Questions of Prototypes

[a007apl]

"VW boss Ferndinand Piech is not satisfied with the new L147's design. He says that the design lacks the Italien flair of its predecessors and incorporates too many Asian influences.

It is very hard to say whether or not it is good or bad that Mr. Piech says no to the design. First of all the modifications on the design will result in a later presentation of the L147. But as it is very hard to see on the pictures of the L147 if the design is more Asian than Italien I am afraid we have to trust Mr. Piech in his judgement.

However I do not think he has made this decission on his own becuase he says that it lacks the Italien flair. That is something you would expect the Italien manegement to say if they were unhappy with the design. So my theory is that the Italien management and perhaps also Norihoko Harada of SZ (Zagato) Design may have been forced by the Asian owners to modify their design like Gandini's Diablo design was modified by Chrystlers designers. And when Audi then bought the company the Italien manegement saw a new chance to get the Italien flair back in the design.

But all this is just my guess. The only thing that is for sure is that Mr. Piech has now made in-house designers work on the design and we will have to wait to see what they come up with when the car is presented at its first motorshow.

By the way I think the design have to be an Italien design and though the presentation might be delayed I think it is a very good sign that the new owners are determened to keep Lamborghini as Italien as possible."

[a007apl]

"The L147 design problems has now prevented the car to appear on the Geneva Motorshow in March 1999. Audi and Lamborghini president, Franz-Josef Paefgen, says that it does not live up to the designs of the earlier Lamborghinis like the Miura, Countach and Diablo.

Therefore he is now negotiating with several designfirms about the design of the L147. He will not tell which designfirms he is going to work with but he has made it clear that it will not be Audi's own team. But going back in time my guess is that the designfirm chosen to design the L147 is likely to be found within the three firms: Bertone, Gandini or Ital Design.

Mr. Paefgen do not know how big the changes in the new design will be and says it can be everything between 0 to 100 % . If it is going to be a 100% change I am afraid we have to wait for a long time before we see the L147 ready for production. But as Mr. Paefgen says Audi injected just around 31.500.000 US$ into the factory to keep the factory going and they are not going to rush anything. But as he says it would be a mistake to rush things and that the new Lamborghini has to be the perfect car.

Further more Mr. Paefgen has once again made it very clear that Audi is not going to use anything from Lamborghini but if Lamborghini needs anything from Audi they just have to ask and they will do anything to help.

This must be considered very good news and I think we are very lucky that Audi took over the factory as such a small factory needs a bigbrother to stay alive."

[a007apl]

"The Lamborghini Calá is going to be a small Lamborghini with a V8 engine. This is not the first time they have tried to make small model but none of their previous V8 models have never really successed. However this new model seems to have every thing it takes to go all the way. And in the year 2000 we will know if the Calá can beat its enemy number one the Ferrari F355 Berlinetta.

As Audi have now bought Lamborghini the Calá is going to get the V8 engine from Audi S8 producing 340 hp. However Lamborghini is going to get much more hp. out of the engine but how much and what will happen with the cars performance I do not know yet.

All the data's below which are written in yellow are not to be trusted 100%. Though the horsepower is written in yellow the engine will get more than 400 hp.



Lamborghini Calá data-board.

Engine: V8, 4172 ccm, 32 valves, 4 overhead camshafts.

425 hp. at 7200 rpm, torque 400 Nm at 5000 rpm, 6 speeds.

Measures: Length 439 cm, width 190 cm, height 122, weight 1290 kg.

Tires: Front 225/40ZR18 and rear 275/40ZR18.

Performance: Topspeed 300 km/t, and 0-100 km/t. in 4,7 sec.

Price: Same as the Berlinetta.



As the car is not completely finished you will have to wait a year or two before you get the final information and testresults of the car. Until then I will do my best to keep you informed at this page. When the serialproduction begins I will of course bring it up at my Lamborghini Topic of the Month page.

The Calá should be ready for production in the year 2000."

[a007apl]

"The long awaited successor to the still radical Lamborghini Diablo will not be unveiled “sometime in June or July” as previously hoped. Well informed Lamborghini car owners already knew the day the car was planned to be presented. That date was to be June 24th.

However, it seems that quality auditors at the company are not completely happy with some of the new components and late in March they recommended that the unveiling be postponed for a couple of months to ensure that suppliers deliver faultless parts. Lamborghini management is said to have readily agreed.

The Diablo successor is now expected to be presented shortly before the Frankfurt Motor Show, possibly at the newly expanded Sant’Agata headquarters. If not, the final deadline for the first showing of the new Lamborghini must be the first press day at the Frankfurt Show.

After decades of Italian design, the new Lamborghini breaks new ground by being the first to come from a “global design” effort. No one outside Lamborghini and its shareholding car companies has yet seen the car but this has not stopped rumours about the cars performance and style within the very active Lamborghini clubs. Such is the level of secrecy surrounding the new car it is still referred to as the 'L147'.

