What does an agricultural tractor and an Italian Super Car have in common? Not much until you realize that they both have enormous engines, massive amounts of torque, and are driven by the rear wheels offering high traction on limited slip differentials.
But here is something else that binds these two-seater, Engineering marvels together. Ferruccio Elio Arturo Lamborghini founder of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. started off manufacturing agricultural equipment and tractors before he ventured into producing exotic supercars. The impetus for this new company was fuelled more by pride than passion, following a rebuke by Enzo Ferrari regarding a faulty clutch in a 250GT. The truth was that the Ferrari clutches were in fact inferior and required continuous trips to Maranello for rebuilds. However, Enzo had dismissed Ferruccio saying “The problem is not with the car, it’s with the driver !!!”.
Lamborghini was determined to pursue an automobile manufacturing venture of his own, aiming to create the perfect touring car that he felt no one could build for him, giving us one of the most evocative cars ever made, the Lamborghini Miura. First seen at the Turin Motor Show in 1966, the Miura is widely considered to have instigated the trend of high performance, two-seater, mid-engined sports cars. When released, it was the fastest production road car available. The specifications speak for themselves : 60° 12-cylinder-V engine, 3929 cc, 350 bhp @ 7000 rpm, Four Weber IDL40 3C 3bbl downdraught carburetors, 5-speed-manual transmission and a dry weight of 1,125 kg. And yet, somehow, these specs are irrelevant.
The Germans always believed that the right place for the engine was behind the driver, as evident from Porsche and Auto Union (Audi) racers of the era. However, they placed the engine above the rear axle. The Miura had its power plant placed longitudinally (they borrowed this idea from the Mini) resulting in a transversely-mounted mid-engine layout. Its revolutionary sleek styling and layout were only surpassed by its legendary V12 engine. It was so loud, so guttural, you would think it was fueled by distilled lions. With a top speed of 280 km/h and an acceleration from 0-100 in 6.7 seconds, it could lay rubber to asphalt on its factory-fitted soft compound Pirelli for a good 200 meters in first gear, before finding traction through the differentials.
Very few cars manage to change the automobile world like the Miura. Lamborghini ace test driver, Valentino Balboni once said “I don’t think in 50 years such cars as the Aventador will be treated as the Miura is today. I’m convinced that a car like this, maintained the right way, and driven, will last forever.”
Aerospace Dynamics 