six fins instead of the early
two, on the inside you would note a better
finished interior made entirely in-house at
Sant’Agata and no longer by Bertone.
All these modifications created a very good
Urraco, and it was regarded as the Urraco
Ferruccio intended to build from the start, a
high performance Grand Touring car that was
finished to the same level as the flagship V12
models, but the P300 had one major fault ... it
was never officially sold to the United States,
still the most important market for these kind
of automobiles.
The US still received the P250 Typo III model,
and with only 180 Bhp this didn’t rank as a
true Lamborghini, so the Urraco adventure
came to an early end after only 190 P300
models were built.
Note that in 1974 there was also a special
P200 available, this 2-Liter V8 version of the
Urraco was intended for the Italian market
only because of a very high tax on engines
above 2000cc displacement. The P200 used
a smaller version of the original P250 engine,
but with a displacement of only 1995cc and
a power output of no more than 182 Bhp, the
Urraco P200 didn’t help to boost sales any
further, and production was halted in 1977
with only 66 units built.
But the Lamborghini V8 adventure was far
from over, the very best was still to come ...
By 1975 Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini
SpA wasn’t at his best, the Urraco production
cost too much, and sales weren’t compensating this vast investment, and to make things
worse, the factory was not able to consider
replacing this model at that time. Ferruccio was still convinced a mainstream model
could be a success so he decided to have
Bertone modify the Urraco into a different car
that could boost sales to the levels required
to make the most of this massive effort.
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movable roof section creating a targa-style
model, this did require the rear seats of the
Urraco to be removed so the Silhouette became a true two-seater with space to store
the roof section behind the magnificent new
bucket seats.
Bertone’s first prototype for the successor
featured round wheel arch extensions and a
modified rear window, further development
of this initial concept led to the very special
Lamborghini Silhouette that was shown to the
public during the 1976 Geneva Auto Show.
This restyled model still showed it’s Urraco
origins, but took the design several steps
forward. The Silhouette became the first
production Lamborghini that featured a re-
An impressive deep front spoiler with similar styled, squared-off wheel arch extensions were needed to cover the innovative
telephone dial wheels shod with state of the
art Pirelli P7 tires, 285 mm wide at the rear.
Wheel size increased from the original 14
inch to a larger 15-inch while width went to 11
inch at the rear, naturally the entire suspension geometry was modified to keep those
285 mm of Italian rubber as flat as possible
on the road to keep full traction on those wide
rear wheels.
The Miura-style engine cover from the Urrcao
was lost in this redesign, and a new tunnel
back was introduced incorporating a roll over
cage to comply with safety regulations for
open top cars.
The interior was modified into a more ergonomic style with a new dashboard slightly
angled towards the driver, the engine was derived from the Urraco P300 but got pushed to
265 Bhp which meant that the added weight
for the modifications to go roof-less didn’t
mean the Silhouette would stay behind the
Urraco P300 on the open road.
The amazing Lamborghini
Silhouette was only kept in
production for a mere two
years, totalling at no more
than 52 units ...
This should have made the idea of open-top
driving a true Lamborghini very appealing to
potential buyers, but the Silhouette couldn’t
fulfill it’s high hopes, still suffering from a
rather bad financial state, Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini SpA was unable to certify
the Silhouette for sale in the United States,
possibly the biggest market for this kind of
Lamborghini.
Note that from 1977 until 1982 not a single
Lamborghini was officially imported into the
United States apart from some grey-market
cars.
The amazing Lamborghini Silhouette was
only kept in production for a mere two years,
production totalling at no more than 52 units
from which only 31 are believed to have survived today, so the Silhouette is a very rare
car, and obtaining one could be a very costly
adventure these days, just like the entire V8
experience was to the late Ferruccio back in
the Seventies.
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But the final chapter was still to be written to
the Lamborghini V8 story ... it did took the
Raging Bull another two years of development, but in 1981 the final incarnation of the
V8 line up was shown at Geneva ... the Lamborghini Jalpa.
spoiler that was shown on this prototype.
The Jalpa (pronounced ‘yawl-pa’) again received it’s name in true Lamborghini tradition,
from a famous breed of fighting bulls, just like
the Miura did years before.