The new Lamborghini was originally to be designed and engineered in co-operation with Stile Bertone but during the design process there were considerable difficulties within the complex relationship between Audi, Lamborghini and Bertone. As a result the agreement was called off and Audi designer, Belgian Luc Donckerlwolke eventually designed the new Lamborghini in-house.

His design was well received not only by Ingolstadt but Sant’Agata as well. So much so, Lamborghini executives wanted to employ Donckerlwolke to establish and run a Lamborghini Design studio in Sant’Agata. Unfortunately for Lamborghini, the idea was not approved by the head of Audi Design who wanted to keep the Belgian designer in Ingolstadt, although Lamborghini is said still to hanker after him.

The ingredients of this new car all sound very promising, although the fundamental issue is not where or by whom the car was designed, or even its looks, but whether it can be considered to be a “real Lamborghini”. This answer is apparently not a simple one as Audi is taking a rather open approach.

Even though past and current Lamborghini owners are very much entitled to give their views on the design of the car, Audi is also asking itself about potential buyers of its new Lamborghini. Will they be the same buyers who have traditionally bought a Lamborghini, or will they be different sorts of people? Lamborghini, of course, hopes both. All this remains to be seen and will only be answered with the arrival of the new supercar.
More buyers wanted

Plans for the new Lamborghini L147 call for a production volume and sales of 450 cars per year, twice as many what Lamborghini was selling when Audi took over. This implies that more buyers are wanted over and above those Lamborghini has been able to attract and maintain in past years.

That style continues to be the most important and distinguishing factor in choosing a Lamborghini is confirmed by the technical and performance specifications for the next generation car. This first “all-new” Lamborghini of the third millennium will not actually be completely new. It will in fact maintain most of the architecture of the Diablo including its 6.0 litre V12 engine matched to a six-speed manual transmission, and the car will continue to be a VT, permanent all wheel drive, two seater supercar.

Of course, all carry over items have been comprehensively updated and modified: performance is greater than before and quality is expected to set new class standards, no mean feat given that the latest Diablo SE with its carbon fibre interior and new seats is already a convincing demonstration of the improvements being made in Sant’Agata with the support of Audi.


Headquarters expanded

Audi financial resources and the long-term vision of the Lamborghini business have been brought to bear on the landscape around the historic Lamborghini headquarters. During the next few weeks construction workers will be completing the Phase I restructuring of company facilities and the whole project will be finished by June as planned. A total of some 8,000 square metres of covered area are also being added.

The most spectacular addition is located on the ground floor, clearly visible day and night from the road: A museum which will tell the story of the company and its supercars across 1,400 squared metres of floor space.

Changes are not confined to just presentation. The research and development department has received a major boost not only in the numbers of people, up from 80 to 160, but in surface area as well. A new area has been also been created, containing both an impressive workshop working solely on the restoration of classic Lamborghinis, as well as an extensive after sales service department.


Smaller Lamborghini for 2004

The really big step for Lamborghini is planned for 2003, when the company will be 40 years old. The company will celebrate this milestone with the launch of its “smaller Lamborghini”, the L 140.

The new car will be a little smaller than recent Lamborghinis, but will certainly be no less of a performer than the one being launched this year. The L 140 is reported to be powered by a new V10 engine being developed by the Lamborghini project management team within the “world of Audi” (which also includes Cosworth, among other R&D facilities) and this car is known to have “more than 400 HP”.

The L140s aim is clear: become the Lamborghini alternative to the Ferrari 360 Modena and its successor. Lamborghini production plans call for the L140 to be produced and sold at the rate of 1500 units in its first full production year, likely to be 2004. If everything goes as planned, by 2005 Lamborghini should be producing and selling 2,000 cars per year.

Phase III takes place in 2004, and it is intended that it be planned and financed by Lamborghini themselves, for the future for the company under Audi depends very much on the success of the 2001 L 147 and the 2003 L 140.

“No other Lamborghinis are currently under development” says Giuseppe Greco, managing director of Automobili Lamborghini, before adding, “at this time we can only think and talk about what sort of car we should create next”.

[a007apl]

UNVEILING OF DIABLO SUCCESSOR DELAYED UNTIL SEPTEMBER.

The long awaited successor to the still radical Lamborghini Diablo will not be unveiled "sometime in June or July²" as previously hoped.
Well informed Lamborghini car owners already knew the date that the new car was planned to be presented to the press and members of Lamborghini Owners Clubs from all over the world. That date was to be June 24th.
However, it seems that quality auditors at the company are not completely happy with some of the new components and late in March they recommended that the unveiling be postponed for a couple of months to ensure that suppliers deliver faultless components. Lamborghini management is said to have readily agreed.
The Diablo successor is now expected to be presented shortly before the Frankfurt Motor Show, possibly at the newly expanded Sant¹Agata headquarters. If not, the final deadline for the first showing of the new Lamborghini must be the first (?) press day at the Frankfurt Show

NAME OF THE DESIGNER IS KNOWN. THAT OF THE NEW SUPERCAR STILL A SECRET.

