Lamborghini's new Advanced Composites Research Center will support the study and use of carbon fiber. Photo courtesy Lamborghini
Carbon fiber is today’s wonder material, lighter and stronger than its equivalent in metal or fiberglass. It’s no surprise that this expensive, complex substance is extensively used in race cars and ultra-performance sports cars. Lamborghini uses carbon fiber to keep the weight of its all-wheel drive, 561hp V-10-powered Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera down to a comparably featherweight 2,954 pounds, and the Murciélago’s body is also carbon fiber-intense.
To continue to advance their understanding and use of this material, Lamborghini has set up a new Advanced Composites Research Center (ACRC) at its Sant’Agata Bolognese headquarters. This Center has two facilities and employs 30 engineers and technicians who will build prototypes and associated tools, as well as to carry out crash tests on complex carbon fiber structures and to develop optimized production technologies, such as Resin Transfer Molding.
“The consistent development of carbon-fiber technology is a key element of our strategy,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. “The most important parameter for super sports cars is, now as in the future, the weight-to-power ratio; therefore, as there is a limit to power increase due to emission regulations, we must work on weight reduction. Extensive use of carbon fiber, even at structural level, allows Lamborghini to be at the forefront of development techniques. The real difference is in the correct use of technologies and materials to satisfy technical and financial concerns. This is what the Center is all about.”