LAMBORGHINI MUIRA P400SV

Country of Manufacture: Italy     Vin #: 5056
Model Type: 2 Door Coupe
Body Designer: Bertone (Marcello Gandini)
Engine: Transverse mounted V12 (3929cc)
Horsepower: 385 bhp at 7850 rpm
Torque: 289 lb at 5500 rpm
Transmission: 5-Speed gearbox
Suspension:
Front- Independent, unequal length A arms, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Rear- Independent, unequal length A arms, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Brakes:
Front- Girling 12 inch discs
Rear- Girling 11 inch discs
Top Speed: 180 mph

History: The Muira chassis was first shown at the 1965 Turin Auto Show. The setup was revolutionary for the time, as it consisted of a platform chassis made from sheet steel and drilled wherever possible for lightness. Additionally, the mid-mounted V12 engine, (originally designed by Giotto Bizzarrini for the first front engined Lamborghini, the 350GT), had been reconfigured by Giampaolo Dallara, Paolo Stanzini and New Zealander, Bob Wallace in such a way that the engine block, crankcase, transmission and differential housings were all incorporated into a single alloy casting. Although never intended to be a production car, the chassis attracted so much attention that Lamborghini was forced to further develop the concept and initiate production.
Bertone was hired to design the body and although Giugiaro did some of the initial design work, it was his successor at Bertone, Marcello Gandini, who is credited as the designer.
The Muira was built in 3 series. The first in the series was the P400 with 350 bhp and a top speed of 170 mph. The next model, the P400S had ventilated disc brakes and minor body and cabin upgrades and a thicker sheet steel chassis. The third and final version, the P400SV, had more substantial changes including yet an even thicker gauge steel platform and additional gusseting, a positraction differential and four-link rear suspension, wider wheels which necessitated the rear body to be widened some 4 inches, new taillights and the removal of the "eyelash" headlight surrounds that were common to the previous two models. Horsepower was increased to 385 bhp and the top speed increased to 180 mph accordingly. This particular car is a very late factory split-sump version with little more than 14,000 miles showing.

Production: A total of 764 Muira’s were built. Production numbers for each series are P400 = 474, P400S = 140, and P400SV = 150. The last 50 SV’s were different from those that preceeded them. These last cars incorporated a factory installed split sump separating gearbox and engine oils.

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