After decades of Italian design, the new Lamborghini breaks new ground by being the first to come from a "global design" effort.
No one outside Lamborghini and its shareholding car companies has yet seen the car but this has not stopped rumours about the cars performance and style within the very active Lamborghini clubs. Such is the level of secrecy surrounding the new car it is still referred to as the "L147".
The new Lamborghini was originally to be designed and engineered in co-operation with Stile Bertone but during the design process there were considerable difficulties within the complex relationship between Audi, Lamborghini and Bertone. As a result the agreement was called off and Audi designer, Belgian Luc Donkerwolke (???), eventually designed the new Lamborghini in-house.
His design was well received not only by Ingolstadt but Sant'Agata as well. So much so, Lamborghini executives wanted to employ Donkerwolke to establish and run a Lamborghini Design studio in Sant'Agata.
Unfortunately for Lamborghini, the idea was not approved by the head of Audi Design who wanted to keep the Belgian designer in Ingolstadt, although Lamborghini is said still to hanker after him. The ingredients of this new car all sound very promising, although the fundamental issue is not where or by whom the car was designed, or even it¹s looks, but whether it can be considered to be a "real Lamborghini". This answer is apparently is not a simple one as Audi is taking a rather controversial approach. Even though past and current Lamborghini owners are very much entitled to give their views on the design of the car, Audi is also asking itself about potential buyers of its new Lamborghini. Will they be the same buyers who have traditionally bought a Lamborghini, or will they be different sorts of people? Lamborghini, of course, hopes both. All this remains to be seen and will only be answered with the arrival of the new supercar.

MORE BUYERS WANTED

Plans for the new Lamborghini L147 call for a production volume and sales of 450 cars per year, twice as many what Lamborghini was selling when Audi took over. This implies that more buyers are wanted over and above those Lamborghini has been able to attract and maintain in past years.
That style continues to be the most important and distinguishing factor in choosing a Lamborghini is confirmed by the technical and performance specification for the next generation car. This first "all-new" Lamborghini of the third millennium will not actually be completely new. It will in fact maintain most of the architecture of the Diablo including its 6.0 litre V12 engine matched to a six-speed manual transmission, and the car will continue to be a VT, permanent all wheel drive, two seater supercar.
Of course, all carry over items have been comprehensively updated and modified: performance is greater than before and quality is expected to set new class standards, no mean feat given that the latest Diablo S.E. with its carbon fibre interior and new seats is already a convincing demonstration of the improvements being made in Sant¹Agata with the support of Audi.

HEADQUARTERS EXPANDED

Audi financial resources and the long-term vision of the Lamborghini business have been brought to bear on the landscape around the historic Lamborghini headquarters. During the next few weeks construction workers will be completing the Phase I restructuring of company facilities and the whole project will be finished by June as planned. A total of some 8,000 square metres of covered area are also being added. The most spectacular addition is located on the ground floor, clearly visible day and night from the road: A museum which will tell the story of the company and its supercars across 1,400 squared metres of floor space.
Changes are not confined to just presentation. The research and development department has received a major boost not only in the numbers of people, up from 80 to 160, but in surface area as well, up from 1300 to 3000 sq. metres. A new area has been also been created, containing both an impressive workshop working solely on the restoration of classic Lamborghinis, as well as an extensive aftersales service department.
More space has also been allocated to sales and marketing, general management and the employees¹ canteen.
PHASE 2 CALL FOR PROUCTION TO REACH 2000 CAR BY 2004 WITH "SMALLER LAMBORGHINI
The really big step for Lamborghini is planned for 2003, when the company will be 40 years old. The company will celebrate this milestone with the launch of its "smaller Lamborghini", the L 140.
The new car will be a little smaller than recent Lamborghinis, but will certainly be no less of a performer than the one being launched this year. The L140 is reported to be powered by a new V10 engine being developed by the Lamborghini project management team within the "world of Audi" (which also includes Cosworth, among other R&D facilities) and this car is known to have "more than 400 HP".
The L140s aim is clear: become the Lamborghini alternative to the Ferrari 360 Modena and its successor.
Lamborghini production plans call for the L 140 to be produced and sold at the rate of 1500 units in its first full production year, likely to be 2004. If everything goes as planned, by 2005 Lamborghini should be producing and selling 2,000 cars per year.
Phase III takes place in 2004, and it is intended that it be planned and financed by Lamborghini themselves, for the future for the company under Audi depends very much on the success of the 2001 L 147 and the 2003 L 140.
"No other Lamborghinis are currently under development" says Giuseppe Greco, managing director of Automobili Lamborghini, before adding, "at this time we can only think and talk about what is happening now and what will happen in the near future".

By Giancarlo Perini. ©
April 10th, 2001
Copyright 2001 Crisalide Press srl

[a007apl]

"With its newly developed 6-litre V12 with about 660 HP, the new Lamborghini Diablo, code-named L147 and possibly badged the Cato, will be quite as fast and somewhat more eye-catching than the up-coming new Ferrari F60, but considerably lower priced than its Italian competitor. Expected to debut in late 2001, the new Diablo will mark Lamborghini’s entry into a new era after solving financial troubles with constantly changing owners, with bad quality standards and low sales-figure. New owner Audi is said to have a watchful eye on build-quality, reliability and technical refinement. However, exclusivity, image and power are no matter of improvements. The new Diablo will come with all-wheel drive and a modern mid-mounted V12 with variable valve-timing to further squeeze power output and make the car more agile and potent. The body will consist of a mix of steel, aluminium and carbon fibre."

