Skip to main content

Hot car

A classic Lamborghini Miura SV sports car recently caught fire in London, while it was being driven. The owner managed to escape unharmed but by the time emergency services were able to attend the fire, the car had been completely burned out. As this extremely rare car is worth around £1 million, the insurance company is not likely to be happy about having to make a payout. The reason for the fire is unknown but the electrics of this 1971 model were never a strongpoint. Aerodynamically the Miura is also rep
August 15, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A classic 3066 Lamborghini Miura SV sports car recently caught fire in London, while it was being driven. The owner managed to escape unharmed but by the time emergency services were able to attend the fire, the car had been completely burned out. As this extremely rare car is worth around £1 million, the insurance company is not likely to be happy about having to make a payout. The reason for the fire is unknown but the electrics of this 1971 model were never a strongpoint. Aerodynamically the Miura is also reputed to have its flaws by generating lift rather than downforce at speed. As the front-mounted fuel tank empties the car is said to have a somewhat unnerving tendency to lift its front wheels from the ground. Given that the improved later (and most sought after) SV model had a top speed of 276km/h (171mph), this was something of a deterrent to driving a Miura flat out. The rarity and value of this particular model, with only 150 made and few surviving thanks to the car’s peculiar aerodynamics and stunning power to weight ratio, means that the car is likely to be rebuilt from the ground up.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Innovations in piling technology
    December 15, 2017
    The market for piling machines is seeing new technology come to market – Mike Woof writes UK firm BSP is now offering an improved range of piling systems, with its SL30 model and compact BH120. The SL30 can be used to drive Z piles in pairs and its hammer has a drop weight of 2.5tonnes, delivering an impact energy of 30kNm at up 84blows/minute. The SL piling hammer is designed for driving sheet piles and small bearing piles and is available with legs and inserts for use when freely suspended or with back
  • Doosan announces the arrival its smallest 300-5 series wheel loader
    January 6, 2017
    INTERMAT sees the birth of Doosan’s latest arrival, the DL300-5 baby wheeled loader, the smallest machine in the South Korean firm’s DL-5 generation. Doosan’s launch of the 300-5 at Intermat comes only a few weeks after it unveiled the largest wheeled loader in the family, the DL550-5. This was also on display at the Paris exhibition. In between are the 350, 420 and 450, says Doosan’s wheeled loader product manager Sebastien Claude. The 300-5 series, which replaces the Stage IIIB DL-3 series launched
  • Doosan announces the arrival its smallest 300-5 series wheel loader
    April 22, 2015
    INTERMAT sees the birth of Doosan’s latest arrival, the DL300-5 baby wheeled loader, the smallest machine in the South Korean firm’s DL-5 generation. Doosan’s launch of the 300-5 at Intermat comes only a few weeks after it unveiled the largest wheeled loader in the family, the DL550-5. This was also on display at the Paris exhibition. In between are the 350, 420 and 450, says Doosan’s wheeled loader product manager Sebastien Claude. The 300-5 series, which replaces the Stage IIIB DL-3 series launched
  • Asphalt compaction answer
    February 8, 2012
    A new generation of asphalt compaction technology is coming to market, reports Mike Woof. The market for rubber tyred compactors has grown in recent years, prompting manufacturers to develop a new generation of machines.