Lamborghini Aventador To Replace Murcielago in 2012

SANT'AGATA BOLOGNESE, Italy — Forget Jota. Next year's successor to the Lamborghini Murcielago will be called Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, according to the buzz in European web chat rooms, and will be officially unveiled in early March at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show.

Unofficial spy shots of the Murcielago replacement undergoing preproduction prototype testing have been circulating for months. Until now, widespread media speculation has been that the new car would be called Lamborghini Jota.

While the company has yet to confirm the new name, several Web sites, including Trademarkia.com, have revealed that Lamborghini in August formally registered the Aventador name with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Various Web sites have said Lamborghini privately has confirmed the name to customers and journalists.

One poster to Ferrarichat.com last week said the new car's full name will be Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, the alphanumeric designation referring, as usual, to the engine output (700 bhp) and the fact that all four wheels will be driven.

This poster claimed to have attended a no-cameras-allowed background session with Lambo CEO Stefan Winkelmann, who said the car will have a top speed of 217 mph and 0-60 acceleration in less than 2.9 seconds. Further, the Aventador will feature a carbon-fiber monocoque and F1-style rear suspension, and is said to weigh 500 pounds less than the Murcielago, with 70-percent better structural rigidity.

The European Web site Autogespot.com reported that Lamborghini, at a private customer showing of the new car over the weekend at its Sant'Agata Bolognese headquarters, confirmed the Aventador name and displayed prototypes finished in matte yellow and matte gray. The Web site said the high-rollers had to surrender cameras and pass through metal detectors before being allowed into the event.

So far, Lamborghini has managed to keep the lid on official images of the car, which those who have seen it in private showings have described as similar to the Reventon edition of the Murcielago. The company also may have provided some visual clues with its recent Sesto Elemento concept, unveiled at last month's Paris auto show.

Inside Line says: Lots of speculation, intrigue and interest in a company for whom even a modest change of numerical designation draws scads of attention. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent