Vehicle Tested:
2010 Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce 2dr Coupe
First Impressions:
This big Lambo with the big name is the company's most enraged raging bull.
h3FEATURED SPECS/h3
- 661-hp 6.5-liter V12
- 3,450 pounds (220 pounds lighter)
- 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds
- $457,500
At 661 horsepower, we're up by 30 hp from the 631 hp of the stock Murciélago LP640, while torque remains the same at 487 pound-feet, peaking at 6,500 rpm from the naturally aspirated 6,496cc V12 mounted rear amidships. (The LP stands for "Longitudinale Posteriore," meaning the engine is mounted longitudinally and in back.) Lamborghini engineers estimate that acceleration to 60 mph is quicker by 0.2 of a second to 3 seconds flat. Top speed can be as high as 212 mph if you specify the standard rear wing versus this galactic AeroPack wing that allows just 209 mph.
Pretty Light for a V12
The guys could have just added power and a wing and left it at that like in the old days, but the composites experts at Lamborghini also had their hands in the SuperVeloce. Overall weight drops by 220 pounds to 3,450 pounds (dry). This is just 5.2 pounds per horse, which is relatively nuts.
Add a Dash of Stiff
Another very noticeable touch in the 2010 Lamborghini LP 670-4 SuperVeloce is something unseen. The engineers have used a carbon-resin coating at stress points in the chassis of high-tensile steel tubes, improving structural rigidity by 12 percent. It's particularly evident when we hammer the throttle or crank the small-diameter steering wheel through countryside chicanes.
SuperSteady, Too
While slinging along at around 120-150 mph on some barren rural roads, what comes through from the SuperVeloce is an added steadiness that is quite welcome. The larger front intakes and exaggerated splitter do wonders in this regard, and also cool the standard 15-inch carbon-ceramic brake discs with six-pot calipers. There's also a new vent over the wheelwells to extract heat from the brakes. Needless to say, all this was pretty reassuring as we indulged in late-braking maneuvers all through the hot day.
The Murc has a major set of Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires — 245/35ZR18 front, 335/30ZR18 rear — on forged wheels with a double five-spoke design called "Ares." Working together with the all-wheel-drive system (the torque proportion is 25 percent front/75 percent rear), this assures an instantaneous, sure-footed hookup on all road surfaces.
