The Lamborghini Miura SV celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, marking more than half a century since a car that helped redefine the limits of road-going performance made its debut in 1971. As the ultimate evolution of the groundbreaking Miura, the SV also introduced the “Super Veloce” philosophy—a designation that would become synonymous with Lamborghini’s most focused, desirable and uncompromising V12 models.
The Miura SV represented the final and most extreme development of a car widely regarded as the world’s first true supercar. By the time it arrived, Automobili Lamborghini had accumulated considerable experience with the original Miura P400, introduced in 1966, and the improved Miura S that followed in 1968. The SV took everything learned from those cars and transformed the Miura into a faster, more refined and more capable machine.
From the beginning, the Miura broke convention with its transversely mounted V12 positioned just ahead of the rear axle. The radical layout, combined with Marcello Gandini’s dramatic bodywork, helped turn the Miura into an almost immediate icon and established a template for the exotic mid-engine performance car.
But Lamborghini wasn’t finished.
Introduced in 1971 and produced through 1973, the Miura SV addressed several of the shortcomings found in earlier versions while extracting even greater performance from the original concept. The result was a car that retained the Miura’s unmistakable character while delivering greater stability, precision and usability.
“With the Miura SV, Lamborghini brought the evolution of the Miura to its ultimate expression and introduced a designation that would become an integral part of the brand’s DNA,” says Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “Super Veloce has always represented the purest interpretation of Lamborghini performance: a combination of increased driving emotion, enhanced dynamic capabilities and a distinctive character. From the Miura SV onwards, every SV model has embodied our commitment to continuously pushing the boundaries of performance and driving experience.”
While the earlier P400 and Miura S were spectacular cars to drive, their demanding handling characteristics left opportunities for improvement, particularly in high-speed stability and engine lubrication. Feedback from Lamborghini’s test drivers and customers helped guide engineers as they refined the Miura for its final evolution.
At the heart of the SV remained Lamborghini’s 3.9-liter V12, mounted transversely behind the passenger compartment. Further development increased output to 385 horsepower at 7,850 rpm, with 388 Nm of torque arriving at 5,500 rpm. Combined with substantial chassis and aerodynamic improvements, the additional power made the SV both quicker and more composed than the Miura P400 and Miura S.
Performance was extraordinary for the period. The Miura SV could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 5.5 seconds and reach more than 290 km/h. Those figures placed it among the fastest production cars in the world and reinforced Lamborghini’s growing reputation at the forefront of the emerging supercar category. Some of the SV’s most important improvements, however, were found beneath the surface.
Earlier Miuras used a common oil supply for the engine and transmission. With the SV, Lamborghini separated the lubrication systems, significantly improving the durability and reliability of both components. It was an important engineering development that made the Miura better suited to exploiting its formidable performance.
The chassis received equally meaningful attention. Lamborghini widened the rear track, revised the suspension and increased overall chassis stiffness while retaining a reasonable degree of ride comfort. The changes produced a more stable car at high speeds and more precise handling through corners. Ventilated disc brakes provided stronger and more consistent stopping performance.
The SV’s appearance evolved along with its mechanical specification, although Lamborghini was careful not to disturb the Miura’s celebrated silhouette. The distinctive “eyelashes” surrounding the headlights disappeared, creating a cleaner front-end treatment, while dramatically widened rear fenders accommodated larger tires and gave the SV a noticeably more muscular stance. Those visual changes were more than cosmetic. The broader rear track and larger tires were integral to the SV’s improved dynamics, making its more aggressive appearance a direct reflection of the engineering beneath the bodywork.
The Miura SV ultimately became far more than the final chapter of the Miura story. It established a philosophy Lamborghini would revisit repeatedly over the decades: take an already extraordinary V12 model and sharpen its performance, dynamics and character to create something even more focused. That philosophy would carry forward through generations of Lamborghini’s flagship cars, turning the SV badge into one of the most significant designations in the company’s history.
Fifty-five years after the Miura SV made its debut, Super Veloce remains shorthand for Lamborghini at its most extreme. What began as the ultimate evolution of the Miura became an enduring part of the company’s identity—and a philosophy that continues to define some of the most memorable V12 Lamborghinis ever built.
Specifications
- Engine: 3.9-liter V12, 385 hp at 7,850 rpm, 388 Nm at 5,500 rpm
- Top speed: over 290 kph
- 0–100 km/h: 5.5 s
- Kerb weight: 1,245 kg
- Improvements: separate engine and transmission lubrication, wider rear axle for better traction, modified rear suspension, increased power, faster and more controllable, some with limited-slip differential
- Special features: final version of the Miura series, no headlight covers, modern appearance, highest power output and road holding in the series
- Price: 8,600,000 lire
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Above content © 2026 Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee , @rexmcafee 🏁
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