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89-575: The Lamborghini Murciélago is a sports car produced by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini between 2001 and 2010. The successor to the Diablo and flagship V12 of the automaker's lineup, the Murciélago was introduced as a coupé in 2001. The car was first available in North America for the 2002 model year. The Murciélago was Lamborghini's first new design in eleven years, and was also

178-530: A Gianni Versace logo plaque on the centre console. Each unit came with matching Versace luggage, along with driving shoes and gloves. A matching watch from Versace's Precious Items department was also made available to customers. In 2009, Lamborghini released a limited-run update of the Murciélago Roadster (50 units). The LP 650-4's increased engine output is rated at 650 PS (478 kW; 641 hp) and 660 N⋅m (487 lbf⋅ft), allowing

267-710: A LMS race. The drivers of the IPB Spartak Racing car were Russian, Roman Rusinov , and Dutch, Peter Kox . The Lamborghini made a pole position but was moved to the end of the grid due to some technical irregularities. They finished 2 laps ahead of the lead Corvette to take the second international win for a Lamborghini GT car. The Lamborghini Murciélago RG-1 was built for the Japan Lamborghini Owners Club ( JLOC ) to compete in Japanese Super GT series in 2004. In March 2006,

356-596: A carbon fibre framework. The car's weight was also reduced by 100 kg (220 lb) through the extensive use of carbon fibre inside and out. A new, lighter exhaust system also helps in saving weight. The interior was also trimmed in Alcantara as a weight saving measure. As a result of the extensive weight loss, the SV has a power-to-weight ratio of 429 hp/long ton. The LP 640's optional 15-inch carbon-ceramic disc brakes with 6 piston callipers came as standard equipment with

445-399: A controversial choice for a "purist" sports car. The Elan sold poorly and was discontinued after three years. The 1996 Lotus Elise , a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive roadster, was much more successful and remained in production until 2021. Roadsters enjoyed a resurgence in the mid-1990s, including the 1989-present Mazda MX-5 , the 1995-2002 BMW Z3 (succeeded by the 2002-2016 BMW Z4 ),

534-409: A definition. Insurance companies have also attempted to use mathematical formulae to categorise sports cars, often charging more for insurance due to the inherent risk of performance driving. There is no fixed distinction between sports cars and other categories of performance cars, such as muscle cars and grand tourers , with some cars being members of several categories. Traditionally,

623-574: A leather bag supplied with the car in order to store it in the front compartment when not in use. The designer, Luc Donckerwolke used the B-2 stealth bomber , the Wally 118 WallyPower yacht, and architect Santiago Calatrava's Ciutat de Les Arts i Les Ciències in Valencia , Spain as his inspiration for the roadster's revised rear pillars and engine cover. The roadster weighs 29 kg (65 lb) more than

712-398: A limited production run of fifty 40th-Anniversary Edition Murciélagos. Enhancements over the standard car included a limited-edition blue body color that was called "Verde Artemis", carbon-fibre exterior detailing, upgraded wheels, a revamped exhaust system, and a numbered plaque on the inside of the rear window. The interior also featured unique leather trim. The Murciélago LP 640 Versace

801-609: A look that would bring increased brand awareness and sales to the marque. His first visible contribution to SEAT was the SEAT Tribu concept, unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show; he later penned the 2008 SEAT Ibiza . In September 2012, Donckerwolke was appointed Bentley Director of Design, overseeing the design of future Bentley models, replacing Dirk van Braeckel who moved to Volkswagen Group Design. In June 2015 Bentley announced Stefan Sielaff as his successor: "Mr Sielaff replaces Mr Donckerwolke who has decided to leave

890-439: A maximum power output 670 PS (493 kW; 661 hp) at 8,000 rpm and 660 N⋅m (487 lb⋅ft) of torque at 6,500 rpm, due to revised valve timing and upgraded intake system. The air intakes were made bigger for better brake cooling and the front spoiler extended much farther for improved downforce. The engine cover was specially designed for the SV and consisted of three hexagonal plexiglass plates supported by

979-399: A pressed-steel chassis, a gated 4-speed transmission, pushrod-actuated overhead inlet valves , a honeycomb radiator, low-tension magneto ignition , a long wheelbase, a low center of mass and a very effective suspension system. The overall result was a "safe and well-balanced machine" with a higher performance than any other contemporary production car. At the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup ,

