Supercar Experiences: The History of Lamborghini

Unlike his competitor Enzo Ferrari, Ferruccio never had much interest in motor racing. His passion was for luxurious grand tourers, like the 350 GT, not race cars. Were it not for the clandestine efforts of his engineering team, therefore, it’s unlikely the Miura would ever have made it into production. Gian Paolo Dallara, Paolo Stanzani and Bob Wallace developed their race-derived V12 prototype at night, before nervously presenting it to the boss who, to their surprise, was won over upon seeing it – or so the story goes.

After an enthusiastic response at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, the earliest model went into production. When the Miura was released, it became the world’s fastest production road car and arguably the most beautiful thanks to Marcello Gandini’s exquisite styling. In total, 764 were built between 1966 and 1973; the mid-engined two-seat layout setting the standard for other supercars to follow. Indeed, many enthusiasts consider the Miura the world’s first supercar – though, of course, that debate still rages on.

Regardless, its success cemented Lamborghini’s position among the automotive glitterati – the marque of famous owners, like Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis. It also marked the beginning of another tradition that endures to this day. The car’s namesake Don Eduardo Miura was a prominent breeder of Spanish fighting bulls, who’s animals were renowned for their size, ferocity and cunning. During a visit to his ranch in Seville, Ferruccio was so impressed he made the bull the symbol of his empire – and, since the Miura, several other Lamborghinis have borne the names of famous specimens.

Unfortunately, we can’t find a Lamborghini Miura driving experience here in the UK, so your options are limited if you’d like to take one for a spin. Even hire companies tend to insist their cars are chauffeur driven, and buyers can expect to spend anywhere from several hundred thousand to a few million quid!

Ah well, we’ll just have to settle for the vicarious pleasures of articles like this one – What it's like to drive Lamborghini's most beautiful car. Sigh.

A year after the last Miura rolled off the factory floor, production began on another V12 two-seater. Given the new car’s lineage, you might suppose the name ‘Countach’ refers to another fierce, matador-goring bull breed. Well, think again. In Piedmontese, a language native to northwestern Italy, ‘contacc’ is in fact an exclamation rather like ‘wow’, ‘damn’ or – cover your eyes, children – ‘holy shit!’ in English. The designer Nuccio Bertone is said to have used the word upon first clapping eyes on the car’s prototype – and who could blame him.

The Countach was a revelation when it first arrived at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. The sharp angles, low profile, scissor doors and wedge-shaped frontend made it appear quite unlike anything that had gone before it. Once again, Lamborghini’s founder was initially unconvinced but eventually assented to a mass-production model. Tasked with making Marcello Gandini’s original design roadworthy, the factory was compelled to make several modifications, including the addition of engine-cooling air ducts. Nevertheless, the first roadgoing model, the Countach LP400, remained remarkably faithful to Gandini’s bold vision.

Over the years, more tweaks were made and several new iterations released. By the mid-1980s, the Countach LP5000 Quattrovalvole sported a massive rear spoiler, flared wheel arches and some of the widest tires available, plus a newly designed 5.2-litre engine with fuel injection. It was wickedly fast for its time, but also fiendishly impractical. In its brashness, it epitomised the glamour, optimism and wild excesses of the decade – no surprise, then, that Martin Scorsese chose a 25th Anniversary model to star in 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street.

As with the Miura, it’s neither cheap nor easy to drive a Lamborghini Countach in the UK. The best we’ve found is hire company Starr Luxury Cars who will at least let you behind the wheel – after parting with a few thousand pounds plus a hefty deposit.

Never mind, we’ll console ourselves with this slice of 80s nostalgia (feat. The Lamborghini Countach + The Hoff) instead – David Hasselhoff - True Survivor (from Kung Fury).

In June 1985, Lamborghini began developing a new supercar to replace the Countach. Once again, Marcello Gandini was tasked with designing a car that would turn heads and raise pulses – in this instance, one capable of reaching at least 315km/h. His first prototype was all sharp edges and aggression, but it made the marque’s new American owner Chrysler uneasy. After several redesigns, the Diablo that eventually went on sale in January 1990 featured a noticeably ‘softened’ shape – much to the disapproval of its original designer.

The styling may have disappointed Gandini, but the Diablo did meet its 200mph brief. The 5.7-litre V12 took it from 0-60 in about 4.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 202mph – figures that put it among the fastest production road cars of the day. Over the next eleven years, Lamborghini continued to make alterations both internally and externally. This resulted in a number of special editions – including the convertible VT Roadster (Lambo drivers wanted to be seen!), the eye-catchingly purple SE30 built to celebrate the manufacturer’s 30th anniversary, and the facelifted second generation of the late-nineties.

For many petrolheads, the Diablo is the last ‘proper’ Lamborghini. Indeed, it was the last of the marque’s iconic supercars to be developed before Audi took over the company in 1998. German stereotypes aside, one could certainly make the case that subsequent Lambos are more conservative and less wilfully flamboyant. The Diablo – named after another legendary fighting bull, itself dubbed with the Spanish word for ‘Devil’ – may have been a handful to drive, but it also embodied the wild, over-the-top spirit for which the marque is still adored.