[a007apl]

"The Lamborghini L140 is going to be a small Lamboghini like the Urraco. Most of you probably know the Calá which was ItalDesign's suggestion to the small Lamborghini, (and I fine suggestion it was!). But when Audi took over the factory Bertone was hired to design all future Lamborghinis.

Originally Audi had thought of building the L140 so it could use as many components from the Audi as possible to keep the costs to a minimum. But they soon found out that the Lamborghini enthusiast wanted a true Lamborghini engine built by Lamborghini.

However it will take a couple of years before the car is ready and no one really knows which engine will be used. However there are 4 possibilities as it is now. The first one is a modified V8 4,2 l. engine from the Audi S8. The second is the V10 8.0 l. engine from the Dodge Viper developed from the Lamborghini Off Shore engines. The third is the V10 engine designed by Lamborghini for the Calá prototype. And the last is the possibility of building a brand new V8 engine on the basis of the Urraco engine."

The factory are very serious about building the L140 but at the moment the are using all their energy in completing the L147. However all the drawings for a new factory building are ready but as it is now they are standing by. The L140 is scheduled to be ready in 2003 and they assume that the annual production will be 750 per year.

[a007apl]

"Automobili Lamborghini CEO Giuseppe Greco confirmed at the Detroit auto show that the automaker's L147 project will be unveiled between June and July, publicly debuting in September at the Frankfurt show and going on sale shortly after.
The L147 is the Lamborghini's first brand new car since 1990. Production is returning to over 300 units a year, pointing to 450 cars for 2002.

The first new Lamborghini since the Audi takeover in July 1998, the L147 is still without a proper name. "We selected eight possible names and we felt confident at least a couple of them could usable but, boy, our competitors have already deposited everything! We have already built the fifth prototype of the new car, but we had to begin again from scratch to search for its name", Greco said.

The L147 will be above the Diablo in terms of performance and features, but won't cost a lot more, as it benefits "of more modern production techniques and of the first synergies with Audi, mainly on the purchase of components", Greco said.

The L147 interior and exterior were penned by a Lamborghini-Audi common team, leaded by Luc Donkerwolcke, a young Belgian designer working at Audi styling center in Ingolstadt, Germany.

On the technical side, the L147 is very close to the Diablo, being based on a steel tubular frame coupled with carbon fiber body panels, while the roof and the doors are in aluminum.

The DOHC, 48 valve 6-liter V12 engine is an evolution of the Diablo 6.0 introduced at the Detroit show in January 2000. Power will be very close to 600 hp, confirming Lamborghini as the maker of the most powerful production car in the world.

The L147 will feature the first 6-speed gearbox in Lamborghini history, while it will be offered only with permanent four wheel drive, the VT (viscous traction) system introduced in 1994 on the Diablo. "All our normal production cars will come with 4WD standard, only limited editions or racing versions could be offered with rear wheel drive" said Greco. Lamborghini stopped to make 2WD normal Diablos in late 1998 and last summer completed the limited run of 80 Diablo GTs, a 2WD model too.

The L147, to be unveiled in the completely upgraded Lamborghini headquarters of Sant'Agata Bolognese, near Modena, will debut as a coupe. Other body variants, possibly a roadster, and more performing versions as SV and GT, most likely will follow. Instead of the model year concept, Lamborghini is planning to add new variants every year, Greco said.

On the number side, the L147 is being tooled for 2 units a day, or 450 pieces a year. The Diablo was tooled for 3 units a year, but only in its first full year was built in a significant volume - 672 units - shortly after falling in the region of a fraction more than a car a day, or 230-240 a year.

In 1998 Lamborghini built 231 cars, 265 in 1999 and 296 in 2000, considerably better that the 270 units budgeted.

The renewed Diablo 6.0 accounted for 201 units, plus 60 units of the GT and the final lot of 35 Roadsters for USA only.

USA remained by far Lamborghini's biggest market, absorbing 100 units, followed by Germany with 40 and Switzerland with 30 cars. Turnover for 2000 was not announced yet, but Greco said it will surpass Euro 50 million.

The plan for 2001 is to surpass 300 units, making over 100 Diablo 6.0 - that will remain in production also after the introduction of the new car - and about 200 units of the new L147.

Now that the L147 is almost finished, Lamborghini is rushing to add its second new car, the L140. Now expected to be unveiled in summer 2003, as the focal point of the company 40 year celebrations, it will boost the company production to 2,000 units a year, being planned for 1,500 cars at full stream. If launched today, the L140 could cost around $135-140,000.

