2006 Lamborghini P400 Miura Concept
Amongst Lamborghini enthusiasts, the Miura is considered one of the most beautiful Lambos ever made, let alone, one of the most beautiful cars ever made. It was Lamborghinis first mid-engined car, the worlds first mid-engine production car and, conceivably, was the birth of whats now known as the supercar.
The original Miura came to being in the 1960s just prior to the outrageous wedges, bulging flares, outlandish wings and vertical scissor doors of cars like the Countach and slightly more understated Diablo. Though its difficult to believe, 2006 marks the 40th anniversary of the timeless Miura, which was launched at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show by its creators, Ferruccio Lamborghini and Nuccio Bertone, and in celebration Lamborghini built a one-off concept called the P400 Miura.
Would it surprise you that the man in charge of styling Lambos most recent cars, the Murciélago and the Gallardo, owns a Miura? No? Well, thats irrelevant, as the man behind the look and shape of the Miura Concept is Walter deSilva, not Luc Donckerwolke who de-Silva replaced as head of Centro Stile Lamborghini, Lamborghinis in-house design department. If the name de-Silva sounds familiar to you, thats because deSilva has also led design projects within other Volkswagen Auto Group brands, including Seat (Volkswagens Spanish division) and most recently, Audi. In fact, deSilva was responsible for such dramatic changes in design as the single-frame trapezoidal grille on all new Audis. However, where deSilva looked to forge new designs and create distinction on Audis and Seats, hes paid homage to the Lamborghinis storied past in modernizing the Miura.
Because deSilva viewed the Miura as a piece of art from the start, his objectives in creating the concept werent to mold an all-new shape from scratch, but rather to bring it up to date by softening sharp edges and cleaning up details that would have been impossible to craft when the initial car was launched due to the materials available, or more accurately the lack thereof, all while carefully working off of the original design. Some purists might think such a task would be akin to improving on da Vincis Mona Lisa, but in order for the Miura to function as a proper, modern-day car by todays standards, new technologies, new materials and new approaches to design must be used. Of course, to maintain the originals shape and details while meeting the latest safety regulations made the whole process much more daunting.
In case your eyes couldnt tell (or you just dont know what a Miura looks like), the P400 Miura Concept remains about ninety percent faithful to the original, in its shape and profile; the pistachio-colored end result being unmistakable in its muse. It captures the details particularly well; the headlights with their mascarad eyelashes are still present, albeit under glass, and the doors still wrap around the side windows, so that when theyre opened, they look like the horns of a bull. Along the side profile, its nice to see that things have been kept streamlined, with no unexpected extra vents or scoops. OK, so its got a pair of side-view mirrors which werent there before, and the intake on the hood isnt identical to the 60s car, but it has louvers over the engine cover, and thats worth a whole lot.
The very few privileged enough to drive an original Miura will know that its a rather peculiar car at speed, as it becomes very light and twitchy. The reason for this behavior was that the car had its fuel tank at its nose; when fuel was used up the weight of its nose lightened, causing its front tires to progressively lessen their hold on the road the longer it was driven.
Such characteristics would be deemed unacceptable in todays heavily regulated world, therefore the new Miura incorporates modern aerodynamics in its bodywork, the likes of which was unknown back in the 60s. Where the originals nose was as sharp as an arrowhead, the Concept has a more complicated air dam, featuring splitters to direct airflow around, rather than under the car in order to keep its front end glued to the ground. Additionally, because a rear spoiler would ruin the classic lines of the Miura Concept, it features a smooth underbody for reduced underside drag and improved downforce.
I must commend Mr. deSilva on his artistic talent; like the original the Miura Concept looks like its going 300 km/h even when standing still, which may or may not be all its ever likely to be seen doing. Yes, initially it was announced that the Miura Concept was merely a styling exercise. And for all the dreams that may have come true for deSilva in redesigning the vehicle, there wasnt anything to report in terms of its powertrain either. No, not a word was said about the gearbox or engine because the Miura Concept, as seen in Detroit, was just a full-size mockup, albeit a very beautiful one. While official photos dont show the interior due to the deep-tint glass, Lamborghini says that the original car heavily inspired the cabin.
We can only imagine.
Since the time of its launch at Detroit, however, insiders at Lamborghini have revealed that the LP400 Miura Concept is now well on its way to becoming a limited-edition road car. The basic bones for the Miura will come from the baby Lambo, the Gallardo, but with a frame stretched length- and width-wise to accommodate a larger passenger cabin, plus space for a V12. Technically, this sounds like a lot of work, but under the guidance of Volkswagen Auto Group its a lot less than you might think. It has been long known that Audi would receive dividends for its part in funding the Gallardo project way back when, and those dividends would be paid in the form of its own supercar, the R8. Of course, Audis version would feature the trademark ASF space frame, and Audis own engines and gearboxes, but its larger footprint is perfect for the Miura.
And what about engines? For those who are keen on historical accuracies, turn away, as it wont be pretty; the only similarity that the new Miura engine will share with the old is twelve cylinders in a vee configuration. The engine will not be transversely mounted, as it was in the classic version. Theres been talk that for the Miura, Lamborghini is currently developing a new, state-of-the-art compact V12 engine, displacing a volume between the 5.0-liter V10 of the Gallardo and the new 580-horsepower 6.5-liter V12 fitted to the recently updated Murciélago LP640. It is estimated that the new engine will be somewhere in the 6.0-liter range, developing around 550-horsepower with the assistance of FSI direct injection. Like all current Lamborghinis, the Miura will be all-wheel drive, in order to effectively harness the power.
When Lamborghini set out to make the LP400 concept, it was more or less a big birthday gift to itself, and simultaneously to its many fans. Yet, during the few months following its grand American debut the car has become so much more than just a styling exercise. Backed by German money and a newfound willingness to spend on a brand that has experienced exponential growth and resultant profits in recent years, thanks mostly to the new Gallardo, the Miura Concept could become a reality, and very soon at that. Built in limited numbers and sharing a significant portion of its components with that same Gallardo, as well as the future Audi R8, theres a good chance that the Miura could be on the roads in under two years.