If you adore the Diablo, you can hire an SE30 from Classic Parade Supercar Hire. Alternatively, used models can be bought for a couple of hundred thousand – with higher prices paid for rarer editions, like this Lamborghini Diablo GTR.

For this writer at least, another time-capsule music video will have to suffice – so here’s Jamiroquai driving a purple Diablo SE30 (plus a Ferrari F40 & F355 GTS) in the video to Cosmic Girl. How very 90s.

Eleven years after the first Diablo’s went on sale, Lamborghini introduced its new flagship supercar – the Murciélago. It was the first brand-new car released since the German takeover a few years earlier, and some were sceptical about this new influence on the Italian brand. From the outside, however, the Murciélago appeared every bit the worthy successor to the Miura, Countach and Diablo. Designer Luc Donckerwolke referenced all three in his bold new outline – in Lamborghini’s own words, capturing the ‘sensuousness’ of the Miura, the ‘surface structure and wedge shape’ of the Countach, and the ‘unusual proportions‘ of the Diablo.

The 6.2-litre V12 engine also traced its roots back to the marque’s beginnings. In the early 1960s, Ferruccio Lamborghini enlisted the expertise of automobile engineer Giotto Bizzarini – tasking him with designing an engine to compete with Ferrari’s V12. According to legend, Bizzarini was paid a bonus for every horsepower gained over their Italian rivals. His engine went on to power Lamborghinis (albeit with considerable upgrades) for almost five decades, and the Murciélago was to be its final home. By 2001, it generated 572hp – taking the coupé from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 205mph.

The name was yet another nod to tradition. In 1879, a fighting bull named Murciélago (the Spanish word for ‘bat’) survived twenty-four sword strokes at the hand of bullfighter Rafael Molina Sánchez in Córdoba, Spain. The matador eventually relented, so impressed was he by the animal’s passionate fighting spirit. In its choice of name, Lamborghini maintained its affinity with the charging bull while hinting towards a similar sense of heroism.

To drive a Murciélago in the UK, hire companies are probably your best bet. Lamborghini Hire, for example, offers self-drive experiences in an LP640. Otherwise, you’re looking at £100,000 – £400,000 to buy a used one, depending on the edition.

Before you remortgage the house, however, check out this review of a particularly well-used model – Driving a Lamborghini Murciélago with 258k miles on the clock.

Here’s a fact for you – by the end of 2014, Lamborghini’s Sant’Agata factory had built around 30,000 cars. Not a lot compared to most other household-name manufacturers. Of these, however, almost half were Gallardos. First introduced in 2003, the ‘baby’ Lambo went on to become the marque’s best-selling supercar ever – thanks in part to its impressive performance, stunning looks, and a number of well-received special editions.

In the design phase, Lamborghini turned once again to Luc Donckerwolke, the man behind the Murciélago. His design drew on the Calà prototype first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1995. Like the Calà, the first Gallardo was powered by a mid-mounted V10 rather than the by now familiar V12. Styling-wise, Donckerwolke settled on a sharper, more angular silhouette – though echoes of the prototype remained visible in the sweeping roof line and the orientation of the headlights, for example.

The name Gallardo – yet another historic breed of fighting bull – was textbook Lamborghini. Upon the new supercar’s release, it would hit 60mph in four seconds and continue on to a top speed of 195mph. Over the next decade, newer models stretched these figures even further. Among them, were the lightweight Gallardo Superleggera, the more powerful Gallardo LP560-4, the rear-wheel drive (most Gallardos were all-wheel-drive) LP550-2 Valentino Balboni, and the swansong LP570-4 Squadra Corse.

The era came to an end when the final Gallardo (a red Spyder Performante in case you’d like to know) rolled off the production line in 2013. One thing was certain, its successor had some big shoes (or should that be tires?) to fill.

If you’d like to drive a Lamborghini Gallardo – you’re in luck! Unlike some of the rarer Lambos we’ve looked at, they’re a common sight at supercar driving days across the country. At Experience Days, we’ve a great selection for you to browse, or you can check out our favourites below:

Lamborghini Experience (£59) – Choose your track and enjoy 6 miles in the driving seat – available at Lydden Hill, Mallory Park, Dunsfold, and more!

8 Lap Lamborghini Gallardo Driving Experience in Hertfordshire (£49) - Drive the ultimate Lamborghini Gallardo on an impressive 8 lap experience, also available as a passenger ride!

Supercar Driving Experience – 1 Car (£49) – Pick your favourite supercar (fleet incl. the Lamborghini Gallardo) and enjoy 3 miles behind the wheel.

Successor to the Murciélago, the Lamborghini Aventador is the marque’s current flagship. It’s powered by a brand new 6.5-litre V12 engine developed under the codename L539 after the factory decided it was time to put old faithful out to pasture. Upon its launch at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the new powerplant generated 690bhp, taking the Aventador from 0-60 in under three seconds and well beyond the 210mph mark. The current facelifted S version manages to squeeze an extra forty horsepower from the same engine!

