The history of Lamborghini's V12-powered super sports cars

When Ferruccio Lamborghini founded his company in 1963 his goal was to create the perfect sports car. To achieve this, he turned to a large displacement engine: the V12. Although at that time naturally aspirated V12 engines were a challenge, Lamborghini decided to use a 12-cylinder block to achieve great sportiness and for the brand to be classified as high-end.

Since then, Lamborghini started the tradition of creating models with V12 engines, which are characterized by sound, acceleration capacity and performance.

Lamborghini 350 GT

It all started with the 350 GT equipped with a 3.5-litre V12 developed in-house by Giotto Bizzarrini. Mounted at a 60 ° angle with a double overhead camshaft, this block posted 320 hp. Legend has it that Lamborghini offered Bizzarrini a bonus for every additional horsepower it could muster.

Lamborghini 400 GT - Islero - Espada - Jarama

After developing the first Lamborghini V12, other models made their appearances such as the 400 GT (1966) that had a 4.0-litre 12-cylinder producing 320 hp at 6,500 rpm and a top speed of 270 km / h. This new engine was the basis for other models, including the Espada (1968) with 350 hp, the Islero (1968) with 330 hp, the Jarama (1970), which initially delivered 350 hp before an increase of 15 hp in the Jarama. S.

Lamborghini Miura

Because performance is based on science, not just power, Lamborghini recognized that the further the engine is placed towards the centre of the car, the better the weight distribution is achieved. This is how, in 1966, the Miura appears with the 4.0-litre V12 engine installed in the centre rear of the car, in a transverse position. At 370 hp, it became the fastest production car at launch. This power allowed Lamborghini Miura to go from 0 to 100 km / h in 6.7 seconds and achieve a top speed of 285 km / h.

Lamborghini Countach

After the success of these models, in 1974 the Countach emerged that relocated the engine again: backwards, longitudinally, hence its nickname LP (Longitudinale Posteriore) and 400 (4.0-litre engine displacement). With its bodywork incorporating scissor doors and distinctive nuanced details, the Countach wrote a new story in Lamborghini's design language and speed as it hit a top of 300 km / h.

Lamborghini LM002

In 1986, Lamborghini had the idea of ​​creating a utility with the same engine as the Countach, only with a displacement of 5.2 litres and an output of 444 hp.

Lamborghini Diablo

Although there were no more location options to explore for engine mounting, as the best solutions were already in place, the Diablo appeared in 1990 with a 485-hp 5.7-litre V12 engine. While the LP position was maintained, the novelty was the four-wheel-drive system for the first time along with an acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 320 km / h.
 
Lamborghini Murcielago

With the advent of the 21st century, the Lamborghini V12 tradition made its appearance, in 2001, with the Murcielago sports car. Here the engine block with a 6.2-litre displacement registers 580 hp and 330 km / h top speed. In the Super Veloce version, the capacity reached 6.5 litres and delivered 670 hp, as indicated by its suffix: LP 670-4.

Lamborghini Aventador

This history of V12 engines has its most recent chapter in 2011 with the Aventador owning a 6.5-litre block with 700 hp. This power doubles as the 350 GT achieves 0-100 km / h in 2.9 seconds before reaching its maximum of 350 km / h.

Today, there are four engine variants including the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ engine that delivers 770 hp.