Guide: Icon Re-imagined - a Historical & Technical Appraisal of the Lamborghini Miura Concept M (2006)
BACKGROUND
Famously, Ferruccio Lamborghini originally wanted his auto maker to focus on the kind of technically advanced but conservatively styled Grand Tourers favoured by many Italian industrialists of the day. Accordingly, when it came to the creation of a groundbreaking mid-engined model with sensational show car looks, the Lamborghini staff involved knew to initially keep the project secret from the boss to avoid it getting the chop.
Together, Lamborghini’s chief designer, Gian Paolo Dallara, technical director, Paolo Stanzani, and chief test driver, Bob Wallace, spent many evenings formulating the new design.
Having been informed about his employee’s secret project in mid 1965, against expectations Ferruccio Lamborghini gave his blessing on the assumption the new car might serve as a useful marketing tool. A rolling chassis was then displayed at the Turin Motor Show in November 1965, followed by a complete car with Marcello Gandini-styled Bertone bodywork at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966.
Dubbed Miura, the new Lamborghini caused an absolute sensation and ultimately set Lamborghini on a new path; instead of elegant front-engined Gran Turismos, the company would find worldwide fame as a creator of the most spectacular mid-engined supercars on the market.
With this in mind, while the dramatic wedge-profile Countach that replaced the Miura arguably became Lamborghini’s most widely recognised offering, the Miura went down as the firm’s most influential.
Following the Volkswagen Audi Group’s acquisition of Automobili Lamborghini in 1998, the initial priority was to get a replacement for the ageing Diablo on to the market, followed by a junior model that could sell in much greater numbers. The resultant Murcielago and Gallardo, respectively launched in September 2001 and March 2003, put the Italian company on a secure financial footing for the first time in many years.
With these major tasks complete, in October 2003 Walter de Silva (who had been promoted to chief of design for Volkswagen’s Audi brand group to include Lamborghini Centro Stile in March 2002) began a collaboration with SEAT-bound Murcielgao and Gallardo stylist Luc Donckerwolke to create a Miura homage in celebration of the model’s impending 40th anniversary.
Internally dubbed Concept M, this modern twist on the Miura theme was conceived strictly as an advanced exterior study. The retro-themed design was given final approval in November 2005, after which construction took place at Uedelhoven Studios in Gaimersheim, Germany, the same company that had handled several previous Audi styling concepts.
While the revamped Murcielago LP640 was making its salon debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show in January 2006, the Miura Concept M was unveiled to a selection of VIP clients just down the road at LA’s Museum of Radio and Television. The sensational nuovo Miura was then unveiled publicly at the Detroit Motor Show two weeks later.
BODYWORK
Although practically every aspect of the Concept M was redesigned, the finished article remained extremely faithful to the Bertone-styled original of 40 years prior. The new car tapped into the popular early 2000s trend for retro-themed design which it combined with an array of modern details in line with current aerodynamic understanding.
As per the original Miura, the concept M incorporated single-piece front and rear clamshells hinged at the trailing and leading edges respectively.
To address the high-speed front end lift for which the Miura was renowned, an exposed carbonfibre chin spoiler with body coloured canards was incorporated to the Concept M. Further up was a shallow full width intake reminiscent of the original and headlights that featured the Miura’s trademark slatted eyelash treatment.
Instead of the two slatted radiator cooling vents originally located mid-way up the front lid, the Concept M came with a neat scalloped arrangement that gave extra definition to the front fenders.
The Miura’s trademark wraparound cockpit treatment was faithfully recreated and concealed A-pillars added.
More iconic Miura details could be found down each flank where contrast sills with brake cooling scoops were adopted along with doors that featured vertical shoulder-mounted engine cooling intakes.
The Concept M’s back end was also clearly inspired by the Bertone original; muscular rear fenders flowed back to a Kamm tail and the Fastback cockpit treatment was home to a much-copied bank of contrastingly finished louvres that connected the sail panels.
The tail fascia was home to an original-style full width aperture complete with retro hex-patten grille through which a bank of four black-tipped exhausts emerged. Further up was an electronically activated spoiler that deployed at a certain speed.
Remarkably, despite its classically-inspired lines, the Concept M was reputed to have a lower drag coefficient than the Gallardo.
INTERIOR
As a pure design study, the Concept M was not equipped with any interior equipment.
CHASSIS
The Concept M was most likely based on a basic tubular steel spaceframe chassis to which the body, suspension, brakes, hubs and wheels were attached.
Flashy 20-inch diameter centre-lock wheels were created to mimic the cast magnesium items used for the original Miura.
Had the Concept M gone into production, it would probably have utilised the contemporary Murcielago’s tubular steel spaceframe which was reinforced with a carbonfibre honeycomb centre section and underbody.
The Murcielgao suspension layout comprised double wishbones with coil springs and electronic self-adjusting shock absorbers that offered both manual and automatic control. Anti-roll bars were fitted at either end.
The Murcielago LP640 unveiled in January 2006 had ushered in larger diameter brake discs (380mm front and 355mm rear) with four-piston calipers all round. New software was also employed for the LP640’s four-channel anti-lock brake and electronic brake-force distribution systems.
Every Murcielago came with power steering fitted as standard along with a 100-litre fuel tank located to the right of the engine, up against the rear bulkhead.
ENGINE / TRANSMISSION
The Murcielago LP640 running gear which probably would have been used for a production version of the Concept M was based around yet another iteration of the all-alloy DOHC 60° V12 that Ferruccio Lamborghini had commissioned from Giotto Bizzarrin back in the early 1960s.
For the LP640, displacement was taken out from 6192cc to 6496cc (a gain of 304cc). This was achieved by enlarging the cylinder bores by 1mm (from 88mm to 89mm) and extending the stroke by 2.2mm (from 86.8mm to 89mm).
In addition, the LP640’s cylinder heads, variable intake system, crankshaft, camshafts and exhaust system were all updated. Dry-sump lubrication was retained along with Lamborghini’s own LIE fuel-injection system.
A large capacity oil cooler was located down the left-hand side of the car and water radiator on the right-hand side which would conveniently have been fed by the Concept M’s Miura-style sill-mounted intake scoops.
For the LP640, compression was reduced from 11.0:1 to 10.7:1 while revised closed-loop electronic control units improved the on-road performance and responsiveness of the engine.
Peak output was 631bhp at 8000rpm and 487lb-ft at 6000rpm. To cope with the extra output, Lamborghini equipped the LP640 with a modified six-speed gearbox with revised ratios, a beefier rear differential and new axle shafts.
Two types of gearbox were offered: a traditional manual or an optional semi-automatic F1-style unit known as E-Gear.
Transmission was through Lamborghini’s Viscous Traction permanent four-wheel drive system that comprised a rear differential integrated with the engine and a viscous coupling centre differential that transferred power to the front wheels. Torque distribution was normally 70% rear and 30% front. However, up to 100% of the drive could be applied to a single axle.
For the LP640, the latest generation traction control software was employed.
WEIGHT / PERFORMANCE
No weight of performance figures were ever published.
Had the Concept M made it into production, it would likely have tipped the scales at around 1600kg, had a circa 210mph top speed and 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds.
SUBSEQUENT HISTORY
Lamborghini’s original press release for the Concept M declared the company had no intention of building a production version and that retro styling was thankfully not about to form part of the company’s design language.
As a consequence, following its motor show career, the Concept M headed straight for the Lamborghini Museum where it has resided ever since.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Lamborghini - https://www.lamborghini.com & smartvital https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4643441
