The Lamborghini P140 was a project for a new entry-level Lamborghini, started in 1987 to replace the Jalpa. Four prototypes were built and one of them reached 295 km/h, but the car never entered production. Its most important legacy was the V10 engine, which reappeared in the Gallardo fifteen years later.
Lamborghini P140 at a glance
| Type | prototype for a Jalpa replacement |
|---|---|
| Built | 1987–1992 |
| Designed by | Marcello Gandini |
| Engine | 4.0-litre V10, the first Lamborghini with ten cylinders |
| Power | 370–372 PS (about 272 kW) |
| Gearbox | six-speed manual |
| Drive | mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive |
| 0–100 km/h | about five seconds |
| Top speed | over 300 km/h; 295 km/h measured at Nardò |
| Prototypes | three or four, according to company records |
Italian and English sources give the engine size as 4.0 litres and the German one as 3.9; output is quoted as 370 PS in one and 372 PS in the other, which is the same figure rounded differently.
History of the Lamborghini P140
A new small Lamborghini
In the late 1980s Lamborghini was developing two replacements at once. The V12 flagship that became the Diablo was already well advanced, and alongside it work started on a new entry-level model to succeed the Jalpa. The styling was again entrusted to Marcello Gandini, whose wedge-shaped two-door coupé was immediately recognisable as a Lamborghini. Underneath sat an entirely new 4.0-litre V10 — the first ten-cylinder engine in the company’s history — with a six-speed manual gearbox, a mid-mounted layout, an ergonomic dashboard and extensive use of aluminium. The plan was for production to begin in 1996 at a price of around 200,000 DM.
The prototypes
Three or four P140 prototypes were built. The first was orange and fully working, and reached 295 km/h on the Nardò ring in southern Italy. The second was red but never received an engine and remained a rolling chassis. The third, built in 1991–1992, was white; it crashed during testing, was later restored and is now in the Lamborghini museum in Sant’Agata Bolognese. Alongside the Gandini cars, several styling models were made, including proposals from Chrysler’s design centre and from Bertone.
Why it was shelved
The model was cancelled by Chrysler, which owned Lamborghini at the time. The company judged that the car could not justify its development costs, and the recession that followed the 1990 oil price shock and the Gulf War had cut demand for expensive sports cars. The project was stopped in its final stages. Its engine and transmission were not wasted: they appeared in the Calà concept that Giugiaro’s Italdesign showed at Geneva in 1995, and an evolution of the same V10 powered the Gallardo from 2003.
Design and features
- First Lamborghini V10: a 4.0-litre engine of about 370 PS, mounted in the middle.
- Gandini wedge: a shape that fitted the family look while pointing towards the Diablo.
- Aluminium construction: extensive use of aluminium to keep weight down.
- Ergonomic cabin: a dashboard designed around the driver rather than for looks alone.
Lamborghini P140 versions
- Orange prototype: the first car, fully functional and tested to 295 km/h.
- Red prototype: a rolling chassis, never fitted with an engine.
- White prototype (1991–1992): crashed in testing, restored and kept by Lamborghini.
The P140 was meant to replace the Jalpa, was developed alongside the Diablo and led, through its engine, to the Gallardo. More cars are in the Lamborghini collection.
Sources
- Lamborghini P140, English Wikipedia: history, prototypes, performance
- Lamborghini P140, German Wikipedia: engine output, planned price
- Lamborghini P140, Italian Wikipedia: project history, prototypes, Calà link