The car will be brand new, featuring an aluminum spaceframe developed in cooperation with Audi. The entire body will also be in aluminum. Lamborghini is not confirming any technical detail on the L140, understood to feature a brand new 48-valve, V10 engine of over 4 liters and more than 400 hp, completely developed in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The L140, to be launched too as a 4WD coupe only, will come with a new 6-speed gearbox offered both in fully manual version and with a sequential, F1-style system. This clutch-free system is understood to be Magneti Marelli's Selespeed, already offered by Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Mercedes Benz. On the styling side, Greco said only the L140 was penned by an Italian, which prevailed in a design competition that saw 5 scale models coming from four different sources: Audi styling center and three Italians. According to rumors coming from Turin, for the L140 design Lamborghini called Stile Bertone, Italdesign-Giugiaro and a freelance, Marcello Gandini, who penned all the production Lamborghinis since the Miura. Italdesign is said to have prevailed, but Fabrizio Giugiaro, the head of Styling & Models division of the company met at the Detroit show, refused to comment. His father Giorgetto, in his 45 year career - first at Bertone and Ghia and then as an independent designer - penned exotic cars for Maserati, De Tomaso, Iso Rivolta and Lotus, but never a Lamborghini. With the L140, the son is said to have won where his father never managed to, as the new car is - according to a supplier involved in the project - the work of Fabrizio Giugiaro."

[a007apl]

Lamborghini going to war with Ferrari over the US
By Staff

According to a report on the AutoWeek Web site, Lamborghini is gearing up for a car war with Ferrari, with North America acting as the battleground.

Known for its Countaches and Diablos, Lamborghini looks like its already made some gains against its performance/sports car competitor, as it has already recruited key technical talent from Ferrari's own US service organization.

The story reported that Ken McKay, who ran Ferrari's US service network for two decades, has already recruited several Ferrari technicians for his Boston-based Lamborghini Technical Services.

AutoWeek also spoke to unnamed Ferrari representatives who said it was only a matter of time before Lamborghini caught up to the automaker. One source told the magazine that, in the past, typical Lamborghini buyers purchased its rivals offerings because they couldn't get their hands on a Ferrari. Now, Lamborghini's are more competitive vehicles, and could be a true alternative choice for super car buyers.

The report speculated that Lamborghini's increase in quality is due in no small part to Audi acquiring the automaker in 1998. Under the Volkswagen umbrella, Audi is known world-wide for its product leadership.

Also, Lamborghini has a brand new offering coming out soon, in the Diablo replacing L147. The super-luxury sports coupe is scheduled to be unveiled in Frankfurt in September and will make its US debut next year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The story also speculated that deliveries of the first L147 models to could occur before the January showing.

Lamborghini has apparently promised that the L147 will be better than the Diablo in performance and features, although pricing has yet to be determined.

The particulars of the L147 include a DOHC, 48-valve 6.0-litre V12 engine, unique to Lamborghini, and rumoured to produce about 600 horsepower. The L147 is similar to the Diablo with its tubular steel frame, carbon-fibre body panels and aluminum roof and doors. Lamborghini is also reportedly thinking debuting the vehicle as a coupe, and will then add other variants like a roadster or some other higher-performance version.

According to AutoWeek, Lamborghini will targeting Ferrari's in other aspects as well, including the 360 Modena market. The story says by summer of 2003, Lamborghini will return to the medium-sized, mid-engined super sports car class, and will introduce a V10-powered, all-aluminum, all-wheel-drive coupe capable of rivalling Ferrari's top seller. The new L140 model will likely be based on the Cala, and come with its 400-hp, 3.9-litre 40-valve V10.

Don't hand the victory to Lamborghini just yet though, says AutoWeek, The Italian super car company must first increase its production numbers if US sales are to increase, and to subsequently make inroads into Ferrari's market. The magazine did add that Lamborghini officials are preparing to build more than 400 L147s per year, with at least 140 earmarked for the US, along with at least 1500 L140s.

[a007apl]

http://www.autoitalia.f-1.ru/History...lambhist8.html
Pic /Russian page

[a007apl]

The year was 1988. The Viper hadn't been shown yet. There was no Intrepid. And LH wasn't even recognized as "Last Hope" yet. In fact, the most exotic offering Chrysler had was Lamborghini that Lee Iacocca stood proudly beside when "he liked the car so much, he bought the company". What a leader!

What's the Story?

The Portofino featured trademark Lamborghini gull-wing doors (the rears opened in suicide fashion) and a new 3.5L 225 hp 24v V6 engine powering all four wheels. The tires were 225/50-16 (wide at that time...).

Although the concept never became a Lamborghini production vehicle, it clearly influenced future Chrysler styling. The Chrysler Design Studio concept clearly foreshadowed the cab-forward theme for the 1993 LH cars, especially the Intrepid.

But other features of this car also came to to reach more humble production models.



Sharp eyes will look at the headlights and instantly recognize them ... as foglights that were later used on the 1989 Daytona Shelby or Spirit ES. I'm sure some of you may think it's odd for me to look for things like this ... but surely there's someone out there who cares...



And what about that interior design? Doesn't it look similar to the redesigned interior on the 1990 Daytona & LeBaron? Notice especially the instrument pod, which housed the light switches, wipers, fog lamps and - yes - even the turn signal indicator, just like the Daytona & LeBaron.

