This Is How V12 Lamborghinis Have Evolved for 50 Years

Lamborghini built it's first mid-engine V12 supercar in 1966 with the creation of the Miura. It was the first of the real, big, Lambos. Of course, the big Lambos are the ones that can scare the crap out of you just by seeing them. And since that first Miura in 1966, the big Lambo has evolved from a car that would basically lift off at speed as the gas tanks emptied to a design so sharp it looks like it would slash you if you walked too close to it. Here's how they've changed.

The first mid-engined Lamborghini had wild looks penned by Marcello Gandini to go with it. Power was from a tranverse V12 making 350 horsepower.

The original Miura became the S. It had some cosmetic revisions and an extra 20 horsepower. Oh, Miles Davis also crashed one while he was high on cocaine.

The final Miura had 385 horsepower and lost the eyelashes that surrounded the lights. They also split up the lubrication for the gearbox and transmission, a novel idea.

The elegant Miura was replaced by the Countach, a car that appears to have been styled with a ruler. The complaints vary from an inability to see out of it to it being a better poster than a car. The early, wingless Countach had 370 horsepower.

The LP400S lost 20 horsepower but gained wider wheels. The famous rear wing also became an option, but it would cost you 10 MPH on top speed.

The LP500S saw the introduction of a 4.7 liter version of the V12 engine... that's about it.

The engine was now a 5.2 liter V12 with 455 horsepower on early cars. When they switched to fuel injection, power dropped to 414 horsepower.

It was the same as the QV mechanically, but had a body that was redesigned by Horatcio Pagani (yes, that Horacio Pagani). It was either love or hate styling, with many people falling on the side of hate.

A new design that was started by Marcello Gandini and finished by Chrysler's Tom Gale, the Diable had a 5.7 liter V12 with 492 horsepower. Top speed was 202, exceeding the initial target by six MPH.

The Diablo VT was the first all-wheel drive car from Lamborghini. It could send 25 percent of its power to the front wheels, making traction much better than the original car. It also had different intakes to improve cooling, a new interior, and more detail changes that were also applied to the "base" Diablo.

The SV was supposed to be the 'hardcore' Diablo. As such, it was rear-wheel drive and had more power, up to 510. It was also the cheapest Diablo you could get at the time, which doesn't really make any sense at all.

It's exactly what it sounds like. The all-wheel drive Diablo with an electric folding carbon fiber roof. Power also went up to 530 for 1998.

This was the first Diablo without pop-up headlights. Instead, the SV, which was now the base model, had the headlights from a Nissan 300 ZX. No joke. It also received a new interior, ABS, and a power boost to 530. The Diablo VT got the same upgrades.

The Diablo GT was basically a race car on the road. It was stripped out, the bodywork was substantially different, and it had a 6.0 liter V12 with 575 horsepower. It's the baddest of ass.

The last Diablo had a redesign that made it much more subdued thanks to the company's purchase by Audi. The smoother design inside and out was matched with the 6.0 liter V12 from the Diablo GT.

The first big Lambo to be designed in house instead of by someone from outside the company, the Murcielago had 572 horsepower and was only available in all-wheel drive. It also made use of active aero and active cooling to keep the outside relatively clean and was the first time that an automated manual transmission was available as an option. A roadster followed in 2004 with a complicated manual roof.

The big Murci now made 632 horsepower from its 6.5 liter V12 and had a slightly revised body. You could also get carbon ceramic brakes, just in case you wanted that sort of thing.

Basically an LP640 underneath, the Reventon was inspired by fighter jets and had angles and creases all over the place. It also had an interior like a fighter jet cockpit, with an incredibly unique TFT display. Just 21 coupes and 15 roadsters were built.

The fastest Murcielago now had 661 horsepower, a revised body, a lot of weight lost, and comes standard with a simply gigantic wing that makes it have a 209 MPH top speed. The optional smaller wing makes the top speed 212 MPH. It could come with either the paddle shift or a real manual.