The Jalpa was a development of the earlier
Silhouette 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, although reviewers have noted that it had heavy steering and
throttle.
Engine The Jalpa was fitted with a double
overhead camshaft version of the
V8 engine used in the Silhouette on which it was based, designated the
L353. The version used in the Jalpa had a power output of at 7,000 rpm and of torque at 4,000 rpm in European specification. The engine in the US models had a power output of . Fuel flow was managed by four twin-barrel down-draught Weber 42 DCNF carburetors.
Performance Lamborghini claimed the Jalpa could accelerate from 0 to in 6.0 seconds, to in 19.1 seconds and a 1/4 mile time of 15.4 at with a top speed of , Curb weight was . The performance of the Jalpa was comparable to the entry-level
Ferrari 328 which was based on the older
Ferrari 308.
Classic & Sports Car magazine quoted a acceleration time of 6.8 seconds and a 0–161 km/h time of 16 seconds for the Jalpa, while
Car and Driver reported a 0–60 mph acceleration time of 5.8 seconds. having sold 410 units. ==References==