The Lamborghini Calà (also known as the Italdesign Calà) was a concept car designed for Lamborghini by Italdesign Giugiaro. It was first shown at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show.[1] It was a completely functional prototype that never made it into production. Its name was derived from the Piedmontese dialect of Northern Italy and meant “look, over there!” [2]
The Calà was envisioned by Italdesign to fill Lamborghini's need for a replacement for the Jalpa,[1] production of which was discontinued in 1988 at the behest of then owners of the company, Chrysler. When Chrysler sold Lamborghini to Megatech in 1994, the Calà's design took shape, but when Megatech sold Lamborghini to the Volkswagen Group in 1998, the concept was shelved. Fifteen years after the end of its production, the Jalpa would finally be replaced in 2003 by the Gallardo which used the principles of the Calà as an inspiration.[3]
Design and specifications
Lamborghini Calà: rear view
The Calà was powered by a mid-mounted V10 engine, which generated a maximum power output of 400 PS (294 kW; 395 hp). It was mated to a 6-speed manual transmission that drove the rear wheels, with an aluminium chassis and a hand-built carbon fibre body. [1] It borrowed elements from some of Lamborghini's iconic production vehicles, such as the headlights of the Miura and the widescreen of the Countach. [4][5] Top speed was estimated at 291 km/h (181 mph),[1] while the 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) acceleration time was under 5 seconds. The Calà was built on the previous Gandini-styled P140 prototype.