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1068-427: A production Simplex 60 hp was entered only due to a specially-built 90 hp racing car being destroyed in a fire; the 60 hp famously went on to win the race. The 1910 Austro-Daimler 27/80 is another early sports car which had success in motor racing. The 27/80 was designed by Ferdinand Porsche , who drove the car to victory in the 1910 Prince Henry Tour motor race. The Vauxhall and Austro-Daimler —like

1157-498: A roadster version. The Murciélago is featured on the cover and in the car roster of the racing video game Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 . A Murciélago LP 640 in police livery is also featured in the promotional video of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit alongside a Pagani Zonda Cinque. The Murciélago Roadster was used in the 2005 film Batman Begins and the Murciélago LP 640 was used in its sequel The Dark Knight . It

1246-461: A simple and clean look with all the major controls along with the gearshift knob integrated into the central tunnel. The first generation cars were known simply as Murciélago. The 6,192 cc (6.2 L; 377.9 cu in) naturally aspirated V12 engine installed in the first generation cars generated a maximum power output of 580 PS (572 hp; 427 kW) at 7,500 rpm and 650 N⋅m (479 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,400 rpm, accelerating

1335-520: A top speed of 342 km/h (213 mph) when the car is fitted with an optional smaller spoiler, or 337 km/h (209 mph) with the standard Aeropack spoiler. According to Maurizio Reggiani , head of Lamborghini R&D at the time, the LP 670–4 SV's steering was tuned for high-speed sensitivity. The original production plan of the ultimate Murciélago was limited to 350 cars. However, an Instagram page known as "@murcielagosv.registry" has been tracking

1424-597: A two-year stint at Audi Design. He spent 1994 to 1996 working at the Škoda Design Center in Mlada Boleslav, in the Czech Republic, where he contributed to the 1996 Škoda Octavia and 1999 Škoda Fabia . After Škoda he returned to Audi responsible for concept development, operating out of Ingolstadt for one year and Munich for another. It was during this time he worked on the Audi A4 Avant and

1513-464: Is a Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. Sports car A sports car is a type of car that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling , acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1910s and are currently produced by many manufacturers around the world. Definitions of sports cars often relate to how

1602-561: Is a modified version of the Murciélago. The car's mechanical underpinnings and engine are identical to those of the Murciélago LP 640. However, cosmetics are all unique. Interior and exterior styling were inspired by stealth fighter design, taking cues from aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor . Only 21 units were built, of which one was retained by the factory to be exhibited in the Lamborghini museum. Lamborghini also produced 15 units of

1691-489: Is a special limited edition of the LP 640 that was unveiled at the 2006 Paris Motor Show . Available in either white or black, only 20 were produced as both coupés and roadsters but only 8 were available for sale. Although the standard V12 engine was used, stylists from the Versace fashion house, and Lamborghini's Ad Personam program, collaborated to design custom interiors finished in two-toned Versace leather complemented with

1780-455: Is an all-wheel drive , mid-engine sports car. With an angular design and a low slung body, the highest point of the roof is just under 4 feet (1.2 m) above the ground. One of the vehicle's most distinguishing features is its scissor doors , a hallmark feature of flagship Lamborghini models since the Countach . The first generation of the Murciélago was produced between 2001 and 2006 and

1869-452: Is an iconic sports car of the early 1960s, due to its attractive styling and claimed top speed of 241 km/h (150 mph). The E-type was produced for 14 years and was initially powered by a six-cylinder engine, followed by a V12 engine for the final generation. In 1962, the MG B introduced a new era of affordable lightweight four-cylinder roadsters. The MG B used a unibody construction and

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1958-406: Is notable for using a three-seat layout, where the front row consists of a centrally-located driver's seat. The location of the engine and driven wheels significantly influence the handling characteristics of a car and are therefore crucial in the design of a sports car. Traditionally, most sports cars have used rear-wheel drive with the engine either located at the front ( FR layout ) or in

2047-467: Is used as Bruce Wayne's personal transport, with its name meaning "bat" connecting to his identity as "Batman". Lamborghini lent the production crew of The Dark Knight three Murciélago LP 640s to use in a chase scene. One of the cars was destroyed in the process. The Murciélago is the titular Lamborghini referenced in the Kanye West song Mercy , though the actual car depicted in the music video