As for the window-within-a-window treatment? Only the Subaru SVX decided to put that into a regular production car ... unsuccessfully.

There is a great story surrounding this car. While being transported, the semi-truck hauling the million-dollar concept vehicle was involved in an accident and the Portofino was "written-off". But it was put back together piece by piece until it was in "better condition" than before the accident.

Where is the Portofino Now?



The Portofino's new home is parked upstairs at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
http://www.pinnaclecda.com/DaimlerCh...0Portofino.htm
Pics here

[a007apl]

"Lamborghini to produce first brand new car since 1990 (01/10/2001)

Automobili Lamborghini CEO Giuseppe Greco confirmed at the Detroit auto show that the automaker's L147 project will be unveiled between June and July, publicly debuting in September at the Frankfurt show and going on sale shortly after.

The L147 is the Lamborghini's first brand new car since 1990. Production is returning to over 300 units a year, pointing to 450 cars for 2002.

The first new Lamborghini since the Audi takeover in July 1998, the L147 is still without a proper name. "We selected eight possible names and we felt confident at least a couple of them could usable but, boy, our competitors have already deposited everything! We have already built the fifth prototype of the new car, but we had to begin again from scratch to search for its name", Greco said.

The L147 will be above the Diablo in terms of performance and features, but won't cost a lot more, as it benefits "of more modern production techniques and of the first synergies with Audi, mainly on the purchase of components", Greco said.

The L147 interior and exterior were penned by a Lamborghini-Audi common team, leaded by Luc Donkerwolcke, a young Belgian designer working at Audi styling center in Ingolstadt, Germany.

On the technical side, the L147 is very close to the Diablo, being based on a steel tubular frame coupled with carbon fiber body panels, while the roof and the doors are in aluminum.

The DOHC, 48 valve 6-liter V12 engine is an evolution of the Diablo 6.0 introduced at the Detroit show in January 2000. Power will be very close to 600 hp, confirming Lamborghini as the maker of the most powerful production car in the world.

The L147 will feature the first 6-speed gearbox in Lamborghini history, while it will be offered only with permanent four wheel drive, the VT (viscous traction) system introduced in 1994 on the Diablo. "All our normal production cars will come with 4WD standard, only limited editions or racing versions could be offered with rear wheel drive" said Greco. Lamborghini stopped to make 2WD normal Diablos in late 1998 and last summer completed the limited run of 80 Diablo GTs, a 2WD model too.

The L147, to be unveiled in the completely upgraded Lamborghini headquarters of Sant'Agata Bolognese, near Modena, will debut as a coupe. Other body variants, possibly a roadster, and more performing versions as SV and GT, most likely will follow. Instead of the model year concept, Lamborghini is planning to add new variants every year, Greco said.

On the number side, the L147 is being tooled for 2 units a day, or 450 pieces a year. The Diablo was tooled for 3 units a year, but only in its first full year was built in a significant volume - 672 units - shortly after falling in the region of a fraction more than a car a day, or 230-240 a year.

In 1998 Lamborghini built 231 cars, 265 in 1999 and 296 in 2000, considerably better that the 270 units budgeted.

The renewed Diablo 6.0 accounted for 201 units, plus 60 units of the GT and the final lot of 35 Roadsters for USA only.

USA remained by far Lamborghini's biggest market, absorbing 100 units, followed by Germany with 40 and Switzerland with 30 cars. Turnover for 2000 was not announced yet, but Greco said it will surpass Euro 50 million.

The plan for 2001 is to surpass 300 units, making over 100 Diablo 6.0 - that will remain in production also after the introduction of the new car - and about 200 units of the new L147.

Now that the L147 is almost finished, Lamborghini is rushing to add its second new car, the L140. Now expected to be unveiled in summer 2003, as the focal point of the company 40 year celebrations, it will boost the company production to 2,000 units a year, being planned for 1,500 cars at full stream. If launched today, the L140 could cost around $135-140,000.

The car will be brand new, featuring an aluminum spaceframe developed in cooperation with Audi. The entire body will also be in aluminum. Lamborghini is not confirming any technical detail on the L140, understood to feature a brand new 48-valve, V10 engine of over 4 liters and more than 400 hp, completely developed in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The L140, to be launched too as a 4WD coupe only, will come with a new 6-speed gearbox offered both in fully manual version and with a sequential, F1-style system. This clutch-free system is understood to be Magneti Marelli's Selespeed, already offered by Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Mercedes Benz. On the styling side, Greco said only the L140 was penned by an Italian, which prevailed in a design competition that saw 5 scale models coming from four different sources: Audi styling center and three Italians. According to rumors coming from Turin, for the L140 design Lamborghini called Stile Bertone, Italdesign-Giugiaro and a freelance, Marcello Gandini, who penned all the production Lamborghinis since the Miura. Italdesign is said to have prevailed, but Fabrizio Giugiaro, the head of Styling & Models division of the company met at the Detroit show, refused to comment. His father Giorgetto, in his 45 year career - first at Bertone and Ghia and then as an independent designer - penned exotic cars for Maserati, De Tomaso, Iso Rivolta and Lotus, but never a Lamborghini. With the L140, the son is said to have won where his father never managed to, as the new car is - according to a supplier involved in the project - the work of Fabrizio Giugiaro."

