The Jewel of Lamborghini

The V12-powered models, beginning with the Miura and continuing through the Countach and Diablo, are truly the jewels of Lamborghini. The Murciélago is the latest flagship to carry on this lineage.

The Murciélago, the first new model since coming under Audi's ownership, arrived in 2001, slightly later than originally planned. While the basic design remained unchanged, development fully leveraged Audi's facilities and technical expertise, with the design refined in a wind tunnel and the car brought into compliance with the latest emissions regulations.

Born from this process, the Murciélago is a supercar housing a 6.2-liter V12 behind the seats. Its construction, featuring a steel frame structure with carbon fiber for the floor and some body panels, is undeniably in the Lamborghini tradition. The upward-opening doors are another notable feature.

Five years after its debut, in 2006, it evolved into the Murciélago LP640, with an enlarged 6.5-liter engine producing 640 horsepower. The Murciélago LP640, equipped with the full-time four-wheel-drive "Lamborghini VT" and a 6-speed manual transmission (a semi-automatic e-gear was also available), achieved 0-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, a 0.4-second improvement over its predecessor.

Incidentally, the "LP" in its name signifies that the engine is mounted longitudinally behind the cabin.

LAMBORGHINI MURCIELAGO LP640
Body | Length 4610 x Width 2058 x Height 1135 mm
Engine | 6.5-liter V12
Max Output | 471 kW [640 hp] / 8000 rpm
Max Torque | 660 Nm [64.3 kgm] / 6000 rpm
Drivetrain | 4WD
Transmission | 6-speed manual, e-gear system
Price | ¥37,511,250 (Manual), ¥38,561,250 (e-gear)
(As of May 26, 2008)

BRAND HISTORY
As Italy's preeminent sports car manufacturer, Lamborghini is perpetually compared to Ferrari. This is entirely natural, as Lamborghini's very origin lies in the ambition to surpass Ferrari.

Ferruccio Lamborghini founded Automobili Lamborghini in 1963, at the age of 47. Having amassed a fortune in tractors and air conditioning after World War II, Ferruccio had owned numerous sports cars, none of which satisfied him. Ferrari was no exception. The famous anecdote recounts how, after Ferruccio complained to Enzo Ferrari about his cars, he was told to "go back to driving tractors." This spurred him to launch his own brand with the explicit goal of defeating Ferrari.

Lamborghini immediately unveiled the "350GTV" with its advanced V12 engine and beautiful body at the 1963 Turin Motor Show, followed by the production version, the "350GT," the next year. Subsequent releases included the iconic "Miura" and "Countach." However, due to setbacks in the tractor business and the impact of the oil crisis, the sports car company bearing his name eventually changed hands.

Although Lamborghini changed ownership several times thereafter, it has experienced steady growth since coming under the umbrella of Audi in 1998. The current lineup consists of the V12-powered "Murciélago" and the V10 "Gallardo."