Conference terri::cars_uk

    Recent rumour : Chrysler will sell Lamborghini to ... BMW.

    
    More bad than good on balance, do you think Patrick?
    
    They seem to have settled into a similar niche to Lotus, but maybe both
    will be allowed to revive their ranges when the recession is over
    (Whenever that may be!).
    
    Mark

    Ing. Mauro Forghieri has left Lamborghini Engineering of Modena to join
    Bugatti.
    
    Mauro Forghieri is famous for the 20 years or so he spent at Ferrari
    designing engines, gearboxes, suspensions, sports cars and F1s. He has
    always suffered from political problems inherent to the Scuderia and
    the last time he was asked to leave the F1 racing departement he left
    Ferrari for good and joined Lamborghini to start and setup their
    engineering department. At Lamborghini Engineering he managed to design
    and build a 3500cc V12 that was mounted in the Larrousse Lolas. Later
    he designed a complete F1 for a Mexican customer who failed to take
    delivery of the car ...
    
    At the new Bugatti factory, Forghieri will take over from Paolo
    Stanzani who has done the opposite journey (from GT cars to F1 with
    Scuderia Italia).

    I went to the 30th anniversary. Main points:
    
    - driving from Geneva through the Mont Blanc Friday morning was a
      mistake since you probably all know what happened of Valle d'Aosta at
      the same time. River Dora decided to grow 2000% and wipe out
      everything (roads, railways, houses, trees, rocks, tons of mud).
      Anyway, by carefully escaping the flood through a little mountain
      road we finally made it. I have been driving (and sometimes flying)
      through storms but this was different: deluge ! 
     
    - arrived at Campogalliano (near Modena) at 5:30 pm. Rushed into
      Bugatti. Got a complete tour of the facility, factory, assembly line,
      machine tools, .... 15 cars have been delivered so far. 7 cars in
      various stages of production. The Bugatti factory looks like a
      laboratory: extremely clean and tidy. Engine parts are just
      incredibly beautiful. EB110 is the current product. 2 EB110 SS
      prototypes are operational and production will begin soon. Design
      work on the EB112 saloon is going on. Difficult to tell the feel and
      emotion in this place. You have to go. 
    
    - Lamborghini event: approx. 150 owners showed with cars for a total of
      roughly 400 people.
     
    - Visit of Lamborghini Engineering. They showed us everything.
      Including the engine parts: pistons, rods, crankshafts and drawings.
      I even took pictures. They're waiting for the McLaren deal to be
      signed. Nobody wanted to comment but a few guys said the deal WAS
      signed. If this is the case the engine will be labeled Chrysler.
    
    - After luch at the factory, Lamborghini Cars president Timothy Adams
      unveiled ....
    
    		the DIABLO 30th anniversary SPECIAL EDITION 
    
      ... or SE as everybody seems to call it. Carbon fibre frame, 1450kg,
      revised front spoiler, 525bhp engine, traction control, ... this is the
      mid-life kicker intended to boost sales. Several orders were taken on
      the spot ...
     

    Forgot to add. I brought back:
    
    - one LAMBORGHINI DIABLO SE press release
    
    Send me mail if you're interested in a b/w photocopy.

    Quizz: mail me the name of the (famous) owner of the red MIURA P400 S
    registered 400 VH 38 (F) and I'll send you a colour photo of the car
    with driver at the wheel.

    Mr Suharto, son of the President of Indonesia, is willing to invest
    into high performance cars. 
    
    At present he is looking at:
    
    - buying Lamborghini Cars from Chrysler Corp.
    - buying shares of TAG-McLaren
    
    Mike Kimberley, ex-Lotus, who moved to Indonesia when the Elan
    production stopped and became a friend of Mr Suharto, is handling the
    negotiations.
    
    Mr Suharto is VERY rich.

    How about Rene Arnoux?
    regards,
    JP
    PS I finally found that article on the 166's and a copy is on it's way.
    

    Thanks Patrick, 
    
    I just received the package, excellent pictures and documentation, I
    hope my info has gotten there.  Perhaps I can send you something from
    next years Ferrari annual event next year in Montery, California.
    Supposedly they will be introducing a new factory car and racer, and
    will have drivers and factory people on hand.
    
