These days, when a new car is more powerful than the one it replaces, the advantage is usually quelled by a corresponding increase in weight. Not so in the case of Lamborghini’s replacement for the Murciélago. It’s likely to be called the ‘Jota’ as a tribute to the Miura SVJ and is expected to be lighter and fitted with a more powerful V12 engine.
Lets start with the weight savings. The Jota will undoubtedly benefit from parent-company Audi’s expertise in both direct fuel injection and aluminum construction. The current Murciélago uses a steel-tube frame with structural elements composed of carbon fibre. The body work is also a mix of metal and carbon, with relatively heavy items, like the roof, still being made from steel. With Audi’s “vorsprung durch technik”, the Jota is expected to benefit from extensive use of lightweight aluminum and carbon fibre, in both the chassis and bodywork structures.
An all-new direct-injection V12 is planned, with talk of power output in the region of 515 kW. The current Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce makes the most power in the Murciélago range – 486 kW – thanks to a 6,5-litre V12. The lighter, more powerful Jota should be able to eclipse the current range-topper’s 3.2 second 0 – 100 km/h time and 340 km/h top speed.
Also on the cards is an all-new all-wheel-drive system, being developed together with Haldex. Haldex is the company responsible for the Saab 9-3 Turbo X’s torque-vectoring rear differential and, as systems like that are becoming increasingly fashionable in performance circles, it seems likely that torque vectoring could be coming to the Jota. Torque vectoring works by directing power to individual wheels with the most available grip. In practice, it works like stability control, but helps the driver go faster rather than slowing them down. It makes controlled slides easy in big, heavy vehicles like the BMW X6 M, so it should make the light and low-riding Jota amazingly capable.
etting back to the Lamborghini Miura SVJ. The ‘J’ stands for ‘Jota’, which formed part of the designation for a high-powered version of the standard Miura that became one of the most desirable vehicles ever made. With that in mind, the latest Jota will have a lot to live up to.
Related posts:
