If you agreed with our takes on the second generation Lamborghini Countach or Gordon Murray S1 LM, then you can breathe a sigh of relief at this news: Lambo has no interest in redoing its the iconic Miura supercar. In an interview with Auto Express, Lamborghini chief of design Mitja Borkert said the Italian automaker will look to the future, rather than the past, to inspire its upcoming designs. Thank God.
Borkert even admitted that the “demand will be there,” but insisted that Lamborghini “will not do it” because the company isn’t looking backwards, it is “looking into the future.” I don’t know about you all, but that is music to my ears. Of course, you’ve got to ignore the Countach LPI 800-4 from a few years ago, but Borkert did his best to explain the different between the two vehicles to Auto Express:
“The Countach… It was a futuristic interpretation. I personally found it interesting to do the translation into the year ’21 or ’22. The last Countach was in 1990, and I wanted to imagine the new Countach as a continuation.”
If Lamborghini were to hypothetically revive the Miura, it wouldn’t be the first time. In 2006, the automaker released a concept that served as a modern take of the iconic car to ring in the original concept’s 40th anniversary. It featured a 6.5-liter V12 borrowed from the Murciélago (as well as the rest of its platform) and looks that were heavily inspired by the original car. Only one was ever built, but it was a favorite of mine in video games of the period.
The Miura’s influence today
Even though there won’t be a new Miura, its legacy still lives on through small design details in Lamborghini’s modern cars. Borkert explained this lineage to Auto Express:
“I have seen a Miura next to [the new Fenomeno], and there is some influence, like the two air outlets in the front. We also have this S duct air outlet, characterised by the Y shape.”
In a lot of ways, every modern-day supercar owes its life to the Miura it was the first. After all, it was the first high-performance production road car with an engine mounted in the middle and rear-wheel drive. And, I mean, just look at it. Few cars before or since have been as breathtaking or dramatic as the Miura, and its influence is still felt in modern designs from many brands. Lamborghini could certainly try to recreate the Miura, but it would almost as certainly fail.