Today, the Lamborghini Aventador is not only one of the most powerful and fastest supercars on the market, it’s also one of the most expensive. In case you’re interested, it’ll set you back from around £270,000 for the coupé and from around £280,000 for the roadster. Alas, that pretty much rules us out of owning one – but at least Hollywood has given us a few opportunities to ogle. Batman himself Bruce Wayne drives an Aventador in 2012’s Dark Knight Rises, and the supercar plays a starring role as villain Lockdown in 2014’s Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Pretty cool, eh?

So, we might not be taking delivery of our own Aventador any time soon – but that’s not to say there aren’t some great opportunities to drive one right here in the UK. That’s right! Happily, there are several Aventador experiences offering drive-time behind the wheel on various circuits across the country. Check out our top pick below:

Diamond Supercar Driving Blast with Hot Lap (£115) - Take Lamborghini’s flagship for a 3 mile spin around your choice of track. You can also choose the Mclaren 720S or Ferrari 488 during this thrilling driving experience.

2013 marked Lamborghinis 50th year, and naturally it felt like celebrating. While the rest of us would be baking cakes, popping corks and hanging out the bunting, they set about designing the Veneno. Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show, it’s a mid-engined all-wheel-drive two-seater based on the Aventador. The engine is a derivative of that car’s 6.5-litre V12, generating 740bhp and taking the Veneno from 0-60 in less than three seconds.

Only five Veneno coupés were built, and of these only three were sold to customers. These buyers reportedly paid around $4 million each before having even seen it – though, judging by their comments in this interview, they clearly weren’t disappointed. With its all-carbon fibre body, muscled arches, huge rear wing, boomerang headlights, aggressive nose, slashes, angles and space thrusters, the Veneno cut a head-turning figure at its unveiling – its sheer outrageousness reminiscent of bedroom-poster Lambos of old.

In December 2013, a roadster version was revealed on the flight deck of the Italian aircraft carrier Cavour, docked in the port of Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi. Nine of these ultimate posing machines were produced and snapped up quickly for around £3.3 million a pop – presumably by well-heeled fans who’d been salivating since the coupé. For their money, they got the same Batmobile styling (only roofless) and much the same performance (despite the extra weight of a reinforced chassis). You’re three times more likely to come across one on the open road – so keep an eye out!

And – unless you’re a well-connected multi-millionaire – that’s the best you can hope for really. No one’s going to let you take their Veneno for a ten-minute spin round the nearest airfield circuit. Nor can you hire one from your local Enterprise. Unlike most other new cars, the Veneno’s value has appreciated significantly – Roadsters surfacing for $7.4 million and $9.5 million. Not a bad investment, eh?

See if you can spot the Lamborghini Veneno in this next video – Taylor Swift - Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar.

And so we arrive at the Lamborghini Huracán – the newest supercar on our list. Remember when we said the Gallardo’s successor had big shoes to fill? Well, here’s what Lamborghini came up with.

In many ways, the Huracán is business as usual. It’s namesake was a particularly courageous fighting bull who fought in Alicante in 1879 (Huracan is also a Mayan god of wind, storms & fire). It’s engine is a reworked version of the 5.2-litre V10 found in the Gallardo. Styling-wise, it’s also clearly indebted to other recent models – albeit with a ‘pointier’ take on the theme. Unlike other manufacturers, Lamborghini haven’t been tinkering with hybrid systems in their current production models either – at least, not yet.

So, what’s new about their entry-level supercar? Well, the gearbox and chassis both are – and the latter is 50% stiffer than the Gallardo’s thanks to its part-carbon construction. The Huracán LP 610-4 is also faster than its predecessor, with a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 202mph. The noise it makes getting there has also drawn attention. When Jeremy Clarkson drove the Huracán Performante (2017 – present), for example, he commented:

The sound starts off as a jackhammer and then when you floor it, you have babies crying, improvised explosive devices going off, Krakatoa, the Grateful Dead, a space shuttle rocket test, white noise, a latter-day V10 Formula One car at full chat, a squadron of F-15 Eagles on combat power, some lions, a hunt ball and a war.

It’s loud then. Got it?

As with many of the supercars on our list, Lamborghini built a number of special-edition Huracáns. These included an official police car variant for the Italian State Police (their two Gallardos were written off in service) and a liveried Huracán LP 580-2 presented to Pope Francis. The latter was signed by the famously frugal Pontiff and auctioned off at Sotheby’s, where it fetched almost $1 million.

On that papal note, let’s turn to Lamborghini Huracán driving experiences in the UK – yes, they do exist, and in our humble opinion, you won’t find better than this:

Lamborghini Huracán Driving Experience (£99) – Hear the V10 roar for yourself during a 3-mile blast round your chosen circuit – available at Dunsfold, Castle Combe, Tockwith, and more!