This new V8 model was again based on the
original Urraco, but the Jalpa was closer to
the Silhouette in concept, because of a similar open top, targa style roof configuration.
By the time the Jalpa was ready to be shown
to the public, Ferruccio already left the company, and it was now called Nuovo Automobili Lamborghini SpA and a lot of fresh ideas
were emerging from Sant’Agata.
Therefore they showed a brightly finished
prototype for their final V8 evolution, a light
brown metallic bodywork over a brown leather interior. Note that the striped upholstery of
this prototype would not be available in the final production version, neither would the rear
The prototype also showed color coded bumpers and brand new, 16 inch wheels ... only
the wheels would be retained, the production version of the Jalpa would receive black
bumpers to the front and rear, a black engine
cover and similar colored air intakes just behind the side windows, also the early Jalpa’s
would use the taillights from the Silhouette. On
the 1984 Geneva Auto Show a few changes
were presented, the black engine cover and
side air intakes were now color coded to the
rest of the body and the tail lights became
circular units.
The dashboard used a new kind of boxshaped instrumentation, on the early Jalpa’s
a steering wheel similar to the Silhouette’s
was used, later a bigger, triangular shaped
one was installed.
On the whole the Jalpa may have looked less
spectacular than the angular Silhouette, but it
was actually very in style with the other super
cars of that era.
The 3.0-Litre engine from the Silhouette and
the Urraco P300 was enlarged to a 75mm
stroke resulting in a 3485 cc displacement
and pumped out 255 bhp at 7000 rpm, hence
the Jalpa 3.5 name.
The Jalpa could be driven topless once
again, and this time power and workmanship
was right up to the level required from Lamborghini, it was actually easy to drive, even in
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Another possible downside for the Lamborghini Jalpa could be the design, that’s right,
perhaps it was a little too elegant, not exotic
enough. People that were buying a Lamborghini in the Eighties bought the Countach,
which almost looked like an alien spaceship
compared to the competition ... next to such
an automotive icon, the Jalpa looked plain,
so perhaps people just didn’t like it because
it was not different enough from the competition, something they got used to with the radical Miura and Countach.
abandoned in 1987 while the Jalpa production was halted in July 1988, it had sold only
410 units in six years.
Nuovo Automobili Lamborghini SpA still had
one trick up their sleeves, why not turn the
Jalpa into a real Spyder ? Such a model not
available from the competition in Maranello
so it could be a wise move to boost sales.
city traffic so the Jalpa should have become a
massive success ... but it disappointed again,
and after about six years of production only
410 units had left the gates at Sant’Agata.
There were still a few problems with the latest
V8 offering, the driving position wasn’t very
comfortable, although the nice looking seats
were fully adjustable, including the backrest,
which were fixed on the Silhouette by the
way.
But the windscreen could have some very
distracting reflections when driving at night
and even the vertically mounted rear window
would show reflections when looking into
the rear view mirror. Some even complained
about the inadequate headlights or the unstable exterior rear view mirrors which didn’t
help the visibility in this new Baby-Lamborghini as it was sometimes called, but even
the legendary Countach suffered from these
latter two problems.
You might wonder why this new Jalpa didn’t
quite live up to it’s expectations, it was an elegant design executed by Bertone, not overly
exotic like a Countach but still very nice, it
offered convertible driving with an amazing
sounding V8 engine just behind your ears,
and it was officially sold in the United States,
so what happened ?
Two prototypes of a Jalpa Spyder were actually built, but the overall design of this design didn’t get approval from management at
Sant’Agata, it became obvious the rear section of the bodywork was not well balanced
without the tunnel back rear section.
Also the canvas top became too difficult to
fold down nicely into a recess ahead of the
engine cover and the entire project was
Do note that the Jalpa, was again officially
certified for sale in the United States, so an
important part of the production can still be
found over there.
One of the main reasons for it’s rather low
sales figures was probably the competition,
by the time the Jalpa was available to the
public in 1982, Ferrari had launched the 308
model that was later replaced by the 328
series, both would be available in GTS version, and it was a serious competitor in the
market the Jalpa was intended for, add the
successful Porsche 911 that remained in production, and you had two major counterparts
to choose from.
