Lamborghini has always been a maker of out-worldly and outlandish cars. They have made and still make sharp, mentally fast, and glorious-sounding supercars of any given time. But there has been one specific car in the Italian stable that continues to stand out. It is not only because of these known attributes but also for the fact that this particular bull was the bridge between 'old-school' and 'modern'.
The Lamborghini Murcielago can be arguably slated as 'a perfect supercar'. Lamborghini Murcielago was the perfect successor to the Diablo and a fitting start for the 21st Century. The fusion of old school aura and extremely fast bits gave this then-hypercar a distinctive place in the hearts of fanatics and admirers alike.
And Lamborghini's glorious V12 that was taken from the Diablo, was the perfect cherry to this cake. Hell, it was the whole cake! It fused with the edges and wedges from its predecessors and turned out to be the most desirable looking car of the time. In fact, this Lambo is now 20 years old and still looks in line with the modern bunch of supercars.
Lamborghini Murcielago was the perfect ode to the sinister Diablo and the fitting canvas for the mental future of Lambos. It is arguably the best supercars ever made.
Lamborghini Made The Murcielago From 2001 to 2010; And Came In 3 Major Iterations
The Murcielago is how Lamborghini introduced us to their all-new 'hypercar' in early 2000. It was designed by Luc Donckerwolke, the same guy who was the artist behind its predecessor, the Diablo. This modern Lambo was named after a bull that was spared of life in the arena after taking 24 sword strokes. In other words, the Murcielago rose out of the hardships. It was in production from 2001 to 2006 and also included a Roadster that came about in 2006.
Murcielago LP 640 was a more powerful version of the original Murcielago that bumped up the power figure from 580 hp to 640 hp. This was done to face the new wave of European and American competitors who were hell-bent to get the most out of this performance race. Other changes also included a refreshed front fascia and an option to cover the engine lid with glass inserts. This also came as a roadster and was in production from 2006 to 2010.
Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce was the most outrageous and powerful Murcielago ever made from the factory. It was the perfect wind-up that this iconic car needed and boy did this iconic car farewell in the coolest way possible. Its aerodynamics was completely redesigned and the most evident addition was the huge rear spoiler. It was the most powerful of the bunch with 670 hp and was 220 lbs. lighter than the LP 640. Only 350 units were ever made. Murcielago ended its iconic run with a total production of 4,099 cars.
It Packed The final Variation Of Lamborghini's Iconic V12 And Did 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds
Across all the iterations, the one common drool factor was the Iconic Lamborghini V12 engine that was based on the original model of their long-running engine. The 2001 Murcielago packed a 6.2L Naturally Aspirated V12 that pumped out 572 hp and 479 lb-ft. It screamed gloriously till 7,500 rpm and was just mesmerizing to drive around. The cherry on this cake was it's sweet 6-Speed Manual gearbox.
For the LP 640, displacement was increased to 6.5L and this churned out more power with 622 hp. But the major improvements here were the introduction of the first-ever e-gear in a Lambo which had paddle shifters, an improved suspension, and an AWD system. There was no evident change in the acceleration times and it stuck to its 0-60 mph sprint time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of over 200 mph.
But with the introduction of the SuperVeloce, all hell broke loose. Power was increased to 670 hp and weight was reduced by 200 lbs. Lamborghini also revamped the aerodynamics for more downforce and slapped on a huge-ass rear wing to stop this spaceship from flying off! 0-60 mph was insane, with it barely taking 3 seconds and top speed was now bumped up to 212 mph!
Italians Carry Drama Well. Interior Was Driver-Centric And A Mesmerising Place To Be In
You are ought to go for a warp drive in the interior of a Lamborghini and the Murcielago does that perfectly. The cabin is made to wrap the elements around the driver with the dashboard leaning in for a fighter-jet experience. The interior was a testimony of the fused elements of the analog and modern world. It came with a lot of assistive technologies like traction control and drive modes.
But at the same time had that beautiful stick in the dashboard that was your connection with the smooth 6-Speed Sequential gearbox. You sat low and cocooned in the leather-trimmed bucket seats and the 3-spoke steering wheel was perfectly sized. It had some quirky bits like the angled driver seat towards the center, the off-set steering column, and the location of the handbrake lever that was as confusing as its location, just beside the door sill.
It Was Low, Extremely Wide, And Looked Straight Out Of A Sci-Fi Movie. So Very Lamborghini!
Murcielago was nothing like its predecessors and was Lamborghini's fresh new design language after 11 years. The transition was beautifully done as the designers made sure to include both the modern and futuristic bits, along with some old-school vibes. The scissor-doors were the most dramatic bit as that was a feature, commonly confined to the Lambos of all ages. It was wide, insanely low, and the opposite of anything practical!
But all of this made sure that the Lamborghini Murcielago go down in history as one of the best supercars of the 21st Century.
Sources: Wikipedia.com, Drivetribe.com, Roadandtrack.com, Caranddriver.com, Autoevolution.com, Motortrend.com