2136-531: The 2009 Geneva Motor Show , Lamborghini unveiled a high performance variant of the Murciélago, the LP 670–4 SuperVeloce. The SV moniker had previously appeared on the Diablo SV , as well as the Miura SV . The SV variants are more track-oriented than the normal production variants and are usually produced in limited numbers. The SuperVeloce's 6,496 cc (6.5 L; 396.4 cu in) V12 engine generates

2225-561: The Audi R8 Le Mans Racer. During his time at Audi, Donckerwolke was also responsible for the design of the Audi A2 concept and production car, which was known at the time for being innovative and ahead of its time, like many of his designs. He was head of design at Lamborghini from 1998, where he was responsible for the 2001 Lamborghini Diablo VT 6.0, 2002 Lamborghini Murciélago and 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo , winning

2314-520: The Audi RS 2 Avant . Ford Europe withdrew from the sports car market at the end of 1986 when the Capri was discontinued after a production run of nearly two decades. There was no direct successor, as Ford was concentrating on higher-performance versions of its hatchback and saloon models at the time. In 1989, a new generation of Lotus Elan roadster was released which used a front-wheel drive layout,

2403-541: The BMW 303 , Citroën Traction Avant and Fiat 508 — offered similar handling and comfort to the more expensive sports cars. Powerful, reliable, and economical (although softly suspended) American saloons began to be imported to Europe in significant numbers. Sports car ownership was increased through models such as the Austin 7 and Wolseley Hornet six , however many of these sports cars did not offer any performance upgrades over

2492-561: The Beijing Auto Show , has a top speed of 345 km/h (214 mph) and produces 670 hp (500 kW; 679 PS) and 661 N⋅m (488 lb⋅ft) of torque, which propels it from 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 3.2 seconds. Production was limited to 10 units. In May 2010 in the United States, Lamborghini recalled 428 of its 2007–2008 Murciélago coupés and roadsters because of the possibility of weld failure on

2581-623: The Bentley Speed Six (1928-1930), with the former famously described by Bugatti's founder as "the fastest lorry in the world". Between the Great Depression and the World War II the pre-war era was a period of decline in importance for sports car manufacturers, although the period was not devoid of advances, for example streamlining . Cheap, light-weight family sedans with independent front suspension— such as

2670-520: The Jensen FF became the first sports car to use all-wheel drive . The Ford Capri is a 2+2 coupe that was produced from 1968 to 1986 and intended to be a smaller European equivalent of the Ford Mustang. A main rival to the Capri was Opel Manta , which was produced from 1970 to 1988. The 1973-1978 Lancia Stratos was a mid-engined two-seat coupe that was powered by a Ferrari V6 engine. This

2759-684: The Museum of Television & Radio and promoted at the Los Angeles Auto Show , although the car itself was not present at the show. Subsequently, the Miura concept was officially debuted at the North American International Auto Show just two weeks later. It was the first design penned by Lamborghini's then design chief, Walter de'Silva , and commemorated the 40th anniversary of the 1966 introduction of

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2848-538: The Sachsenring round , they had a lack of spare parts and did not compete in the next three events. DKR Engineering announced that they would be using Murciélago R-SVs for the last 2 rounds of the season, instead of the Chevrolet Corvette C6.R that they were using for the first 8 rounds. In January 2006, a retro-styled Lamborghini Miura concept car, built on a Murciélago chassis, was announced at

2937-443: The 'Red Dot Award' in 2003 in recognition for his work on them. He also worked with Walter de'Silva to produce the 2006 Lamborghini Miura concept . In September 2005, Donckerwolke was appointed SEAT Design Director overseeing the design of future SEAT models, replacing Walter de'Silva who was promoted to oversee design for the entire Audi Brand Group. He was tasked with progressing SEAT design from Walter de'Silva's directorship to

3026-403: The 1905 Isotta Fraschini Tipo D, the 1906 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost , the 1908 Delage , the 1910 Bugatti Type 13 , and the 1912 DFP 12/15 . Early motor racing events included the 1903 Paris–Madrid race , the 1905-1907 Herkomer Trophy, the 1908-1911 Prince Henry Tour and the 1911–present Monte Carlo Rally . The Prince Henry Tours (which were similar to modern car rallies) were among

