LAMBORAUDI

VW/Audi bought Lamborhini June 12 1998, bought out one production Diablo (the SV) an AWD, then moved onto the Murcielago (released 2001).

 

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I wasn't sure if they bought it before or after the Murcie.

 

Take a Countach, Jalpa, muira, espada, lm002, diablo etc. apart and count how many times you see other manufacturers bits...........Ferrari/Lamborghini/maserati et al have always borrowed bits from other manufacturers to save a few Lira here and there (jalpa door handles for example are from a Fiat X1/9!)

 

Yup, I remember those door handles! I also recall some bits and pieces on my 308 that seemed awfully similar to some pieces on my X1/9 .

Porsche's borrowed from the Volkswagen parts bin too at times.

 

sorry but...

SV was the name used to signify when it was a RWD model. The Diablo that was brought out under Audi was the Diablo 6.0 (and the SE)

 

google is obviously not my friend then lol, sorry bout that!

 

First of all it's AUDIGHINI not LAMBORAUDI...Get it right !

 

If you want info, goto www.lambocars.com

Good for the general stuff and loads of pics

 

yeh i know that site, its pretty good, should have remember it would have all that info too.

i just googled asking the date and found it.

know where i can find blueprints? im currently trying to design a driveway which drops 3 meters in 9 meters and will accomodate the gallardo

 

an audi badge on the ashtray box.

 

I am sorry, but this arguement always makes me mad. All cars now have lost their "roughness" in favor of at least some computer aiding, and comfort. The arguement is the same as the "only drive 12 cylinders" arguement, each car has its advantages and disadvantages why not just look at the fact that the Murci and Gallardo are both fun to drive cars, at least for some people, and leave it at that. Some people love their Honda Civics....great for them, I do not, and would never own one. Does this mean they are a bad car, no, I just don't car for the looks. Looking at some of Ferrari's concept cars http://www.ferrariworld.com/events/conceptsOfMyth/concept.html
some of these are hideous in my oppinion. I guess I have a problem with people faulting a company for changing their design... sure Audi could have taken over and just kept making a Diablo, but well, why didn't Ferrari stop making cars at the F40 when it was cutting edge?

Craig

 

The "concepts" shown in that url were created by college design grads in a contest... not real concepts.

 

I like audi

 

Sorry if this has been covered already but i don't feel like reading the whole thread since it basically all opinions (which is fine)

The first lambo to come out after Audi purchased the company (from chrysler) in late 1998 was the lambo diablo 6.0 (the best lambo ever made imo).

I have never driven a diablo 6.0 (VT) but I did drive a 99 Diablo roadster (not positive on the exact year as it wasn't mine) and while it was fun seeing everyone's responses, that car was very unpleasant to drive in all honesty. I applaud people who can drive diablos day in and day out, but the clutch was far too heavy for my liking and changing gears was equally unpleasant. The steering was quite heavy but I can buy their claim that it offered better driver feedback. I have driven a lot of very high performance street cars and purpose-built race cars and I assure you the Diablo was not built that way because it improved it's performance. I honestly do not know why lambo built the 99 diablo the way they did, I would like to think it included the best that the technology at the time had to offer, but I don't really believe that to be the case.

The modern lambos (murc and gallardo) are much nicer to drive and almost definitely quicker around a track. While AWD is better for mid to low speed roadcourses, I wish they offered a RWD model like they did with the diablos for the added adrenaline of driving a more tailhappy car

 

Seriously, I was going to say that.
Lamborghini trucks are almost as old as their sports cars. Feruccio started out making tractors and cars were a very small part of the company until recently.

 

Hmmm, a modern day Lamborghini SUV. Id buy one, or maybe two.

