Lamborghini Miura Replica with Corvette LS3 Power

The Platform

Lamborghini’s Miura is at or near the top of all sorts of lists, from Most Beautiful Automobile to First Supercar to Favorite Movie Vehicle. While the Pontiac (RIP) Fiero isn’t on any of those lists, it remains popular with kit car builders for its affordability, availability, and most of all its mid-engine configuration. Fiero-based kit car specialist V8 Archie is a diehard fan of the platform, and provides, in their words, “. . . the necessary products to make your Fiero smoke just about anything on the street and look better than many new cars.” V8 Archie built this car a decade ago for a doctor in Texas who wanted a Miura but was scared off by stories of Italian exotics’ unreliability. 

The Body

The fiberglass Miura body—the genuine articles, had steel monocoque/doors and aluminum tilt-up nose and tail sections and was originally fabricated in the U.K. The team at Archie adapted the shell to the Fiero frame and added metal reinforcements as well, before spraying the body in metallic blue paint. They also built a dash, and center and overheard consoles closely patterned after the stylish original items. Aftermarket seats were modified to suit the build and Archie made all-new Miura-style door panels. 

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The Engine

While some exotic kit cars make due with the factory engines and try to avoid getting challenged at stoplights, V8 Archie went another route. So in went a 435 hp Corvette-sourced LS3 engine where Pontic power used to live. The LS motor is mated to a transverse GM five-speed manual transmission, and the entire chassis needed to be lengthened and strengthened to cope with the additional power.

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Enhancements

Other tweaks include reworking the air conditioning system, and fitting tilt-up mechanisms for the headlamps so that they would function like real Miura lamps. Italian lighting touches carried over onto the tail, where doctored Fiat X1/9 (The Italian Fiero) tail light units used. At this point, the car was running custom 17-inch Boyd Coddington wheels. 

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Changing Hands

The doctor who originally owned the car passed away, and in 2016 a new owner purchased it from his estate and had it delivered to Simpson Design in Clinton, Washington. Simpson found that the body suffered from shrinkage where the reinforcements had been added, and it was decided to bring a few details closer to Miura specification and repaint the car a more correct color while they were at it. 

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Changing Details

The new owner selected a later-model Ferrari yellow for the Miura, which meant the car’s tan carpet would clash, so it was swapped out for gray. The seats were also reworked to make them more closely resemble the Lamborghini units, and were reupholstered to match.

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Changing Wheels

Almost as arresting as the Miura’s shape are its distinctive wheels, so much so that one can’t imagine a Miura without them. The Boyd Coddington wheels weren’t quite right so an original Miura wheel was obtained and sent to Chris Coddington to be reproduced for the car in 16-inch diameters. The set of wheels were beautifully recreated right down to imitation knock-off caps.

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Corrections

Original Miura SV models had wider rear fenders than the other versions, and since the body on this car is patterned after earlier S-model Miuras, the rear-mounted SV badge was removed. The Fiat-sourced taillamps also were incorrect for the car due to their more SV-like look, so they were replaced with correct reproduction items. Correctness was tossed aside though when it came to the eyebrow-like grilles that surrounded the original headlamps, they were also deleted on the replica. However, one thing that is original is the replacement Miura windshield.

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A New Generation

Lamborghini Miuras were impressively light from the factory with all significantly under 3000 lbs. While no weight spec is quoted for the V8 Archie Miura, the extra hp and torque provided by the LS3 likely go a long way towards keeping up or pulling ahead of the 4.0-liter V12-powered originals in a straight line. For those eager to purchase their first mid-engined who sportscar and aren’t looking to lap 911s on track days, can we interest you in this LS3 powered model with the body of a 52-year-old? 

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