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BY LUCA CIFERRI

Lamborghini’s anticipated turnaround begins this year, with its first new car since the Audi takeover in 1998—actually, its first all-new car since 1990.

With nearly 600 horsepower on tap, it should be the world’s most powerful production car. At the Detroit auto show, Automobili Lamborghini CEO Giuseppe Greco confirmed the L147 will be shown to the press in midsummer, to the public in September at the Frankfurt show and go on sale shortly thereafter.

But L147 is still without a name; competitors had already claimed eight names Lamborghini considered.

“We have already built the fifth prototype of the new car, but we had to begin again from scratch to search for its name,” Greco said.

While outperforming Diablo and boasting more features, the L147 won’t cost much more, the result of modern production techniques and lower parts costs due to affiliation with Audi, Greco said.

The interior and exterior were penned by a Lamborghini-Audi team led by Luc Donkerwolcke, a young Belgian at Audi’s styling center in Ingolstadt, Germany. The car is technically similar to the Diablo it will supplant, with a steel tubular frame, carbon fiber body panels and aluminum roof and doors. The 48-valve, dohc 6.0-liter V12 is an evolution of the current Diablo 6.0. It couples to Lamborghini’s first-ever six-speed gearbox, plus full-time four-wheel drive. It will debut as a coupe, with a roadster and SV and GT “performance” versions to follow. Plans call for about 100 cars in 2001, along with over 200 Diablo 6.0 models. Eventually, the company expects to produce 450 L147s per year.

Lamborghini production will expand to 2000 cars per year with the addition of the L140, expected in summer 2003 as the focal point of the company’s 40th anniversary celebration. Targeted at the Ferrari 360 Modena, the L140 aims to outperform the Ferrari by 10 to 15 percent, at a similar price. If launched today, it would cost about $135,000.

Its aluminum spaceframe and body were developed in cooperation with Audi. Expect a 400-plus-hp, 4.0-liter 40-valve V10 in a 4wd coupe with a six-speed manual or sequential, F1-style gearbox.

Greco said the Italian design was chosen in competition among four sources: Audi’s styling center and three Italian firms. Italdesign reportedly prevailed, but Fabrizio Giugiaro, head of the firm’s Styling & Models division, declined comment. His father, Giorgio, styled exotics for Maserati, De Tomaso, Iso Rivolta and Lotus in his 45-year career, but never a Lamborghini.

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(09:45 July 09, 2001) Lamborghini readying for a run at Ferrari for U.S. market dominance
By BOB GRITZINGER
Lamborghini, long considered an also-ran to Ferrari, has its rival Italian automaker square in its sights as it gears up for a major assault on the lucrative North American supercar market. And the newly emboldened car builder known for its Countaches and Diablos is starting its push by recruiting key technical talent from Ferrari's own U.S. service organization.

Ken McKay, who ran Ferrari's U.S. service network for two decades until the 1990s, has already recently recruited several veteran Ferrari technicians for his fledgling, Boston-based Lamborghini Technical Services. "The key is to have the talent-we really needed a good couple of guys," said McKay. "I thought I did pretty good."

Pretty good? Though McKay's forays so far have provoked a simple "no comment" from Ferrari of North America, others in the Ferrari ranks see where this confrontation is headed. A Ferrari dealer who asked not to be identified said the days when Lamborghini was content to sell cars to buyers who weren't able to get a Ferrari may be numbered. "The first thing they need is spectacular product, which they don't have yet," said the dealer. "But it's not a question of 'if,' it's just a question of 'when' [Lamborghini will become a stronger competitor]."

Product is coming-thanks in no small part to Audi's acquisition of Lamborghini in 1998. Audi's parent company, Volkswagen, is known worldwide for its product leadership, and VW CEO Ferdinand Piech is bringing that same strength to bear on Lamborghini.

First up is the much-anticipated Diablo replacement, the L147. The super-luxury sports coupe will be unveiled in Frankfurt in September and will make its U.S. debut next January in Detroit. Deliveries of the first models to U.S. dealers could occur before the January showing.

Lamborghini CEO Giuseppe Greco has promised L147 will be better than the Diablo in performance and features. Pricing has not been determined.

The L147 will be powered by a dohc, 48-valve 6.0-liter V12-unique to Lambor-ghini-expected to produce about 600 horsepower. Like the Diablo, L147 is based on a tubular steel frame with carbon-fiber body panels and aluminum roof and doors.

Though the car will debut as a coupe, Greco says Lamborghini also plans each year to add other L147 variants, such as a roadster or higher-performance versions.

