The V - 12 Bulls!!!

Perhaps the most brilliant aggressive styled of them all. And rightly so , it none other than the Italian bred Lamborghini.

•    Founded by manufacturing magnate ‘Ferruccio Lamborghini’ in   1963
•    Created ‘Automobili Lamborghini’, popular as a maker of high-end sports cars.
•    Cars were noted for their refinement, power and comfort.
•    Flag ship engine - V-12
•    Company Logo – Fighting Bull

Very simply put that was the beginning of Lamborghini as we know it, but there is a whole other story as to how Lamborghini’s got its character and heritage from. And here’s how.





Ferruccio Lamborghini who born from a wine farming family went into business by starting to build tractors out of left over military parts during the post World War II Era. In no time Lamborghini’s tractor company became very successful of course giving him enough wealth to pursue his own interests. His love of fast cars made him to buy the best touring car existent at the time, A Ferrari 250 GT. This is the point where his interests catapulted into building his own car. Having the resources he wanted to build a car that was faster and more comfortable than a Ferrari.

  

The Result powered by a V-12 Engine, The 1964 Lamborghini 350GT.

A very capable 270 bhp powered engine that could reach 254 kmph (158 mph) in top form. The suspension was fully independent, with unequal-length wishbones and concentric coil-spring-damper units. The rear suspension wishbones were offset towards the spring mountings to resist driving and braking torque, which provided superior handling.


0 to 62.1 mph (100 kmph): in 6.8 seconds
0 to 100 mph (161 kmph): in 16.3 seconds


 This very first car ensured that Lamborghini would have the V-12’s as their Flagship Motor, however this cannot be told as the beginning of True Lamborghini’s.



In 1962, Ferruccio Lamborghini visited the Seville ranch of Don Eduardo Miura, a renowned breeder of Spanish fighting bulls. Lamborghini, a Taurus himself, was so impressed by the majestic Miura animals that he decided to adopt a raging bull as the emblem for the auto company he would soon found.

1966 Lamborghini Miura

The result named after the family of bull breeders was the 1966 Lamborghini Miura, when it first came out it was the fastest production car at the time.

Engine: 3.9 Litre V12 giving out 360 hp,
Transmission: 5-speed-manual & rear wheel drive
Top Speed:  276 km/h (171 mph)
0 to 62.1 mph (100 kmph): in 6.7 seconds


After building & naming the first 2 cars alphanumerically this was when Lamborghini’s actual character was imprinted onto the car by using Fighting Bull related naming and character. Here was the true start of Lamborghini and hasn’t changed since. Or has it???

Over the next 40 – 50 Years Lamborghini took its time to build and put out just 3 more of its V-12 Flagship cars, taking quite a bit of time to build each and rightfully so, because each car is unique, stunning & aggressive in its own way. Brief descriptions of the next 3 cars are as given below:

Succeeding the Miura was the 1974 Lamborghini Countach.

Name: “Countach” is an exclamation of astonishment and surprise in the local language. The name stuck when the designer Nuccio Bertone exclaimed in surprise the first time he saw the car. Most lambo’s before and after this car had names in relation to bull fighting.

Engine: 5.0 Litre, Mid Engined V-12, 375BHP
Transmission: 5 Speed manual
Top Speed: 309 kmph
0 to 62.1 mph (100 kmph): in 5.4 seconds

Successor to the Countach the 1990 Lamborghini Diablo

Which was also held the title as the fastest production car when it first came out.

Name:  Diablo, for the Duke of Veragua's ferocious bull famous for fighting an epic battle against "El Chicorro" in Madrid in 1869
Engine: 5.7 L, 48-valve V- 12, 492 BHP, Rear wheel Driven, Mid Engined
Transmission:  Speed manual
Top Speed: 202 mph (325 kmph)
0 to 62.1 mph (100 kmph): in 4.5 seconds

 Note: the countach and the diablo might look similar in teh pictures but in actual life the Diablo is way more wider, hence the scissor style door to deal with having to open doors in small garages.
 
Succesor to Diablo- The 2001 Lamborghini Murciélago

This was the brands first model under its new owner ship of Audi Subsidiary whose parent company is the Volkswagen group making it German…… so to speak.

Name:  Murciélago was named for a fighting bull that survived 28 sword strokes in an 1879 fight against Rafael "El Lagartijo" Molina Sanchez, at the Coso de los califas bullring in Córdoba, Spain.

Engine: 6.2 L V12,  580 BHp
Transmission: 6 Speed manual & 6 Speed – Semi Automatic
Top Speed: 205mph (330 kmph)
0 to 62.1 mph (100 kmph):  in  3.8 seconds





The Turning point. I said previously that Lamborghini has’nt changed since its start back in 1966 yeah. Well after about 50 years of no change at all they decided to do a very controversial change. The changes is a thus:

The Lamborghini boss describes it as such. Earlier Lamborghini’s had a 3 step priorty list when building a car. They were as below.

Priority 1: Top Speed
Priority 2: Acceleration
Priority 3: Handling

In February 2011, they did the complete opposite of the above with the new stunning

Lamborghini V-12 Aventador. 

For this car it was,


Priority 1: Handling
Priority 2: Acceleration
Priority 3: Top Speed

Also this car consists of the second v-12 created by Lamborghini. That’s right all of the previous models onmly had size increase from the orginal found in the Miura. But this has an all newly designed V-12. The design is so beautifully lined it portrays the image of an aggressive bull waiting to charge at you. Just Amazing !!!.. Just sit back and Take a good Look at it.

The specification for this “upside down” car is as follows

Name: The bull that bore the number 32 took part in a notably spirited, bloody and violent battle with a torero in the town of Zaragoza, Spain that earned him the “Trofeo de la Peña La Madroñera" in 1993

Engine: 6.5 Litre V-12 691 bhp, mid Engined, all Wheel Drive
Transmission: 7 speed single Clutch Flappy paddle gearbox.
Top Speed:  217 mph (349 kmph) :O
Suspension:  Push rod Suspension
0 to 62.1 mph (100 kmph): in 2.9 Seconds

:O WHAAAAATTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!... They set top speed as their  lowest priority and gave it a top speed of 350 kmph. I Mean WHAATTTTTT!!!!!!!... How Mad can that be.. :O . first time I saw it I just sat here open mouthed. :O and as I write this I still am :O





Although you look at things a little more closely if they gave it a top speed like that setting top speed least priority what does it say about what they set for first priority…. HANDLING??
 





Apparently it is actually brilliant. Richard Hammond of top gear describes “you can throw it into a corner and actually come out round the bend” the reason being the Push Rod Suspension. Its F1 level technology not found in road cars and also thanks to its special electronic 4 wheel drive system which gives its gargantuan traction.

See below video from top gear:

So a car giving brilliant handling, a momentous acceleration of 2.9 seconds to 100 kmph and a top speed of 350 kmph. Some will say that Lamborghini has lost its killer touch, the Thrill of driving an uncontrollable car that wants to kill you.

True Fact ……..<matter of fact tone>

But Nah…. I think I like this one just the way it is!! :D

Welcome to 2012!!!!!