Audi 2013 Annual Report Download - page 135

Lamborghini chief developer Maurizio Reggiani has shaped
the technology and design of these supercars since 1996.
“IN 1963, “IN 1963,
FERRUCCIO LAMBORGHINI FERRUCCIO LAMBORGHINI
DREAMED OF CREATING A DREAMED OF CREATING A
ONE-OF-A-KIND CAR TO ONE-OF-A-KIND CAR TO
AMAZE THE WORLD.”AMAZE THE WORLD.”
We learn all of this from Maurizio Reggiani (55), Head of
Research and Development at the company, who meets with
us to talk about what makes the Lamborghini brand so typically
Italian, so uncompromising and so exclusive. How experiences
from the brand’s 50-year history accompany Lamborghini on its
journey to the future. How they ensure that Lamborghini is
always among the frontrunners in the world of supercars. It
began with a very sporty understanding of competition ...
Behind the wheel of the Squadra Corse, Reggiani demonstrates
straight away what it feels like on the road. And we’re o to
Castelfranco Emilia. At first, trac keeps coming to a halt, but
the bull can also be quite well-mannered. “The Squadra Corse
has a motorsport-inspired e-gear transmission with shift paddles
on the steering wheel. There are three settings to choose
from : ‘Strada’ provides pure driving pleasure under normal
conditions ; ‘Sport’ takes it up a notch in terms of aggressive-
ness ; and ‘Corsa’ is the most extreme setting, capable of
taking the vehicle to its limits.”
“You can clearly feel the Lamborghini DNA,” explains Reggiani.
“We manufacture the most extreme cars there are, and we
never cease to amaze with our successful eorts to further
develop the supercar concept.”
It all started with the 350 GT. “It was a company debut of
sorts. Lamborghini created this model with a fantastic team :
Gian Paolo Dallara, Paolo Stanzani and Giotto Bizzarrini.” The
Miura with its alluring design followed in 1966 : “A stylistic
masterpiece by Marcello Gandini,” continues the chief developer.
“These cars have to be heard as well as seen,” Reggiani stresses.
And he’s right. The sonorous roar of the V12 engines takes your
breath away. “With its mid-mounted engine and transmission
stand up front, the Countach, manufactured between 1974
and 1990, was also an absolute novelty in terms of design
and technology, with an all-round innovative layout. A signa-
ture that finds its logical continuation in the Diablo and the
Murciélago. Yet another milestone was the Gallardo in 2003.
With its V10 engine and a chassis made completely of aluminum.”
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