Lamborghini’s V10 history started with the P140 and Calà concepts
Timeless engine traces roots back to 1980s
The Lamborghini Huracán Performante is a gift from the Italian god of speed. It uses a cutting- edge weights aving material named Forged Composites, and it’s equipped with the most powerful production V10 engine Lamborghini has ever put together.
It’s the very best of a breed that began in 2002 with the introduction of the Gallardo, but Lamborghini’s foray into V10 territory goes back much further than that.
Rewind the tape to the l ate 1980s. Lamborghini needed to replace both the Countach and the Jalpa, cars introduced in 1974 and 1981, respectively. That was a job of herculean proportions; remember, at the time Lamborghini was still a relatively small automaker that changed hands often, and frequently found itself in dire financial straits.
The Diablo t ook t he torch from the Countach in 1990 after a trip through Chrysler’s design department in Detroit, but the Jalpa’s successor was nowhere to be seen. Secretly, however, the Raging Bull was building a prototype named P140 that previewed the entry- level model that would carry it through the 1990s with aplomb.
With pop- up headlights and a wedge- shaped silhouette, the P140 was immediately recognizable as a member of the Lamborghini family. It was relatively close to production, but it was ultimately canned for an array of reasons, ranging from the company’s then- limited resources to falling supercar sales around the globe.
Car companies that cancel a car late in the development process all encounter the same issue: good technology that cost millions to fine- tune goes to waste. While the P140 project was nixed, the 4.0- litre V10 developed to power i t had dazzled members of the company’s top brass during testing. Notably, it propelled the two-seater to a top speed of 295 km/ h on the Nardò Ring in southern Italy. The 10-cylinder engine had a tremendous amount of potential; it just needed the right body.
The V10 resurfaced at the 1995 edition of the Geneva Motor Show in the engine bay of a brand- new concept named the Calà. The design was signed Italdesign Giugiaro, and the show car broke all ties with both the P140 and the Jalpa. The aggressive, angular lines morphed into curved surfaces that perfectly embodied the design trends of the 1990s. A two-piece targa roof let the occupants go topless on a whim.
The interior reflected Lamborghini’s upmarket shift. Carpet aside, almost every surface within reach or line of sight was wrapped with leather upholstery. The centre console was tilted toward the driver, while the instrument cluster was made up of four analog gauges neatly spread out behind the steering wheel. This pure, back-to-the-basics approach to interior design marked a stark departure from the P140, which was considerably more function oriented.
Vents chiselled into the sides of the body revealed the coupe’s mid- engined architecture. Mounted between the rear fenders, an evolution of the P140’s naturally aspirated V10 sent 400 horsepower to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. The benchmark z er o-to-100-km/h sprint took about five seconds, an impressive statistic at the time.
Lamborghini’s composites department was steadily growing in size and relevance during the 1990s, and the Calà took full advantage of the lessons learned. It tipped the scale at roughly 1,300 kilograms because its body was made entirely out of carbon fibre.
While the Calà was seriously considered for production, it ultimately joined the P 140 in the brand’ s museum in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy. Strike two for the V10. Interestingly, an Automotive News article published in June of 1998 suggests Lamborghini’ s then- owners decided not to use the 10- cylinder engine in a production car after the project was deep- sixed. Instead, they approached Audi about purchasing aV 8 engine and other mechanical components to use in their upcoming entry- level car.
As we know, Lamborghini ended up not signing a supply deal with Audi. However, the talks led to Audi purchasing Lamborghini that same year for about US$ 100 million. One of the first projects under the new ownership was to launch the development of the car that would finally fill the void left by the Jalpa in the company’s portfolio, while helping Lamborghini increase its presence in key markets all around the world.
The 4.0-L V10’s roar must have left quite an impression on product planners, because in lieu of aV 8, the Gallardo received a brand-new 10-cylinder with five litres of displacement.