Lamborghini Jalpa
Encyclopedia
The Lamborghini Jalpa (ˈxalpa) is a sports car
produced by the Italian sports car manufacturer Lamborghini
from 1981 to 1988.
intended to fill a role as a more "affordable" Lamborghini, being much less expensive than the flagship Countach
and being also designed by Bertone.
Compared to the Countach, the Jalpa was much easier to drive, having better visibility and being more tractable in heavy traffic and at slow speeds.
.
, the Jalpa was fitted with a V8
engine displacing 3.5 l (213.4 cu in) that produced 252 hp at 7000 rpm and 231 lbft at 3500 rpm.
Classic & Sports Car magazine, however, quoted a 0-60 mph time of 6.8 seconds and a 0-100 mph time of 16 seconds for the Jalpa.
In 1988, after falling sales, the new owners, Chrysler
, decided to end Jalpa production despite being their most successful V8 car to date having sold 410 units.
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
produced by the Italian sports car manufacturer Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
from 1981 to 1988.
Overview
The Jalpa was a development of the earlier SilhouetteLamborghini Silhouette
The Lamborghini Silhouette P300 was a two-door two-seat mid-engined rear-wheel drive sports car, made in small numbers by Lamborghini between 1976 and 1979....
intended to fill a role as a more "affordable" Lamborghini, being much less expensive than the flagship Countach
Lamborghini Countach
The Lamborghini Countach is a mid-engined supercar that was produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars...
and being also designed by Bertone.
Compared to the Countach, the Jalpa was much easier to drive, having better visibility and being more tractable in heavy traffic and at slow speeds.
Name
The name Jalpa came from a famous breed of fighting bulls, tradition later followed with the GallardoLamborghini Gallardo
The Lamborghini Gallardo is a sports car built by Lamborghini. The Gallardo is Lamborghini's most-produced model to date, with over 10,000 built in its first seven years of production...
.
Engine
Instead of the flagship's V12Lamborghini V12
The Lamborghini V12 is a sixty degree V12 petrol engine designed by Lamborghini, and was the first internal combustion engine ever produced by the firm....
, the Jalpa was fitted with a V8
Lamborghini V8
The Lamborghini V8 is a ninety degree V8 petrol engine designed by Lamborghini, for their less-expensive vehicles. It was only the second internal combustion engine ever developed by the company, and first saw production for the 1971 Lamborghini Urraco. It was designed by Gian Paolo Dallara...
engine displacing 3.5 l (213.4 cu in) that produced 252 hp at 7000 rpm and 231 lbft at 3500 rpm.
Performance
Lamborghini claimed the Jalpa could accelerate from 0 to 62 miles per hour (99.8 km/h) in 6.0 seconds, to 100 miles per hour (160.9 km/h) in 19.1 seconds and a 1/4 mile time of 15.4 at 92 miles per hour (148.1 km/h) with a top speed of 234 kilometres per hour (145.4 mph), Curb weight was 1510 kilograms (3,329 lb).Classic & Sports Car magazine, however, quoted a 0-60 mph time of 6.8 seconds and a 0-100 mph time of 16 seconds for the Jalpa.
Revisions and end of production
When the car hit the market in 1981 the plastic components (bumpers, air intakes and engine cover) were black, and the car carried over the rectangular taillights of the Silhouette, this however was changed in 1984 when round taillights were fitted and the black plastic parts were now finished in the body color.In 1988, after falling sales, the new owners, Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
, decided to end Jalpa production despite being their most successful V8 car to date having sold 410 units.