3115-426: The 1920s. The term initially described two-seat roadsters (cars without a fixed roof), however, since the 1970s the term has also been used for cars with a fixed roof (which were previously considered grand tourers ). Attributing the definition of 'sports car' to any particular model can be controversial or the subject of debate among enthusiasts. Authors and experts have often contributed their ideas to capture

3204-495: The 1921 Coppa Florio . Another approach— such as that used by Morris Garages— was to convert touring cars into sports cars. The first 24 Hours of Le Mans race for sports cars was held in 1923, although the two-seat sports cars only competed in the smallest class, with the majority of cars entered being four-seat fast touring cars. "This race, together with the Tourist Trophy Series of Races , organised after

3293-404: The 1948 Ferrari 166 S . A new concept altogether was the modern Gran Turismo class from Italy, which was in effect unknown before the war: sustained high-speed motoring from relatively modest engine size and compact closed or berlinetta coachwork. The 1947 Maserati A6 1500 two-seat berlinetta was the first production model from Maserati. In Germany, the motor industry was devastated by

3382-499: The 1980 Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft and Giro d'Italia automobilistico marathon. The Montecarlo was a basis for the silhouette racing car , Lancia Rally 037 . In the 1970s, turbocharging began to be adopted by sports cars, such as the BMW 2002 Turbo in 1973, the first Porsche 911 Turbo in 1975, and the Saab 99 Turbo in 1978. Turbocharging became increasingly popular in the 1980s, from relatively affordable coupes such as

3471-452: The 1980–1986 Renault Fuego and 1992–1996 Rover 220 Coupé Turbo , to expensive supercars such as the 1984-1987 Ferrari 288 GTO and 1987-1992 Ferrari F40 . In the late 1980s and early 1990s, several manufacturers developed supercars that competed for production car top speed records . These cars included the 1986–1993 Porsche 959 , 1991–1995 Bugatti EB 110 , 1992–1994 Jaguar XJ220 and 1993–998 McLaren F1 . The 1980-1995 Audi Quattro

3560-506: The 1990s, all-wheel drive has become more common in sports cars. All-wheel drive offers better acceleration and favorable handling characteristics (especially in slippery conditions), but is often heavier and more mechanically complex than traditional layouts. Examples of all-wheel drive sports cars are the Lamborghini Huracan , Bugatti Veyron , and Nissan GT-R . Rear engine layouts are not typical for sports cars, with

3649-990: The 1995-2002 MG F , the 1996–present Porsche Boxster and the 1998–present Audi TT . Luc Donckerwolke Donckerwolke was born in Lima , Peru, and educated in various South American and African countries before studying industrial engineering in Brussels and transportation design in Vevey , Switzerland. He has a residence in Germany and in Brussels. His hobbies include motor racing , old cars, foreign cultures and learning languages. He speaks Dutch, Italian, French, Spanish, English, German, Korean, Mandarin, Japanese and Swahili. Donckerwolke began his design career in 1990 with Peugeot in France. In 1992 he moved to Ingolstadt for

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3738-584: The 2003 Detroit Motor Show as the Murciélago Barchetta. The production version called the Murciélago Roadster was introduced in 2004. Primarily designed to be an open-top car, it employed a manually attached soft roof as a cover from adverse weather, but a warning on the windshield header advised the driver not to exceed 100 mph (160 km/h) with the roof in place. The roof which was made of fabric could be folded and fit into

3827-468: The Mercedes Simplex 60 hp— were production fast touring cars. The 1912 Hispano-Suiza Alfonso XIII is also considered one of the earliest sports cars, as it was a "purpose built, high performance, two-seater production automobile". The model was named after King Alfonso XIII of Spain , a patron of the car's chief designer and an enthusiast for the marque. Other early sports cars include

3916-464: The Murciélago nameplate was the LP 670–4 SuperVeloce, powered by the largest and final evolution of the original Lamborghini V12 engine. Production of the Murciélago ended on 5 November 2010, with a total production run of 4,099 cars. Its successor, the Aventador , was unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show . Lamborghini cars are often named after Spanish Fighting Bulls ; the eponymous Murciélago

