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

  • Electric power projects planned
    January 26, 2018
    While diesel engines continue to be developed, there is no mistaking the current plans for electric driveline projects - Mike Woof writes The growing worldwide consensus on the massive threat to humanity posed by climate change means that the need to reduce exhaust emissions from transport and construction is becoming ever more pressing. As a result, industry is changing and new solutions are being found for transport and construction that will help lower environmental impact. Although many solutions are
    Read More
  • Three wheeler
    February 22, 2012
    A British man arrested by police for drunk driving recently displayed an incredible lack of awareness. Police said that they spotted that the man's vehicle was missing a front wheel as it drove past a patrol car. Pursuing the man was not difficult as officers followed the trail of sparks and they then managed to persuade the errant driver to bring his wounded vehicle to a halt. Tests showed him to be three times over the limit for alcohol and he was banned from driving for three years. He had driven a dista
    Read More
  • A new event is preparing the asphalt industry for tomorrow’s world
    September 11, 2018
    An inaugural event for the European bitumen industry urged attendees to look to the future - Kristina Smith reports What will tomorrow’s roads look like? Will lanes be narrower, will the road charge vehicles as they drive on them, will they collect data, will they be self-cleaning and de-polluting? All these questions and more were pondered at a two-day conference in Berlin, entitled ‘Preparing the asphalt industry for the future’. It was the first such event for Eurasphalt & Eurobitume (E&E), and set a
    Read More
  • A weighty problem signs change
    October 9, 2012
    In New Zealand city Auckland road signs are suffering excessive wear rates due to structural loads that were utterly unforeseen by highway planners. The problem originates with the city’s ladies of the night, who use the poles of the roadsigns in active dancing displays intended to entice customers. Over 40 roadsigns have been bent in this way, with several having to be replaced. The problem has caused something of an outcry amongst perturbed locals who are less than happy with these, and other, related inc
    Read More

Highlighted Content