    Until then I am heading off to a new position in a new office so I
    expect to be quite busy for the next few months.
    regards,
    JP currently at KAO but moving to OTO

    Yes this is to be based on the new F130 (code name I believe).  It is a
    a follow up to the F40 and Pinifarina concept car of a few years ago. 
    All the pictures I have seen so far show a hybrid spyder with a lot of
    DUCT tape and add ons to conceal its true identity.  They are to be
    competing in the IMSA GTP class I believe.  It is also to have a lot of
    F1 technology as well.  Not sure if it will be 12, 10 or turbo 8 yet.
    
    I am hoping to get more info in my next copy of The Prancing Horse.
    JP

    
    Ferrari are building a car for the IMSA WSC (World Sports Car) class,
    which effectively replaces the Group C like GTP class with the old
    Group 6 style open 2 seaters.
    
    Mark

    I have heard unofficial rumors of 8,10 and 12 cylindrers.  I should get
    more official news in the next few weeks.
    regards,
    JP

>So far they've used: 
>    
>    	- 12cyl 	in V12 and flat12 format
>    	- 8cyl 		in V8
>    	- 6cyl 		in V6 and straight6 
>    	- and 4cyl 	in straight4

Don't forget the experimental W18 and early in-line 2 cyl engines.

Dave

>in-line 2 cyl ?

I don't believe it was ever put in a car, but there is a picture of one (maybe
the only one?) in my Hans Tanner/Doug Nye Ferrari book at home.

Dave

    Saw in the paper yesterday that Ferrari have just signed some sort of
    deal wit Honda.
    
    Steve.
    

    They announced during Susuka that Honda was working with and sharing
    info on some electronics with Ferrari.  I forget the exact details.
    Maybe Ferrari will help Honda out with their proposed Indy engines?

    re .39
    
    A beautiful book, worth every penny for any afficianado.
    
    Mike
    
    Glad to see you've got a copy Dave

Re: engine for the IMSA Ferrari.

According to the italian magazine "Autosprint", the engine will be a V12 
3.3 litres (5 valves per cylinder) based on the F1 engine.

	Vic

    Just got a piece of info that requires confirmation:
    
    - the deal with Indonesian Megatech fell through
    - Lamborghini shuts down
    
    Comments: I have met Sandro Munari 3 weeks ago. Sandro told me that
    everything was OK now. The deal with Megatech was signed and the Diablo
    production was looking good (200 cars to build this year). Did not say
    anything about Lambo Engineering. 
    
    If the deal with Megatech does not happen, the Lamborghini Cars + Eng
    still belong to Chrysler Corp.
    
    I'll try and get more data from J-F Marchet (the acknowledged Lambo
    expert).

    The new Lamborghini mgmt team have decided to review the P140 project 
    (smaller/cheaper car than the Diablo powered by a brand new V10 engine).
    
    The P140 project had been cancelled last year when Chrysler Corp., then
    owners of Lamborghini, experienced some financial trouble. The project 
    had been conducted under overall and technical management of Ing. Mauro
    Forghieri (ex Ferrari, now tech manager with Bugatti). The interesting
    piece is the V10 engine which is a real piece of art. Lamborghini had
    created a new ignition system derived from the one they had designed
    for the Diablo.
    
    The body was the result of 2 studies: one by Marcello Gandini (the
    creator of the Miura, Countach, Diablo, ...) and the other by the Style
    center of Chrysler.
    
    It is rumoured that the new management of Lamborghini are interested in
    launching a 2nd product that would live in parallel with the Diablo.

	Weekend paper had an article about the third contender for
	the P140 project except that at first I thought it was an
	article about the new small Lotus, since the car illustrated
	looked so much like it. 

	Read on and there's talk of bonded aluminium chassis and
	lightweight plastic panels just like the new Lotus. And who's
	this designer Mike Kimberley?. Surely it must be the Kimberley
	who worked for Lotus in Esprit days. Indeed it is the same
	person.

	He says he doesn't expect Lambo to take up the design. 

	-John

    Just discovered that Lamborghini owners (Mega Tech Company, owned by
    Indonesia Tommy Suharto) have acquired Vector Aeromotive. The result is
    that the new Vector, displayed at the Detroit Car Show, is powered by
    the 5.7 ltr Lamborghini V12 producing 490hp.