What Lamborghini is really after is a slice of Ferrari's bread-and-butter 360 Modena market. In summer 2003-Lamborghini's 40th anniversary-the company will end a two-decade hiatus from the medium-sized, mid-engined super sports car class: It will introduce a V10-powered, all-aluminum, all-wheel-drive coupe capable of rivaling the Ferrari's top seller. Reports that Lamborghini is drawing heavily on its Cala show car for the new L140 model mean the "baby Diablo" will likely come with Cala's 400-hp, 3.9-liter 40-valve V10. With a 2800-pound curb weight, the L140 is expected to turn five-second 0-to-62-mph times with a 180-mph top end. The Ferrari Modena has a 400-hp V8 capable of similar acceleration and speed.

For Lambo's product plan to work, the company must also boost production-and U.S. sales-if it aims to make serious inroads into Ferrari's market. With that in mind, Lambor ghini officials are preparing to build more than 400 L147s per year (35 percent earmarked for the States), along with at least 1500 L140s. That's a robust goal, considering Ferrari posted U.S. sales of 1024 cars in 2000. Lamborghini, by contrast, sold 30 cars here.

That's where McKay and his key service people come in, providing the kind of support that up to 18 U.S. dealerships will need to convince buyers that a Lamborghini should be their first choice.

"You want to try to give them the best technical support you can," said McKay.

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"Lamborghini has contemplated the idea of a high volume "affordable" exotic for a number of years. The Jalpa, which was the most recent attempt at such a car was not as popular as Lamborghini would have hoped, thus the high production numbers were not feasible. Therefore a new project began called P140 back in the late 80’s. A prototype was constructed during the initial stages of the project. It was a black on black car with the newly developed V10 engine. While still in the developmental stages, the factory was bought by Chrysler. When Chrysler acquired the factory in 1987, the idea was given a new head of steam, interest was rejuvenated and now the financial backing was available.

With a prototype put together using existing technology and available mechanical equipment Chrysler had the hard part already accomplished. The powerplant was via the Lamborghini V10 that shelled out more than 400bhp. The prototype was painted orange and some testing took place with a steel tube frame chassis and the V10. The project never seemed to accelerate to a pace sufficient to maintain momentum. In an effort to cut rising expenses, Chrysler indefinitely cancelled the project in 1991. Chrysler interest and funding waned causing the project to be mothballed.

With yet new owners at the reigns of this mighty bull, there is new backing. There is considerable merit to this effort as it has already produced results. The proper public release of information has kept the world on its toes as the days unfold, each a step closer to a truly deserving "Baby Diablo"

Enter ItalDesign with the new excitement. Giorgetto Giugiaro penned his interpretation of what the "Baby Diablo" should look like. By no direct commission from Lamborghini, ItalDesign began this work on their proposed version of the car several years ago. At the design and mock-up completion stage of the effort, Lamborghini supplied one of three existing rolling chassis of the P/L140. The design culminated into what became known as the Cala.

The car has changed somewhat since its original public appearance. Major configuration features are unchanged. Minor details have changed such as the rear wing is now body colour, and the elimination of the engine cooling ducts that were mounted on the rear quarter flanks. They were regarded as "tacky" by the general public and posed a serious aerodynamic detriment and consequently they were removed.

The overall shape of the car has some very aggressive angles and some that are somewhat subtle. Giorgetto Giugiaro headed the design of the Cala. The objective was to reminisce the classic styling of several past Lamborghinis, namely the Miura, Countach and even Diablo. Careful scrutiny will reveal shared aspects such as the Miura-like open headlights and engine-bay cover, the Countach windshield root, and even Diablo side glass styling while sporting several design traits unique to the Cala, such as the partial glass removable top.

The chassis is comprised of pre-formed aluminium panels with a composite body. Power would be supplied by the debut Lamborghini V-10 which is crafted in the famous Italian style. It is a 4.0 litre, 4-valves per cylinder, 90-degree V-10 powerhouse that produces over 400bhp at 7200 rpm. Power is transmitted to the ground via a new six-speed transmission. Overall weight is a scant 2850 lbs. Reports thus far have reaffirmed the brilliant sound and solid power throughout the full rpm range. It certainly maintains the image and dominance of the Diablo while supplying all new thrills of its own, it is a Lamborghini through and through.

Could the search for the design of the baby bull have ended? Lamborghini has not yet officially accepted the design because it is working on its version of the Baby Diablo as well. Peter Stevens has been appointed as the engineer to fulfil the requirement. His experience with McLaren and Lotus afford him with a more than adequate ability to perform this task. There are several rumours of a couple of other design style houses working on possible P/L140 designs as well. If all the designs come to a point of completion, such as the ItalDesign Cala, Lamborghini will choose between them and their own design. Projected production is estimated for 1997.

Regardless of the final exterior design, the car promises to be a hot performer becoming of the prestigious name of Lamborghini. As an affordable exotic of excellent performance, just lacking the brute strength of the Diablo the resulting car will be in direct competition with the highly acclaimed Ferrari 355.

The next major step in coming closer to a production Baby Diablo is the public release of Lamborghini’s prototype version of the P/L140 chassis and styling design. Lamborghini enthusiasts must wait yet but a little longer.