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During the final production year, some Jalpa’s were ordered with the amazing Silhouette wheels, only 15 inch tall compared to the
Jalpa’s 16 inch units, but those wide Pirelli’s
at the rear more than made up for this smaller
height. Today these wheels are highly sought
after, and very expensive to come by in decent condition. Some Jalpa’s even had the
massive Countach style rear wing at the back,
perhaps a little out of place on the ‘small’ V8
model, but very impressive nonetheless,
however several owners removed the wing
later on. Some Jalpa’s were even seen with
side mouldings connecting the front and rear
wheel arch extensions, it is noteworthy that
the Jalpa would be tuned more easily than
the Countach, probably due to the lower pricing of this V8 model.
better to pay a little more for a great car than
buying a money pit, restoring a bad car takes
a lot of courage ... and even more money.
Talking about money, let’s take a look at the
other V8 models, the Silhouette had a healthy
MSRP of $44,500 back in 1978, and because
of the very low production numbers a decent
car will still fetch about $40,000 while a nice
Urraco P300 from 1976 (MSRP $39,000) will
take anything between $20,000 and $30,000
to secure in your garage. The original P250
on the other hand would require about
$22,500 when it was in production in 1975,
but on the used car market today you can find
them for $15,000 to $20,000 which makes it
the cheapest Lamborghini available today ...
but don’t think you can afford it too quickly, a
Bull not only takes money to buy, but sometimes even more money to keep on the road.
For decades the Lamborghini Jalpa was called
the Baby-Lambo, a smaller counterpart next
to the space-age Countach, but today, nearly
20 years after the last Jalpa left the factory at
Sant’Agata a new Baby Lamborghini is available, the stunning Gallardo, powered by an
even more impressive V10 engine.
The design of these early V8 models might
look a little dated today, but let’s take a second look at them, especially the Jalpa can
still be used as a daily driver, it won’t attract
the same attention as a Countach or a Diablo. Because of the very low production numbers compared to the V12 flagship models,
the Jalpa isn’t easily recognized by casual
onlookers.
Today the Jalpa is one of those ‘affordable’
Lamborghini’s, do not underestimate maintenance however, a Jalpa can become unreliable, just like any other Lamborghini or exotic
car for that matter, when it isn’t regularly and
competently serviced, in terms of pure performance however the Jalpa is as good as it
gets. With an MSRP of $58,000 back in 1988,
today prices range from $20,000 to $30,000
depending on the condition of the car, but it’s
Pull up in a Countach and you make an instant statement, good or bad, but when you
step out of an Urraco or a Jalpa most of the
people around you will probably not even
know it’s a Lamborghini ... if that is a good
thing or a bad thing depends on where you
park it I guess.
Still I feel the Urraco, the Silhouette and the
Jalpa are full members of the Lamborghini
heritage, and receive their place in the ‘Hall
of Fame’ of the Raging Bull make ...
AUTOmobilia
AUTOmobilia
From scale models to books ...
From scale models to books ...
Nice thing about this tuned Gallardo is the
fact those amazing wheels are shed with low
profile tires, so they don’t really have a lot of
grip.
This could be seen as a disadvantage, but
this also allows you to spin them like crazy
when driving on a smooth surface, and you
can actually drift the car too ... it takes some
practice, but once you get the hang of it it’s
really amusing driving this 1/10th model in
your garage on a glossy concrete floor.
Since it’s an R/C model there are the necessary black extensions to the chassis to protect the bodywork when hitting a wall or the
sidewalk with it. This model can reach some
decent speeds, so it is not without danger
when driving it, you’ll have to be careful not
the damage the nicely finished paintjob.
It is a plastic model after all, so you can actually wreck it, just like a real Lamborghini, only
not as expensive.
Well, there is one little detail I’m not so happy with ... take a look at those side mirrors.
They are slanted downwards on the doors,
but other than that I really like this model, and
I have parked it on top of my display case
which holds part of my Lamborghini scale
cars collection.
All in all it’s a really nice addition to your collection.
LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO FOR FUN
Text Mark Smeyers - Photo : Mark Smeyers
How about driving a highly tuned Lamborghini Gallardo ?