4005-790: The RG-1 recorded a win in the GT300 class at the Super GT Suzuka 500 km race. The Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670 R-SV is an evolution of the R-GT developed by Reiter Engineering to comply with the FIA rules for the new FIA GT1 World Championship . It was unveiled at the 2010 24 Hours of Spa weekend. The 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship season saw Reiter run two cars and the other two were run by All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport . Reiter saw some success winning two Championship races finishing third in

4094-409: The brand's first new model under the ownership of German parent company Audi , which is owned by Volkswagen . The car is designed by Peruvian-born Belgian Luc Donckerwolke , Lamborghini's head of design from 1998 to 2005. A roadster variant was introduced in 2003, followed by the more powerful and updated LP 640 coupé and roadster and a limited edition LP 650–4 Roadster. The final variation to wear

4183-510: The business and Volkswagen AG ". In November 2015, he was tapped to lead Hyundai Motor Group 's Genesis luxury brand from 2016 and work together with Hyundai - Kia 's chief designer Peter Schreyer . Donckerwolke replaced Peter Schreyer as Chief Design Officer of Hyundai Motor Group in 2017, a position from which he resigned in April 2020. In November 2020, Donckerwolke rejoined Hyundai Motor Group as Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of

4272-479: The car appeared during the next year or two, all conforming to the same basic design and earning for themselves a reputation second to none for fast and reliable travel. The 60-h.p. cars were announced late in 1902. The cars were possessed of a very real performance superior to anything else which could be bought at the time... and the model achieved an almost invincible position among the fast cars of its day. The Sports Car: Development and Design The basis for

4361-405: The car design is optimised for dynamic performance, without any specific minimum requirements; both a Triumph Spitfire and Ferrari 488 Pista can be considered sports cars, despite vastly different levels of performance. Broader definitions of sports cars include cars "in which performance takes precedence over carrying capacity", or that emphasise the "thrill of driving" or are marketed "using

4450-400: The car from a stand still to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 333 km/h (207 mph). Subsequent versions incorporated an alphanumeric designation to the name Murciélago, which indicated their engine orientation and output. However, the original Murciélago is never referred to as "LP 580". The concept car of the upcoming open-top variant was presented at

4539-541: The car retains the standard V12 engine, but air restrictors are used to manage power. Acceleration and top speed performance are dependent on gearing, as different ratios are used for different tracks. Most sources report that around 7 original R-GTs were sold. This number doesn't include later derivatives such as the RG-1 or R-SV. In March 2007, the All-Inkl.com Racing Murciélago won the Zhuhai 2 Hours . A Murciélago R-GT

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4628-543: The car to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.4 seconds and achieve a top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph). Available only in Grigio Telesto gray with Arancio orange highlights, the color scheme was continued on the inside. The LP 670–4 SuperVeloce China Limited Edition is a limited version of the LP 670–4 SuperVeloce for the Chinese market. It is distinguished by the middle stripe. The vehicle, unveiled at

4717-470: The car uses an independent double-wishbone design, and the bodywork mostly features carbon fibre except for the steel roof and aluminium scissor doors. The active rear wing and the active air intakes integrated into the car's shoulders are electromechanically controlled, deploying automatically only at high speeds in an effort to maximise both aerodynamic and cooling efficiency. The interior was also made more comfortable and ergonomic than its predecessor sporting

4806-406: The car's name, along with an alphanumeric designation which indicated the engine's orientation ( Longitudinale Posteriore ), and the updated power output. With displacement now increased to 6.5 litres, the engine was rated at 640 PS (471 kW; 631 hp) at 8,000 rpm. The exterior received a noticeable facelift, featuring revised front and rear fascias, and asymmetrical side air intakes, with

4895-447: The car. In its June 2009 issue, Car and Driver magazine estimated that the LP 670–4 SV is capable of accelerating to 96 km/h (60 mph) from a standing start in just 3.0 seconds and on to 161 km/h (100 mph) in 7.2 seconds. Subsequent testing by Road & Track revealed a 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) time of 3.1 seconds and a quarter mile time of 10.9 seconds at 129.4 mph (208.2 km/h). Lamborghini claimed

4984-501: The coupé due to the loss of the roof and the addition of chassis reinforcing components. The roadster could accelerate from 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) in 3.8 seconds which is more than the coupé owing to the increased weight while the top speed remained the same as the coupé. In March 2006, Lamborghini unveiled an updated version of the Murciélago at the Geneva Motor Show : the Murciélago LP 640. The new title incorporated

