WITH THE FERRARI 458 ITALIA revealed last month, now it appears an all-new supercar from Volkswagen-owned Lamborghini cannot be far away.

The Murcielago, with its myriad variants, is fast reaching the end of its life and these brand new spy photos reveal that a successor is now in development.

The next-generation as-yet unnamed Lamborghini is expected to make use of the much lighter aluminium spaceframe chassis that underpins the Audi R8, retaining the mid-engined layout of the Murcielago.

Various online reports have suggested that the Murcielago successor will ride on a wheelbase similar in length to the current model, albeit with shorter front and rear overhangs.

As shown in these new photos, which reveal a test mule wearing the modified bodywork of a current generation Murcielago, the new Lamborghini is likely to ride on a wider track than the current Murcielago.

Bolted to each wheel is a RoaDyn torque sensor, which together monitor the forces and torque levels on any of the four individual wheels.

It’s too soon to be speculating about engines and performance details, but, as with the Ferrari 458 Italia, the new Lamborghini’s output should comfortably match that of its most potent forebears: in this case, the 500kW Murcielago LP 670-4 SV.

GALLERY » Lamborghini Murcielago Successor Mule Spy Photos