The white car on these pages is actually a
scale model, but a 1/10th scale, so it is rather
big, and what’s even better, it is an R/C model. That’s right, a remote control Lamborghini
you can drive whenever you feel like it, after
charging the battery naturally ...
This specific model is available in a few different colors, but I’ve selected this white metallic
shade to be added to my collection.
Why ? Simple, because it also features a nice
high gloss black roof, glass engine cover and
exterior rear view mirrors, so it looks somewhat like the limited edition Lamborghini Gallardo SE model.
When you take a closer look at this model
you’ll also note the very large wheels mounted in it, three piece looks with a deep, chrome
54 I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I AUTOmobilia
rim and stunning five spoke black spider,
which clearly show the detailed disc brakes
and red calipers.
The windows look like they are tinted completely black, but that’s probably because
there was no room for an interior with the
electric motor and battery necessary to drive
this scale model, but I like it anyway, those
black windows look great on a white car.
When you’ve charged the battery you’re
ready to ‘hit the road’ with this very low riding car, and then you discover the light switch
on the remote control, which activates a few
led’s on the car. These were mounted in the
taillights, the headlights and inside the engine compartment, the headlights even offer
normal and high beams ... very impressive.
Those lights are great fun, but I can imagine
they would restrict battery life when driving
the car ... and driving it is big fun, trust me.
AUTOmobilia I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I 55
LIFEstyle
LIFEstyle
Lamborghini style ...
Lamborghini style
Automobili Lamborghini 2007 Wall Calendar
Women’s Two Piece Winter Coat
Text LamborghiniCollection.com - Photo’s : LamborghiniCollection.com
The Automobili Lamborghini 2007 Wall
Calendar is on the way from Italy and is
sure to sell out quickly. These are high
quality, genuine factory calendars. Each
month contains its own unique photo, all
truly stunning reproduced in a very high
gloss finish. Some of the photos captions
are quite witty as well. Made in Italy.
Note that there is also a desktop version
available featuring the same stunning
photographs.
The Women’s Automobili Lamborghini
Two Piece Winter Coat is comprised of 2
pieces making it the most versatile women’s coat we offer.
The jacket, which is just above knee length,
features the Automobili Lamborghini script
embroidered on the left front side and features two zippered pockets. The inside of
the jacket is actually a removable sleeveless vest and body warmer that is embroidered with both the Automobili Lamborghini stylized script and the famous
raging bull.
The stylish quilted stitching mimics the
interior stitching of the new Murciélago
LP640 and adds a touch of drama to this
unique coat. Made in Italy, of course!
Automobili Lamborghini 2007 Agenda
The handy Automobili Lamborghini 2007
Agenda contains not only useful facts and
information but also stunning pictures of
the latest Lamborghini automobiles.
A perfect gift !
The Automobili Lamborghini shield and
the stylized script is de-bossed on the
cover.
Women’s Bills Wallet
The Women’s Bill Wallet features a bill holder pocket plus three
additional pockets inside.
The exterior is finished in a crocodile printed, stunning yellow
leather sporting a chrome accent tab with the stylized Automobili
Lamborghini script engraved.
Made in Italy.
Automobili Lamborghini Christmas Candle
The Automobili Lamborghini Christmas
Candles are hand-made and adorned
with the Automobili Lamborghini crest on
the front and “Buon Natale” (Merry Christmas in Italian) on the back. A very unique
and limited series. The grey color mirrors
the Grigio Telesto color of the Murcielago
LP640 launch car.
Presented in an attractive black gift box
branded with the Lamborghini shield.
Large and small candles are available.
These original Automobili Lamborghini
items can be ordered directly from the largest distributor of official Lamborghini merchandise in
the world : the Lamborghini Collection.
Phone : 949-715-0542 P.S.T. (Pacific Standard Time)
ONLINE : www.LamborghiniCollection.com
56 I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I LIFEstyle
LIFEstyle I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I 57
TUNING corner
BLUE LAGOON
The Diablo GT1 Roadster by Affolter
Back in the Nineties several Lamborghini Diablo’s underwent a
major restyling at Affolter in Switzerland, these Evolution models
would receive a totally different body with massive air intakes,
fixed headlights and for the Roadster even a glass roof ...