5073-411: The development of performance cars such as the 1910 Vauxhall Prince Henry , 1910 Sunbeam 12/16 , 1910 Talbot 25 hp , 1910 Straker-Squire 15 hp and 1913 Star 15.9 hp . Following the halt in sports car production caused by World War I , Europe returned to manufacturing automobiles from around 1920. It was around this time that the term 'Sports Car' began to appear in the motor catalogues, although

5162-400: The early 1920s, the cost to produce a racing car was not significantly higher than a road car, therefore several manufacturers used the design from the current year's racing car for the next year's sports car. For example, the 1921 Ballot 2LS based on the racing car that finished third at the 1921 French Grand Prix. The Benz 28/95PS was also a successful racing car, with victories including

5251-517: The exact number of LP 670-4s and as of 2023 there have been 261 units found so far. The initial plan of 350 units was scrapped due to the factory requiring to make room for the Aventador's assembly line which is the Murcielago's successor. The chassis numbers of the total cars manufactured do not represent manufacturing order. In 2003, Lamborghini celebrated its 40th anniversary by introducing

5340-463: The exact origin of the name is not known. The decade that followed became known as the vintage era and featured rapid technical advances over the preceding Brass Era cars . Engine performance benefited from the abandonment of " tax horsepower " (where vehicles were taxed based on bore and number of cylinders, rather than actual power output) and the introduction of leaded fuel , which increased power by allowing for higher compression ratios . In

5429-531: The excitement of speed and the glamour of the (race)track" However, other people have more specific definitions, such as "must be a two-seater or a 2+2 seater" or a car with two seats only. In the United Kingdom, early recorded usage of the "sports car" was in The Times newspaper in 1919. The first known use of the term in the United States was in 1928. Sports cars started to become popular during

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5518-472: The first supercars . Other significant European models of the 1960s and 1970s which might be considered supercars today are the Ferrari 250 GTO (1962-1964), Ferrari 250 GT Lusso (1963-1964), Ferrari 275 GTB/4 (1966-1968), Maserati Ghibli (1967-1973), Ferrari Daytona (1968-1973), Dino 246 (1969-1974), De Tomaso Pantera (1971-1993), Ferrari 308 GTB (1975-1980) and BMW M1 (1978-1981). In 1966,

5607-528: The first World War by the R.A.C. , appealed to the public imagination and offered to the manufacturers of the more sporting cars an excellent opportunity for boosting sales of their products." The classic Italian road races— the Targa Florio , and the Mille Miglia (first held in 1927)— also captured the public's imagination. By 1925, the higher profits available for four-seater cars resulted in

5696-400: The fuel pump support inside the fuel tank, potentially leading to a fuel leak and possible fire. The Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT is a racing version of the Murciélago, developed jointly with Reiter Engineering and Audi Sport, and unveiled at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show . Unlike the standard car, the R-GT is rear-wheel drive only, and in order to comply with the FIA , ACO , and JAF rules,

5785-610: The highway, making it the least efficient car in 2008 for city and highway driving, according to the EPA . At the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show , Lamborghini announced that the roadster version of the Murciélago would also be updated to LP 640 specifications. One of the most rare of all the LP640 Roadster derivatives in the LP640 in right-hand-drive guise with a manual transmission. A rumoured five of these are said to exist worldwide. At

5874-573: The late 1920s were AC Cars , Alfa Romeo , Alvis , Amilcar , Bignan and Samson, Chenard-Walcker , Delage , Hispano-Suiza , Hotchkiss , Mercedes-Benz and Nazzaro . Two cars from the Vintage Era that would influence sports cars for many years were the Austin Seven and MG M-type "Midget". Successful sports cars from Bentley during this era were the Bentley 3 Litre (1921-1929) and

5963-419: The left side intake feeding an oil cooler. A new single outlet exhaust system incorporated into the rear diffuser, modified suspension system, revised programming, and upgraded clutch for the 6-speed "e-Gear" automated manual transmission with launch control rounded out the performance modifications. Interior seating was also re-configured in order to provide greater headroom, and a new stereo system formed part of

6052-518: The mass-produced cars upon which they were based. The highest selling sports car company of the 1930s was Morris Garages , who produced 'MG Midget' models of the M-Type , J-Type , P-Type and T-Type . The K3 version of the K-Type Magnette was a successful racing car, achieving success in the Mille Miglia , Tourist Trophy and 24 Hours of Le Mans . The Bugatti Type 57 (1934-1940)