 

Couldn't agree more. Those who say "the last REAL <XYZ> was the <ABC> model!" are not true enthusiasts. This *is* a current golden age of automobiles. I have a friend who is a very well known and highly regarded repairer and builder of exotic and custom ultra-performance cars. He told me he was shocked the first time he worked on a Diablo. He had a mental image of what the car was like, but he said driving it didn't live up to the expectations - the acceleration was great but the car was needlessly frumpy. It had quirks that made no sense. He said that when he tore the car apart to start working on it he was amazed at some of the "engineering" that was done - like welding tabs between junctions of tubes to provide ridigity when really the underlying truss setup should have been reworked. He also couldnt believe the shoddy welding - bad welds, incomplete welds, non-penetrating welds and frame sections not very well lined up prior to welding or not very well cut. He said the Murcies are a WORLD better in fit an finish and build quality, and I believe him.

Like it or not, resources and experience enhance the driving experience. Audi gave Lambo more knowledge and experience than they would have gotten in a hundred years of keeping doing what they were doing and the Murcie is the better for it. Its faster, handles better, is better built, is easier to drive, will last longer, is easier to work on and will take more hard driving and all that with a better overall drive. True, some prefer to fondly remember the Diablo, but it reminds me of my Corvettes and Vipers I had. The '92 Corvette was way better than my '88, and the 97 was better than my 96, and much as everyone said the old ones were "real" corvettes and the newer ones just luxury cars in disguise, it didn't change the fact that they were better in EVERY way than the older ones and laid the wood to them in performance. Same with the GTS over the older RT Vipers, and the SRT to the GTS.

 

I loved my Diablo, but after driving Diablos for close to a decade, you cant get me into my Sv since I got my Murcielago. Time moves on, cars get better. Murcielago is substantially better to drive, and far more sure footed than the Diablo ever was.

 

I was talking to a few of the Lamborghini Techinicians here in melbourne and they pretty much confirmed this. The problem was Lamborghini didnt have the money. Yes they needed to redesign stuff, or they needed the right equipment to be purchased, they just couldnt afford it at the time and would have to wait months to get the new equipment.

When Audi came into the picture it was more a case of Lamborghini: "Hey we need one of these" Audi: "Here get two!" Ok so that didnt happen for everything but you get my point. Audi Injected alot of money into Lamborghini whether that be technical knowhow or equipment, or technologies.

IMO Audi was the best thing to happen to Lamborghini for the long term. Lamborghini wouldnt not have survied by itself for much longer.

 

haha yeah yesterday when i was in mhh's brand new SE i pulled the ashtray out and it says "Made In Germany" under it

 

took some pics of it

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=135535668#post135535668

 

I think Lamborghini is in very good hands with Audi. They (Audi) seem to be respectfull of the brand (except that the current cars actually run on a day to day basis, and that damn ashtray stamping!), and certainly the automotive press doesn't seem to think the styling of the Gallardo is anything but outrageous. This notion of lost passion, which is defined in this thread, by shoddy build quality, loudness, rattles, bad design, and general junkiness is the same lame crap that used to be spewed about British cars. How did that turn out? Right, about the same as Lamborghini. Car lovers (rich ones, that is) haven't lost their (NOT THERE) passion for unusual or outrageous cars, they just don't have to put up with the kind of spotty reliability that put Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Lotus, etc,etc,etc into other people's hands. I thought this "lost passion" deal went out in the 1960's, when any artist (music or otherwise) that didn't die (or nearly die) from some form of overindulgence, had sold out.

Also, there was atleast one owner of Lambo between Chrysler and Audi, I
believe it was Proton or someone like that, anyone know?

Thanks, rant over.

Check, please
Jimmy

 

So,if they seem to proceed with SUV, is Espada on back burner?

 

Tommy Suharto and MegaTECH corp.

 

So what. Big car companies own little car companies. Doesn't take a GED to figure that one out-Duh.

But actually it is a very good point!

I was under the impression that German manufacturing standards are amongst the better ones in europe. Good for Lamborghini to have superior parts in their automobiles, regardless of the country of origin. I'd rather have that stamped under my ashtray than "made by general motors corp" any day.

Could be worse, could be Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino. I forgot, when did they have to pull out of the American market?