Roland Affolter is the official Lamborghini
distributor for the Swiss market, his massive
showroom in Porrentruy is heaven on Earth
for supercar enthusiasts, showing the most
amazing Lamborghin’s, both new and used,
side by side.
By 1995 the original design of the Lamborghini Diablo started to show the first signs of
age, so Affolter decided it was time to create
an updated Diablo. It took him over a year,
but on the 1996 Auto Show in Strasbourg he
proudly showed the Diablo Evolution, a bright
blue Bull with a massive watch on the side
which drew a lot of attention.
units, years before Automobili Lamborghini
SpA did the same on their 1999 Model Year
of the Diablo.
The original Affolter Diablo Evolution featured a new front and rear bumper, larger air
intakes in front of the windscreen, dual air intakes on the engine cover and some other
People started ordering their customized Diablo from Affolter, several Evolutions were sold
and Affolter started working on an even more
dramatic car, the Evolution GT1.
Note that he replaced the pop-up headlights
from the Diablo right from the start by fixed
58 I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I TUNING corner
TUNING corner I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I 59
TUNING corner
TUNING corner
Another new option was the glass engine
cover, clearly showing the well known Lamborghini V12 engine, but the most important
modifications on the GT1 was the bodywork.
The original side mirrors were removed from
the doors and replaced by fixed ones mounted on the fenders, which were 11cm wider
to be able to cover the 7cm wider track and
those very wide 18 inch wheels that would be
colour coded to the rest of the car.
additional bodyparts, combined with stunning
wheels and a custom upholstery, so the Evolution GT1 would have to take this concept at
least one step further ... and it did.
The Affolter Diablo Evolution GT1 was a totally different car altogether, wider, lower and
meaner. The blue metallic Roadster on these
pages was even equipped with an electrically powered roof, it slid automatically onto
the engine cover, and it could be finished in
glass !
60 I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I TUNING corner
The large front spoiler received all new light
units and turn signals around a large, centrally mounted air intake, also the front hood
received a large air outlet that doubled as a
down force spoiler while the air intakes on the
fenders were again enlarged like on the first
Evolution edition.
But you have to take a second to admire those
amazing side air intakes on the Diablo Evolution GT1, they actually required the doors on
the Diablo to be cut and modified, the original
Diablo styling is still visible, but it was transformed into a totally different car.
Going round to the back of the car, the original rear bumper was replaced by a more
integrated model that housed four massive
exhaust pipes right in the middle, these were
actually racing specs, and sounded really nice
when driving, a very low growling sound was
made at idle, that would rise to a high pitched
howl at full throttle, every gear change was
followed by four 30 cm flames blowing out of
these pipes.
Naturally these looks would require an equally impressive engine, so Affolter redesigned
the intakes, improved the exhaust manifold
and reprogrammed the electronic fuel injection system, he could even install a dual turbo configuration, pumping power output to a
healthy 630 hp with a top speed of 345 Km/h
and an acceleration time of only 3.5 second
to 100 Km/h.
TUNING corner
Let’s take a look at the interior now, this
Roadster was finished with a really nice white
leather upholstery with dark grey alcantara
sections, combined with clear Carbon Fibre
panels, matching the leather of the uphol-
stery, and tinted in the mass, so no discolouring could happen, even when driving topless
for longer periods in the Swiss Alps. Do note
the really nice scripting on the headrests of
the Diablo Evolution GT1.
Also note that the dashboard was replaced by
a new design, integrating the passenger air
bag and using the nicest Carbon Fibre available, a full multimedia system could be built
into the dash including an Alpine HiFi installation with CD-changer and Sub-woofer using
multiple amplifiers, a GPS system, a color TV
set and a camera system for backing up was
also available.
The Diablo Evolution models remain highly
regarded these days, mainly because of the
extreme workmanship that went into creating them, and they remain just as useable as
the original Diablo they were based on, these
are not highly tuned race cars that are barely
driveable on the open road, they can be driven just like a standard Diablo ... if you ever
could call a Diablo ‘standard’.
The Affolter Diablo Evolution GT1 was built
on demand only, and each car was finished
to the specs required by the happy owner,
hence no two GT1’s were similar, and since it
was only built for a very limited time, very few
were made back in the Nineties.
