Lamborghini Miura Concept: First Look
Motoring Channel Staff - 11/Jan/2006
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Lamborghini Miura Concept
Since the turn of the millennium, retro designs have
flourished, and the Miura is yet another famous example
Lamborghini
vs Ferrari
 Many
historians suggest that the original Miura and
many of the early Raging Bulls were built by Ferruccio
Lamborghini, originally a tractor manufacturer,
because he had purchased a Ferrari, took issue
with its operation, and demanded that Enzo Ferrari
look at it.
Cutting a long story short, Enzo responded that
the problem was not with the car, but with the
driver. Ouch...
Furious, Ferruccio Lamborghini transformed his
tractor company into a niche car builder, deciding
to build his own line of more reliable exotic
cars, of which the Miura was one of the most revered.
- Feann Torr, Editor
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Rearward vision could be a problem
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The Detroit Motor Show is often the event of choice for exotic
car makers to showcase their latest wares, largely because
their most lucrative market is more often than not North America.
Both Ferrari and Lamborghini unveiled new models at the 2006
NAIAS in Detroit, and the House of the Raging Bull stunned
onlookers as it took the wraps off a new concept car.
In doing so, the Italian company brought back a legendary
name from it's past with the breathtaking Lamborghini Miura
Concept.
The Lamborghini Miura Concept is the first Lamborghini vehicle
to be conjured from the talented stylus of Walter de' Silva,
currently the head of design at Lamborghini.
De' Silva's other design responsibilities include serving
as Head of Design of Audi Group. The talented designer's idea
for the new concept was simple: a retro-inspired look harking
back to one of the auto world's most famous icons, the legendary
Miura.
"Over the last two years," explains Walter de'
Silva, "I have often dreamt of redesigning the Miura.
"Now, thanks to my new position at the head of Lamborghini
design and the enthusiastic support of the Lamborghini CEO,
Stephan Winkelmann, I have been able to turn that dream into
a reality."
Though purely a concept design at this stage, the buzz that
has been surrounding the Miura concept since it's unveiling
gives rise to the possibility of a production version.
V12 power would seem the obvious choice of the mid-engined,
rear wheel drive car (yet another reborn retro of the Detroit
Show) as the original Miura was powered by a 3.9-litre 24-valve
V12.
Automobili Lamborghini anxiously began 2006 with the highly
anticipated unveiling of the Lamborghini Miura Concept, a
modern interpretation of the Lamborghini Miura from the mid
1960s.
Currently celebrating its 40th Anniversary, the Miura was
originally designed by Marcello Gandini and was first publicly
presented at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show by Ferruccio Lamborghini
and Nuccio Bertone. To this day, the Miura remains one of
the most sought-after and visually inspiring cars ever created.
The new concept model, which as of now, is strictly a concept
with no firm date set for its production launch, is the inspired
creation of de' Silva, a well-known Italian designer.
He has redesigned every aspect of the car while remaining
absolutely faithful to the original vehicle's form; the visual
similarities between the '60s Miura and today's concept are
readily apparent.
The new car retains the extraordinary purity of line characteristic
of the original Miura: the designer's intervention has been
defined by refining the contours and eliminating any superfluous
detail in order to enhance the clean, simple lines and perfectly-balanced
proportions of the original that so impassioned enthusiasts.
The restyling of the lower part of the body takes the car's
structural strength and aerodynamic performance to new heights,
without disturbing the delicate aesthetic equilibrium.
Even the touches of contemporary styling applied to the interior,
the lights, and the wheels have been carefully measured to
achieve a homogenous design that is both timeless and immediately
recognisable.
And so a true design icon is reborn.
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