The successor to the Lamborghini Gallardo has been spied undergoing high-speed testing at the Nurburgring in Germany.
The iconic Italian marque’s forthcoming entry-level supercar – strongly rumoured to be called the Lamborghini Cabrera after a breed of Spanish fighting bull – is seen here in its most revealing guise yet ahead of its anticipated unveiling early in 2014.
Heavy cladding across the Cabrera test car’s panels take the sharp edges off its bodywork, but the production version is expected to be no less angular and aggressive than recent models from the Sant’Agata-based manufacturer.
Piercing headlights contain twin Y-shaped LED daytime running lights reminiscent of the Aventador’s, while the front air intakes also bear resemblance to those of its big brother.
Intakes in the chunky side skirts channel air to the rear, while larger intakes mounted high on the rear pillars – bisected by a heavily raked beltline – help cool the Cabrera’s mid-mounted engine.
The new model is tipped to use an uprated version of the Gallardo’s 5.2-litre V10 tuned to deliver around 450kW, up from the current car’s peak output of 419kW.
A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which debuted in the facelifted Audi R8, is expected to be the only gear-shifting option, replacing the existing six-speed manual and ‘e-gear’ automated manual. The transmission will send its power to all four wheels. At this stage it’s unclear if an entry-level rear-drive option will also be offered, as in the outgoing model.
The Lamborghini Cabrera will share its carbonfibre/aluminium spaceframe with the next-generation Audi R8. Reports indicate the Italian will be slightly shorter and lighter than its German cousin, and almost certainly lighter than the Gallardo, which weighs 1500kg in LP560-4 automatic specification.
