05.01.2005 The new year for Automobili Lamborghini opens once again with major events in the United States of America, this week kicking off at the Los Angeles Auto Show

The new year for Automobili Lamborghini opens once again with major events in the United States of America.
 

In addition to the traditional Detroit Motor Show (NAIAS) which runs from 13-23 January, in Michigan, 2005 will also see the first official participation of Automobili Lamborghini at the Los Angeles Motor Show which takes place a few days beforehand on 7-16 January.

At both Motor Shows, Lamborghini will display the 580bhp Murciélago Roadster and 500bhp Gallardo, while in Los Angeles, the Murciélago Coupé will also be present.

The decision to take part officially for the first time in the Los Angeles Motor Show event is evidence of the importance of the North American market for the auto maker based in Sant’Agata Bolognese.

In 2004 Automobili Lamborghini took part in a number of events in North America. After the Detroit Motor Show last year, the company took part in “Le Belle Macchine d’Italia” in Pocono (Pennsylvania), followed by participation in the “Concorso Italiano” in August in Monterey (California), where the Murciélago Roadster was officially unveiled.

The Gallardo takes centre stage during New York's traditional Columbus Day Parade

Last October, Lamborghini cars took centre stage at “Columbus Day”, the traditional parade organized by the Columbus Citizen Foundation every year in New York to celebrate the talent and contribution of Italian-Americans to the United States of America.

The 60th edition of the parade took place on Fifth Avenue amidst large crowds and in the presence of VIPs from the worlds of Italian-American politics, business, sport and entertainment. It was opened by legendary racing driver Mario Andretti, who was appointed “Grand Marshall” of the event, at the wheel of a brand-new black Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster.

Maids of Honour at the event were other Lamborghini supercars from the past: a 1965 350 GT, a 1972 Miura SV, a 1985 Countach and a 1995 Diablo VT, all owned by Italian-American customers.

The parade also included a Lamborghini Gallardo, owned by the Italian State Police, which took part in “Columbus Day” for the first time last year, along with representatives from the Police Force and New York Fire Department.

This unique light blue and white Gallardo – which was donated by the House of Sant’Agata last May during the Anniversary celebrations of the Italian State Police – led a fleet of New York Police Department cars.

The presence of Automobili Lamborghini at “Columbus Day“ 2004 –  requested by the organizers of the event – once again confirmed the distinctive characteristics of the House of the Raging Bull:  uncompromising, extreme and unquestionably Italian.

By the end of 2004, Lamborghini had sold around 700 supercars in the USA and Canada. These included around 570 Gallardo models, while the other 130 were Murciélago models.
 
The decision to take part officially for the first time in the Los Angeles Motor Show event is evidence of the importance of the North American market to Lamborghini
The decision to take part officially for the first time in the Los Angeles Motor Show event is evidence of the importance of the North American market to Lamborghini
The 500bhp 5.0-litre V10-powered Lamborghini Gallardo, seen here during last month's Thailand International Motor Expo in Bangkok, has proved to be a worldwide sales hit
The 5.0-litre Lamborghini Gallardo, seen here during last month's Thailand International Motor Expo in Bangkok, has proved to be a worldwide sales hit. Photo: Wisrute Buddhari.
Automobili Lamborghini will launch the new Murciélago Roadster on to the North American car market at the Los Angeles Motor Show today
Automobili Lamborghini will launch the new Murciélago Roadster on to the North American car market at the Los Angeles Motor Show today
Automobili Lamborghini will publicly launch the new Murciélago Roadster on to the North American car market at the Los Angeles Motor Show today


Globally, Lamborghini sold close to 1600 sportscars in 2004, with North America representing 40 percent of worldwide sales. It remains the largest export market for Lamborghini.

The 'official' US launch of the Murciélago Roadster will be in Los Angeles

Automobili Lamborghini has decided to launch the Murciélago Roadster  on the North American market in Los Angeles, and subsequently in all the other twenty countries in which the company has a sales organization.

The Roadster – which has already attracted great interest from North American dealers and clients – is a continuation of the Italian tradition of open cars, particularly the cars that have made the Lamborghini name what it is today.
Confirming and strengthening the extreme, exclusive character of the Murciélago Coupé, the Roadster is the “icon” of the new Lamborghini era.

The design of the Murciélago Roadster is exclusive, aggressive and extreme. While designing the Roadster, Luc Donckerwolke – the head of the Centro Stile at Lamborghini – did not settle for simply “cutting” the roof off the Coupé, but gave the open car an original look and a special feeling, a styling of its own, making the Murciélago Roadster absolutely unique.

The Murciélago Roadster was recently voted as the world’s most beautiful supercar as part of the "The World’s most Beautiful Automobile 2004“ awards. The decision was taken by an international jury comprising designers, car and art historians, and specialist journalists.

Based on the technology of the Murciélago Coupé, the Roadster version differs in several key features, such as new parts of the frame, in steel and carbon fibre, designed for additional torsional and flexural rigidity. Incorporated into the overall design philosophy, one of these features, the engine frame, is offered as an option in visible carbon fibre.

Without altering the extreme nature of the car, a soft top can be fitted. It is designed – as is the tradition for this type of vehicle – solely for temporary use (for example a sudden shower) and for speeds of up to 160 km/h (100 mph).

Special attention was nevertheless paid to safety. The Murciélago Roadster is fitted with a special automatic, electronic roll bar which is activated in a few milliseconds from the housing behind the seats in the event of an emergency (roll-over).

The dimensions are the same as for the Coupé. Only the height is different: the Murciélago Roadster is nearly 70 mm lower.

The engine is what a Lamborghini is all about: a 12 cylinder V60° of  6192 cc producing 580 HP (426KW) at 7500 rpm and maximum torque of 650 Nm at 5400 rpm with L.I.E. Lamborghini electronic control. The gearbox is the same as in the Coupé: a manual 6-speed. A robotized 6-speed e-gear system is also available as an option.

The Roadster, like all Lamborghinis, is equipped with permanent 4-wheel drive. The top speed of the Murciélago Roadster, depending on aerodynamic configuration, is over 320 km/h (around 200 mph).

The Murciélago Roadster is the most extreme and exclusive product line. The interior has so-called asymmetrical open-worked leather upholstery (left-right split). The driver’s area is a genuine “Pilot-Oriented Challenger".