HOW TO BUY A LAMBORGHINI MURCIELAGO
A BAT OUT OF HELL
If you think the Murciélago looks dramatic, try driving one. Epic pace and a mighty V12 await those with pockets deep enough. Jack Warrick checks his bank balance
Murciélago means ‘bat’ in Spanish, but the car gets its name from a fighting bull which, in 1879, showed such spirit after 90 sword cuts that his life was spared.
The Murciélago had a tough job on its hands. Not only did it replace the Diablo, the 11-yearold icon of 1990s excess, but it was also the first new Lamborghini launched under the brand’s Audi/Volkswagen Group ownership. Could the Germans keep the Italian fizz and inject much-needed quality control?
They could. The Murciélago was one of the finest cars to have made it out of Sant’Agata up to that point. We said it was “just about the sexiest car on the planet” in our 2005 review.
The Murciélago of 2001 to 2010 joined Lamborghini as its f lagship, with a mid-mounted V12 and allwheel drive. Much of Lamborghini’s delightful lunacy had been retained: the car featured scissor doors and a wide, dramatic-looking body that sat just 1.2m above the ground at its highest point. Aerodynamics and cooling were improved by the use of an active rear wing and active air intakes. The 6.2-litre V12, adapted from the Diablo’s, provided further drama in the form of 572bhp, 479lb ft and a magnificent soundtrack.