Exclusive Lamborghini Murcielago SV

Just 10 special Chinese Editions of Lamborghini’s supercar to be made

Despite China’s relatively short motoring history, there’s a growing number of multi-millionaire car collectors eager to snap up the hottest exotic metal.

And Lamborghini is keen to tap into this lucrative market. The supercar maker’s sales grew 11 per cent in the country last year, and the arrival of the limited-edition Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce Chinese Edition aims to cement the firm’s presence in the country.

Not more than 10 SVCEs will be built, each with a special flat grey and orange livery. Every car will feature a numbered plaque with the name of the owner engraved in it too.

There are no mechanical changes, so the 660bhp V12 remains, and the 0-62mph time of just 3.2 seconds and 213mph top speed are unchanged.

Also making its debut at the Beijing show is the Superleggera version of the current Gallardo which has just gone on sale in Lamborghini’s seven Chinese dealerships.

Lamborghini Murcielago

Feast your eyes – Lamborghini has grabbed the bull by the horns and come up with a sensational successor to the Murciélago!

Styled in-house at the firm’s headquarters in Sant’Agata, Italy, it’s the first production model to be penned by design and brand director Manfred Fitzgerald.

It borrows heavily from Lamborghini’s fighter jet-inspired Reventón, and features clean, crisp surfaces, trademark aggressive air intakes and sharply sculpted all-LED lights.

It also gets an active rear wing to improve aerodynamic stability.

But the big news is under the skin. Thanks to Lambo’s latest joint venture the new car will get a carbon fibre chassis, so it tips the scales at less than 1,500kg, down from the outgoing model’s heftier 1,665kg.

Reduced weight and improved aerodynamics are only part of the story, though. A new 7.0-litre V12 engine will produce in excess of 700bhp and 700Nm of torque.

However, fuel economy will also increase to around 23mpg and CO2 will fall from 495g/km to roughly 425g/km, thanks to a clever cylinder deactivation system, which operates under light loads. Top speed will be in the region of 220mph and the 0-62mph time falls from 3.4 to 3.0 seconds, as a result of a new launch control system.

Lamborghini isn’t a fan of the twin-clutch DSG-style gearbox. So, instead, a seven-speed, paddleshift automated manual gearbox will help direct power to the four-wheel-drive system.

Despite the weight savings that could be had by returning to a rear-drive layout, Lamborghini confirms that the car will be all-wheel-drive. However, it will be optimised to reduce friction, and feature parent firm Audi’s torque vectoring system for even better handling.

Inside, the new design means the Murciélago’s offset driving position will be consigned to the history books. Trademark scissor doors will remain, the cabin will be trimmed in carbon and Alcantara, while luxuries will include a hi-tech sat-nav and a jet-style head-up display. The new Lambo will debut at the Paris Motor Show in October and will cost in excess of £300,000.