Miura Lamborghini

Between 1966 and 1972 Lamborghini manufactured the Lamborghini Miura, a sport car that was the beginning of a new direction in high performance cars. It was the first sport car built for general use by drivers on roads. The upgrades were applied to both engineering and body design.

The first prototype of the Lamborghini Miura was P400 which was equipped with a mid-engine layout and had a great success at the 1966 Geneva show. Because of this favorable reaction the P400 was introduced in production the following year, but it was called Miura.

The released car was equipped with a 3.9 liter V12 engine, the same engine that was used on the 400GT. The only difference was that the engine was mounted transversely. The engine and the gearbox were placed in one casting and had the same lubrication system. The frame and the doors of the car were made of steel and only the rear and the front were built from aluminum. The number of cars produced between 1966 and 1969 was about 474 units. The success was huge if we consider the “spicy” price of $20,000.

Another model, the P400S Miura was displayed in 1968 at the Turin Motorshow. The car had the same chassis as the first Miura, though some improvements were made. Some examples would be the engine intake that was 2mm larger, the new overhead inline console, the bright chrome trim used on the external windows and headlights, the different camshaft profiles and the increased luggage space. The interior was more comfortable benefiting from a locking glove box lid and air conditioning. Only 140 Lamborghini P400S Miura were manufactured from 1968 until 1971.

The most famous Miura is the P400SV also known as Miura SV. This model had altered carburetors and cam timing. The engine produced an additional 15 PS power. The gearbox had its own lubrication system that allowed the usage of similar types of oil both for the gearbox and the engine. This way, the danger of metal shavings from the gearbox entering the engine and destroying it was minimized. Moreover, the Miura SV had bigger intake valves and a 4 liter V12 engine.

The Miura SV was different from its predecessors because of the headlights that weren’t designed with “eyelashes”. It had wider rear fenders and Pirelli Cinturato tires. Only 150 Miura SV were ever manufactured.

In 1970 was manufactured the Miura Jota, a test mule that was build according to the FIA racing rules. But only one car was manufactured and ended up being sold to a private buyer. But the rumors about the new Miura Jota had spread and because the company couldn’t afford building the expensive Jota, they decided to offer buyers an improved SV model that was called the Miura SV/J. The updates were applied to the suspension components, the engine and the exterior design. But only five of these cars were manufactured and survived to this very day.

Another model that impressed the audience at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show was the Lamborghini SVJ Spider Miura. The car was equipped with a rear wing and wide wheels and it was considered a prototype for a limited series of Miura Spyder. But this didn’t actually get to happen.

Lamborghini also manufactured only one Miura Roadster for the 1968 Brussels Auto Show. After the show the car was sold to the ILZO that modified it and named it ZN75. In 2006 the car was bought by Adam Gordon that restored the car to its original Roadster form.

The Lamborghini Miura, in all its forms, is impressive and long lasting.

Post tags: Tags: lamborghini miura, miura jota, Miura roadster, miura sv/j