In 1998 Affolter presented the Evolution GTR
edition with a different engine cover and even
more modifications, while the epitome was
the Evolution GTR Le Mans that was shown
on the 1999 Option Tuning show in Paris.
This GTR Le Mans would be the last Diablo
Evolution made by Affolter before Automobili
Lamborghini SpA would introduced the Diablo
VT 6.0 and later the brand new Murciélago.
Note that there actually are Le Mans versions of both the Murciélago and the Gallardo
made in Switzerland these days, but this time
by ItalCar Design, not by Roland Affolter.
LAMBORGHINI online
NEXT time
the Magazine’s links to the internet
A look at our next issue ...
INTERESTING SITES
WHAT WILL BE IN OUR NEXT ISSUE ?
Are you looking for more information on something you’ve seen inside this issue of the Magazine,
or would you just like to get some details on the cars found in this issue ? In that case, this list of
interesting online sources is the place to go looking for an answer to all your questions :
I’m sure you’ve missed the ‘PIT LANE’ in this issue, which I had to drop because of a lack of space,
but rest assured, our third issue will again feature some amazing track going Lamborghin’s.
A selection of great Lamborghini related sites
Premium Lamborghini sites
Supercar photo collections
Automobili Lamborghini SpA
Swiss Car Sightings
The Official Automobili Lamborghini SpA site
www.lamborghini.com
A Swiss based enthusiast created a massive collection of photographs on the most amazing exotics cars in and
around Switzerland.
www.swisscarsightings.com
Lamborghini Cars, the enthusiast site
Lamborghini Cars, the enthusiast site, the very site I created over eight years ago to share the amazing Raging Bulls with fellow enthusiasts from all over the world.
www.lambocars.com
Super Car France
A French based enthusiast site with an ever growing collection of photographs on the most amazing exotics.
www.supercarfrance.com
The largest authorised distributor of official Lamborghini Merchandise in the world !
www.lamborghinicollection.com
Michael’s Lamborghini site, an amazing source for
photographs on Raging Bulls.
www.kldconcept.com
Lamborghini Registry
Looking for an extensive list of chassis numbers on
Lamborghini’s ? This is the place to be.
www.lamborghiniregistry.com
Naturally the ‘in DEPTH’ section will feature another important milestone in the history of Automobili Lamborghini SpA, we haven’t decided yet on which model we’ll take a look at in our
March/April issue, but I’m sure it will again shed a different light on one of those amazing Raging
Bull models.
The LIFEstyle pages will feature some interesting, original Lamborghini items you can obtain to
expand your collection, also the Premium SELECTION, Quick LOOK, PHOTO album, SpotLIGHT
and AUTOmobilia sections will receive a place in our third issue ... which will be available from
March 1. 2007 ...
Have fun reading our brand new second edition, and as always, if you are interested in a subscription to Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine, all it takes is a quick look on the Magazine’s website
and make a small donation to keep both the Magazine and the Lamborghini Cars enthusiast site
alive ...
Lamborghini Collection
KLD Concept
We’ll probably do a preview of the Geneva Auto Show which is planned for March 8. to 18., I’m
sure that Automobili Lamborghini SpA will have a few surprizes ready for us in two months, perhaps a new evolution of the current models, or even a totally new model ... you never know.
Do you want even more links ?
Our Lamborghini Cars, the enthusiast site
has a massive collection on Lamborghini related links, the links presented here are only
a small selection from our list, if you want to
check out the entire list, take a look at our
online selection.
Mark Smeyers
ONLINE : Magazine.LamboCars.com
www.lambocars.com
Lamborghini Tuning sites
How to get your site listed ?
Reiter Engineering
If you would like to have your Lamborghini
related site listed on these pages, please
feel free to contact us and we’ll review your
site, probably adding it in our next issue.
A highly professional Lamborghini tuner and the only
Lamborghini racing team in the 2006 FIA GT3 Championship.
www.reiter-engineering.com
SP Engineering
If you are looking into tuning your Lamborghini and
you’re located in the United States, this is a great place
to browse around.
www.sp-power.com
Mark Smeyers
Editor
[email protected]
64 I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I LAMBORGHINI online
NEXT time I Lamborghini Cars, the Magazine I 65

depth - LamboMAG

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