The origin of the supercar - The Lamborghini Miura

It's rare to see a Miura in Tokyo, Japan

This is the origin of Lamborghini as we know it today but it's more than that. This is where the modern supercar begins. The first of its kind. The Lamborghini Miura. It was 1963 when Lamborghini was founded by Ferrucio Lamborghini and they've created earlier models such as the 350GT and the 400GT. Then in 1965, they've announced the TP400 platform at the 1965 Torino Motor Show and then the Miura was born at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show. The Miura wasn't really an official project name, but a lesson learned from Top Gear knows that seven people were behind the creation of the Miura and they were at their 20's. One of them who's aged 22 back then was Marcello Gandini the then-chief designer of Bertone. Imagine what are you doing at the age of 22, you wouldn't realize that you have to give birth to the supercar that sparked a revolution.

The Miura turning the tides at Tsukuba

Most exotics come with big powerful engines but the Miura set a centerstage when it comes with a 4.0L V12 engine that produces 345HP of power and 271.2lb-ft of torque. This V12 engine was placed at the rear, setting the template of midship rear-wheel drive supercars. They also mounted the V12 engine sideways rather than lenghtways to keep it compact and oh, they got that idea from the Mini but we're not talking about that. What they didn't put was a three-seater layout like the McLaren F1 and the glass engine cover like the Ferrari but the surprising fact that when the Miura's doors are opened, the doors really shaped like the horns of the bull. Nice touch, that. Because this was made in the 1960's where traction control and ABS hasn't invented yet, the Lamborghini Miura isn't an easy car HARD TO DRIVE! WOOOH! But who cares? It's still a great car! The engine sounds so great especially the engine start up noise. Now that's classic!

Hope he's not late for the show...

However, the Lamborghini Miura has a very small lifespan, produced from 1966 to 1972, with over 760 units built but the Miura is the exotic that established the birth of Lamborghini in style. If that wasn't enough, it became the first car to win the first ever Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Polyphony Digital Trophy in 2008. That's right. The Lamborghini Miura P400 Bertone Prototype CN.0706 was handpicked by Gran Turismo creator, Kazunori Yamauchi at the first ever Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Polyphony Digital Trophy in 2008, setting the standards of classic cars.

An instant classic

My journey with the Miura is somewhat very difficult at the beginning. For a car that costs 15,000,000 Cr, that car is definitely the most expensive Lamborghini in Gran Turismo 5 but when I had my hands on it, I am highly impressed about the Miura's heritage and styling but when it comes to driving, IT'S HARD TO DRIVE! HOO HOO! Although I might be scared to drive the Miura, I felt more mature as I'm driving this classic car that gave birth to the exotic car scene.

"Concorde did it for planes. The Miura did it for supercars. As a car, it was floored but as a concept, it was truly a masterpiece" - Richard Hammond, Top Gear