This Lamborghini Almost Cost Miles Davis His Life

There will ne'er beryllium different Miles Davis, and Lamborghini will ne'er do a caller return connected nan Miura, but nan icons person a history together. And it came to a screeching halt successful nan autumn of 1972, a clip that marked a awesome turning constituent successful nan musician's life, some musically and otherwise. On October 11, Davis released "On nan Corner," a stunning physics operation of rock, jazz, and funk that was nan logical improvement of his different precocious '60s/early '70s music. It took immoderate clip for listeners to drawback up, though, and it debuted to scathing reviews.  Then conscionable 10 days later, he was successful a New York infirmary recovering from a near-fatal car clang successful his Lamborghini Miura.

Of course, it wasn't truthful overmuch nan Miura that was astatine responsibility arsenic it was Davis. That's according to James Glickenhaus, who knows a point aliases 2 astir exotic sports cars himself and told nan communicative to Road & Track. Glickenhaus, who coincidentally was driving adjacent Davis astatine nan time, said nan mishap was nan consequence of Davis trying to make a abrupt right-hand exit disconnected nan West Side Highway from nan near lane. The 2 bags of cocaine successful nan car whitethorn person had thing to do pinch it arsenic well; erstwhile Glickenhaus stopped to help, he said, he recovered them earlier nan cops could and dumped nan coke into a adjacent sewer.

That's only portion of nan Miura's story, however. In fact, nan car was astir arsenic important to Lamborghini arsenic Miles Davis was to jazz.

"Supercar" seems to beryllium a word first utilized to advertise Bentleys backmost successful 1920, but it was nan premiere of nan Lamborghini Miura successful 1966 that brought it backmost into communal use. The Miura made its debut astatine nan Geneva Motor Show that twelvemonth arsenic nan first Lamborghini pinch a mid-mounted V12 motor — mounting nan template for a agelong database of thrillers that includes nan Diablo, Countach, Aventador, and moreover Lamborghini's bonkers 1,001-hp Revuelto.

True, Miles Davis' 1972 Miura didn't make that benignant of output, but support successful mind that nan first-generation exemplary launched arsenic nan world's fastest accumulation car — backed by a apical velocity approaching 175 mph. And nan Davis car could spell faster than that, since it was from nan 3rd Miura series, nan SV, which first met nan nationalist successful 1971. 

Featuring an upgraded suspension and riding connected bigger tires beneath wider instrumentality arches, nan Miura SV besides rewarded owners pinch a abstracted lubrication strategy for its five-speed manual gearbox. Changes nether nan hood included revised camshaft timing, bigger valves connected nan intake side, and re-engineered carburetor jets that each worked together to bring 385 horsepower to nan party; drivers could observe by moving from 0 to 60 mph successful less than 6.5 seconds — yet topping retired astatine 186 mph.

The Miura attracted its stock of personage attention, too. Beyond Davis, nan database of celebrated erstwhile Miura owners includes Eddie Van Halen, Peter Sellers, and Elton John, while nan car has had roles successful much than 40 movies, including nan original 1969 type of "The Italian Job."

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Growing up successful nan pre-Civil Rights era, Miles Davis knew first manus that opinionated retired successful nan achromatic world could bring nan incorrect benignant of attention: In 1959, he was beaten by constabulary while simply taking a cigaret break from 1 of his gigs successful New York City — and not moving on erstwhile told to. Of course, saying that Davis gave precisely zero damns astir achromatic expectations would beryllium putting it mildly.

So he had nary problems rolling done New York City successful nan benignant of exotic cars he knew could easy get him stopped for DWB (Driving While Black). For example, Davis utilized 1 of his first large royalty checks to acquisition a Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, a curvaceous and diversion roadster that's nan founding personnel of Mercedes' SL family — which includes nan anything-but-subtle 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series. He besides owned a post-war Jaguar, though location are conflicting reports astir whether it was an XK120 aliases an XK140. Either way, nan acquisition was capable to person him to ain an XJS later successful life.

Davis' Italian shape began successful 1958, erstwhile he purchased his first Ferrari. He really had to spell nan pre-owned route, arsenic a caller merchandise from nan Prancing Horse was still retired of his fund astatine nan time. Davis would yet adhd a Ferrari 275 GTB, a 308 GTS, nan Miura, and a Testarossa to his Italian stable.