6141-537: The middle of the vehicle ( MR layout ). Examples of FR layout sports cars include the Caterham 7 , Mazda MX-5 , and the Dodge Viper . Examples of MR layout sports cars are the Ferrari 488 , Ford GT , and Toyota MR2 . To avoid a front-heavy weight distribution , many FR layout sports cars are designed so that the engine is located further back in the engine bay, as close to the firewall as possible. Since

6230-544: The most common layout for sports cars was a roadster (a two-seat car without a fixed roof). However, there are also several examples of early sports cars with four seats. Sports cars are not usually intended to transport more than two adult occupants regularly, so most modern sports cars are generally two-seat or 2+2 layout (two smaller rear seats for children or occasional adult use). Larger cars with more spacious rear-seat accommodation are usually considered sports sedans rather than sports cars. The 1993-1998 McLaren F1

6319-754: The notable exception of the Porsche 911 . The front-wheel drive layout with the engine at the front ( FF layout ) is generally the most common for cars, but it is not as common among traditional sports cars. Nonetheless, the FF layout is used by sport compacts and hot hatches such as the Mazdaspeed3 . Sports cars with an FF layout include the Fiat Barchetta , Saab Sonett , or Opel Tigra . The ancestor of all high-performance cars had its origin in Germany. The 28-h.p. Cannstatt-Daimler racing car of 1899

6408-601: The original Miura in Geneva. Lamborghini president and CEO, Stefan Winkelmann, rejected any possibility of the concept marking the Miura's return to production, however, stating “The Miura was a celebration of our history, but Lamborghini is about the future. Retro design is not what we are here for. So we won’t do the Miura.” Debuted in 2007 at the Frankfurt Auto Show , the Lamborghini Reventón

6497-456: The philosophy of achieving performance through minimizing weight and has been rated as one of the top 10 sports cars of the 1960s. The Elan featured fibreglass bodies, a backbone chassis, and overhead camshaft engines. A different style of roadster was the AC Cobra , released in 1962, which was fitted with V8 engines up to 7.0 L (427 cu in) in size by Shelby . The Porsche 911

6586-423: The production of two-seat sports cars being limited to smaller manufacturers such as Aston-Martin (350 Astons built from 1921 to 1939) and Frazer-Nash (323 cars built from 1924 to 1939). Then by the late 1920s, the cost of producing racing cars (especially Grand Prix cars) escalated, causing more manufacturers to produce cars for the growing sports car market instead. Significant manufacturers of sports cars in

6675-558: The sporting events of the period, bringing renown to successful entrants. The Prince Henry Tours started the evolution of reasonably large and technically advanced production sports cars. In England, the development of sporting cars was inhibited by the Motor Car Act 1903 , which imposed a speed limit of 20 mph (32 km/h) on all public roads. This led to the 1907 opening of the Brooklands motor circuit , which inspired

6764-408: The sports car is traced to the early 20th century touring cars and roadsters , and the term 'sports car' would not be coined until after World War One. A car considered to be "a sports-car years ahead of its time" is the 1903 Mercedes Simplex 60 hp , described at the time as a fast touring car and designed by Wilhelm Maybach and Paul Daimler . The Mercedes included pioneering features such as

6853-476: The sports car, but also the most important and diverse technical developments [and] very rapid and genuine improvement in the qualities of every modern production car; assisted by new design and manufacturing techniques a consistently higher level of handling properties has been achieved." In Italy, a small but wealthy market segment allowed for the manufacture of a limited number of high-performance models directly allied to contemporary Grand Prix machines, such as

6942-415: The teams' championship. The All-Inkl team did not have as much success finishing ninth in the championship. The 2011 season saw Swiss Racing Team run the ex-Reiter R-SV's, after an unsuccessful season in 2010 running Nissan GT-R 's. All-Inkl has had a successful season so far topping the teams' championship as of round seven. Swiss Racing Team had some points finishes but after a crash between both cars at

7031-411: The updated dashboard. Optional equipment included Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite brakes, chrome paddle shifters and a glass engine cover. The car's estimated fuel economy for the 6-speed manual variant is 8 miles per U.S. gallon (29 L/100 km; 9.6 mpg ‑imp ) in the city and 13 miles per U.S. gallon (18 L/100 km; 16 mpg ‑imp ) on

