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Lamborghini Miura Retro Review: What it's like to drive the original supercar

“Glon, youÂ’re in the Miura.” Hang on, IÂ’m in what now? About a minute later, I have the keys to a 1973 Lamborghini Miura SV finished in Oro Metallizzato. Five minutes later, IÂ’m annoyed by the frosty winter air whooshing onto my face but too enthralled by the V12Â’s noise to close the window. The person who coined the phrase “never meet your heroes” clearly hasnÂ’t been let loose in the original supercar, a model of paramount importance in the pantheon of automotive history. Unveiled in 1966, and positioned above the 400 GT as LamborghiniÂ’s range-topping model, the Miura may as well have landed from a far, unexplored corner of the galaxy. It stretched about 172 inches long, 69 inches wide, and merely 41.5 inches tall, dimensions that gave it proportions more closely aligned with todayÂ’s definition of a supercar than with the crop of GTs whizzing by in the left lane of the Italian autostrada in the 1960s. I canÂ’t say that the Miura broke with tradition, Lamborghini didnÂ’t have much in the way of tradition three short years after its gutsy inception, but it looked nothing like the 400 GT. Highly respected Italian designer Marcello Gandini penned the Miura while working for Bertone. Its Fiat 850 Spider-sourced headlights were mounted nearly flat, its door handles were integrated into a column of fins, and its roof line peaked above the seats before flowing into a Kammback-like rear end. Mamma mia! It may look humble parked next to an Aventador, but its design was revolutionary in the 1960s. Equally revolutionary was the technical layout. While the 400 GT — and most high-end GTs sold during this era — were fitted with a front-mounted engine, the MiuraÂ’s 3.9-liter V12 was positioned directly behind the passenger compartment. Odder still, it was mounted transversally. Some historians claim that the inspiration for this arrangement was the original Mini, which stretched just 120 inches long thanks in part to a transverse-mounted engine. The MiniÂ’s role in shaping the Miura has never been proven, but whatÂ’s certain is moving the engine back and turning it 90 degrees changed LamborghiniÂ’s history. More than simply a new model for what was then a small, obscure company, the Miura became nearly a deity in the automotive stratosphere. It blazed the course that dozens of supercars have followed since. Rejigging the proportions required rearranging the interior.

Watch a parade of five Lamborghinis make their way through a shopping mall

It's easy to forget that high-performance cars are not limited in size to something like a Lotus Elise or Mazda MX-5. They can get big. Take Lamborghini, for example. It might focus on combining low curb weights and high-output engines, but an Aventador very nearly occupies the same amount of space on the road as a fullsize Range Rover (the Lambo is only about eight inches shorter, although it is an inch wider, excluding the mirrors on both vehicles).
Considering this, getting one of the Italian exotics inside the cramped confines of a mall is a rather tall order. After all, the thoroughfares there are designed for people, and are often bisected by either smaller shopping stands, pillars or some sort of fauna. Getting five Lamborghinis in, though, is an exercise in patience in precision.
Lamborghini of Miami did just that, stuffing five of the exotics inside a local mall. On the way out, one of the workers used GoPros to chronicle the entire process. It's an entertaining bit, if not a bit cringe-inducing on some of the tighter bits.

Bologna airport has a Lamborghini Huracan taxi car

It's official. Bologna, Italy, has the best welcome sign of all time. It's striped across a Lamborghini Huracan at Aeroporto Marconi di Bologna. Better yet, the Lambo is an in-use tarmac taxi vehicle that gets planes where they need to go. It even has a light bar! Lamborghini took to social media this week to show off its newest design, a Huracan RWD airport car, and it's not just for show. In addition to the welcome note, it also has "FOLLOW ME" largely printed across its doors. Designed by Centro Stile Lamborghini, this car guides planes around the airport before and after takeoff and landing. It's certainly easy to follow, as a supercar already stands out, even before its race-inspired yellow checkered livery. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The pairing makes sense. Lamborghinis have long been known to take design inspiration from planes, and the Lamborghini is located just outside Bologna. The company also already has a display space with a Lamborghini Urus and a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ in the airport. It's also not the only Huracan we've seen with a light bar. Like many one-off Lamborghinis, this Huracan is not for sale. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.