Lamborghini Urraco Rallye: Bob Wallace’s Wild Experiment

Outlaw Elegance - There’s a special kind of madness that lives in the hearts of true engineers — the kind that doesn’t rest when the day is over, the kind that dreams of bending metal into art long after the factory lights have gone out. For Lamborghini’s legendary test driver and development wizard Bob Wallace, that madness became a calling. It drove him not just to perfect the cars that bore the raging bull emblem, but to push them far beyond the boundaries of what Lamborghini itself imagined possible. Out of that restless curiosity came one of the most radical machines of its era — the Lamborghini Urraco Rallye. 

The Lamborghini Urraco Rallye was a race-bred machine built on the chassis number three of the 1971 Urraco P250, crafted in 1973 by the company’s legendary test driver, Bob Wallace. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

To understand what made the Urraco Rallye so extraordinary, it helps to remember what the world of Lamborghini looked like in the early 1970s. The company had already made its mark with the Miura, a car that redefined the idea of a supercar. But Wallace, never content with “enough,” wanted something rawer, lighter, more purposeful. In 1973, he turned his attention to the Urraco — a sleek 2+2 coupe that was meant to bring Lamborghini’s magic to a broader audience. Instead of treating it like a production car, Wallace transformed it into a fire-breathing experiment, a purebred “hot rod” wearing the skin of a Urraco. 

The Lamborghini Urraco Rallye was instantly recognizable by its unusually far-set pop-up headlights — a subtle hint of its prototype origins. (Picture from: Lamborghini)

He began with one of the earliest Urracos, specifically chassis number three from the pre-series P250 run of 1971. This car was easy to recognize even at a glance, thanks to its unusually far-back pop-up headlights — a subtle clue to its prototype roots. But beneath its bright orange body, Wallace was preparing something far more radical. He installed a specially developed 3.0-liter V8 engine equipped with four valves per cylinder and dry-sump lubrication, an advanced setup for its day. Coupled with a six-speed gearbox, the engine delivered over 310 horsepower — a huge jump from the standard Urraco’s output, and more than enough to justify the aggressive modifications that followed.

The Lamborghini Urraco Rallye featured a chassis reinforced with welded-on sections to withstand greater power and lateral forces, with a solidly bolted rear subframe enhancing stability at high speeds. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

Later accounts suggest that this high-tech four-valve engine didn’t stay in the car for long. It was soon replaced by a tuned two-valve 3.0-liter engine sourced from the P300 version of the Urraco, slightly more manageable but still ferociously potent. Photos from the period reveal twin exhaust pipes large enough to hint at the power within — and loud enough to make any modern-day noise regulation shudder. This wasn’t a car meant for polite roads; it was built to be driven like a race car, pure and simple. 

The Lamborghini Urraco Rallye’s interior was stripped of everything unnecessary; the rear seats were completely removed and replaced with a custom fuel tank. (Picture from: LamboDieCast)

Inside, everything unnecessary was stripped away. The rear seats were removed entirely and replaced with a custom fuel tank, while a roll cage took the place of luxury trim. The goal was clear — reduce weight, increase rigidity, and make the car feel as close to a competition machine as possible. Suspension duties were handled by McPherson struts like the standard P250, but Wallace added adjustable Koni shock absorbers to allow for fine-tuning on the track. Different types of brakes and tires were tested — from Pirelli P7s to Dunlop racing slicks — all mounted on magnesium Campagnolo wheels reminiscent of those from his earlier masterpiece, the one-off Miura Jota. 

The Lamborghini Urraco Rallye initially powered by a specially developed 3.0-liter V8 P250's engine, later swapped with a tuned two-valve 3.0-liter engine sourced from the P300 version of the Urraco. (Picture from: LamboCars)

The chassis itself was reinforced with welded-on sections to cope with the increased power and lateral load, while the rear subframe was bolted solidly to improve high-speed handling. Aerodynamics were another obsession: the body gained widened wheel arches, chin spoilers, and even a massive adjustable rear wing during development. It was all about balance — keeping that roaring V8 planted as it clawed at the asphalt.

The Lamborghini Urraco Rallye showcased an intense focus on aerodynamics, featuring chin spoilers, widened wheel arches, and a large adjustable rear wing that helped its roaring V8 stay firmly grounded while tearing across the asphalt. (Picture from: LamboCars)

Wallace did eventually get the chance to let his creation off the leash. At a gathering of exotic cars at the Misano race track, the Urraco Rallye made its only known competitive appearance. It wasn’t an official race, but that didn’t stop it from overtaking a Porsche, proving that Wallace’s instincts — and his engineering daring — were as sharp as ever. 

The Lamborghini Urraco Rallye embodied aerodynamic obsession, with widened wheel arches, and a massive adjustable rear wing designed to keep its roaring V8 firmly planted as it clawed at the asphalt. (Picture from: FCaminha Garage in Facebook)

After its brief moment in the spotlight, the car was left behind at the Lamborghini factory, forgotten as the company moved on to new projects and turbulent times. But true legends have a way of resurfacing. Decades later, the Urraco Rallye was rediscovered, lovingly restored to its original form, and now lives once again — a fully functional piece of Lamborghini history — in the hands of a member of the Japanese Lamborghini Owners Club. | 8PiIre1u00Y |

Today, looking back at the Urraco Rallye is like peering into a time when experimentation still felt dangerous and wonderfully human. It wasn’t a concept drawn up by a committee or refined by focus groups; it was the result of one man’s relentless drive to see how far a machine could go when freed from limitations. In that sense, it embodies something that even modern supercars sometimes struggle to capture — the raw, unfiltered soul of speed, born from the imagination of a mechanic who dared to dream after hours. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | LAMBORGHINI | LAMBOCARS | SUPERCARNOSTALGIA | STORY-CARS ]

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