7120-478: The war, but a small number of manufacturers returned it to prominence. In 1948, the Porsche 356 was released as the debut model from Porsche. The significance of the Porsche 356 and its successors was described in 1957 as "future historians must see them as among the most important of mid-century production cars". The 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is another significant car from this era. The 1961 Jaguar E-Type

7209-891: Was a leading sire after surviving an 1879 fight in Córdoba . Murciélago is the Spanish word for bat . In the Castilian Spanish spoken in most of Spain the word is pronounced [muɾˈθjelaɣo] , with a voiceless dental fricative [θ] (as in English th ing ). However, the Italian automaker often uses the Southern Spanish and Latin American Spanish pronunciation, [muɾˈsjelaɣo] , with an [s] sound. The Murciélago

7298-415: Was a pioneering all-wheel drive sports car. The 1995 Porsche 911 Turbo (993) saw the 911 Turbo model switch to all-wheel drive, a drivetrain layout that the model uses to this day. The BMW M3 was released in 1986 and has been produced for every generation since. The 1993-1996 Mercedes-Benz W124 E36 AMG was the mass-produced AMG model. Audi's equivalent division, called "RS", was launched in 1994 with

7387-684: Was an unusual arrangement for a car used to compete in rallying, nonetheless it was very successful and won the World Rally Championship in 1974 , 1975 , and 1976 . The Lancia Montecarlo was produced from 1975 to 1981 and is a mid-engine two-seater, available as a coupé or a targa-top. It was sold as Lancia Scorpion in the USA. Its racing variant, Montecarlo Turbo, won the 1979 World Championship for Makes in its division and overall for 1980 World Championship for Makes and 1981 World Endurance Championship for Makes . Montecarlo also won

7476-627: Was another significant sports car of the pre-war era and is now among the most valuable cars in the world. The T57 was successful in sports car races, including winning the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans and 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans . Another successful Bugatti sports car was the Bugatti Type 55 (1932-1935), which was based on the Type 51 Grand Prix racing car. The decade following the Second World War saw an "immense growth of interest in

7565-540: Was entered into the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans but was not classified. However, a Murciélago R-GT entered jointly by IPB Spartak Racing and Reiter Engineering finished 8th overall and 5th in the GT1 class in the 2008 24 Hours of Spa . In April 2009, beating a Corvette C6.R , and Saleen S7R , a Murciélago R-GT of the Russian IPB Spartak Racing Team won the GT1 class in the 1000 km de Catalunya ,

7654-418: Was powered by a Lamborghini V12 that traces its roots back to the company's beginnings in the 1960s. The rear differential is integrated with the engine itself, with a viscous coupling centre differential transferring power to the front wheels. The total power distribution is 70 percent at the rear and 30 percent at the front. Power is delivered through a 6-speed manual transmission . The suspension utilised in

7743-694: Was produced until 1980. Other successful lightweight roadsters include the Triumph Spitfire (1962-1980) and the Alfa Romeo Spider (1966-1993). The Fiat X1/9 (1972-1989) was unusual for its use of a mid-engine design in an affordable roadster model. A late entrant to the affordable roadster market was the 1975 Triumph TR7 , however by the late 1970s the demand for this style of car was in decline, resulting in production ceasing in 1982. The original Lotus Elan (1962-1975) two-seat coupe and roadster models are an early commercial success for

7832-675: Was released in 1964 and has remained in production since. The 911 is notable for its use of the uncommon rear-engine design and the use of a flat-six engine . Another successful rear-engine sports car was the original Alpine A110 (1961-1977), which was a successful rally car during the Group 4 era. In 1965, the BMW New Class Coupes were released, leading to the BMW 6 Series which remains in production to this day. The Lamborghini Miura (1966) and Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale (1967) mid-engined high-performance cars are often cited as

7921-417: Was without a doubt the first attempt to give real performance to a road car. Many of its features, such as a honeycomb radiator and gate gear change, were continued on the much improved version which Paul Daimler designed in 1899-1900. This was of course the famous Mercedes. It also laid down standards of chassis design which were to be followed, almost unthinkingly, for the next thirty years. Several variants of

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