The Lamborghini Murciélago is a sports car produced by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini between 2001 and 2010. Successor to the Diablo and flagship V12 of the automaker's lineup, the Murciélago was introduced as a coupé in 2001. The car was first available in North America for the 2002 model year. The Murciélago was Lamborghini's first new design in eleven years, and was also the brand's first new model under the ownership of German parent company Audi, which is owned by Volkswagen. The car is designed by Peruvian-born Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, Lamborghini's head of design from 1998 to 2005.
A roadster variant was introduced in 2003, followed by the more powerful and updated LP 640 coupé and roadster and a limited edition LP 650–4 Roadster. The final variation to wear the Murciélago nameplate was the LP 670–4 SuperVeloce, powered by the largest and final evolution of the original Lamborghini V12 engine. Production of the Murciélago ended on 5 November 2010, with a total production run of 4,099 cars. Its successor, the Aventador, was unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.
Name
Lamborghini cars are often named after Spanish Fighting Bulls; the eponymous Murciélago was a leading sire after surviving an 1879 fight in Córdoba. is the Spanish word for bat. In the Castilian Spanish spoken in most of Spain the word is pronounced , with a voiceless dental fricative (as in English thing). However, the Italian automaker often uses the Southern Spanish and Latin American Spanish pronunciation, , with an sound.
Variants
Murciélago (2001–2006)
The Murciélago is an all-wheel drive, mid-engine sports car. With an angular design and a low slung body, the highest point of the roof is just under above the ground. One of the vehicle's most distinguishing features is its scissor doors, a hallmark feature of flagship Lamborghini models since the Countach. The first generation of the Murciélago was produced between 2001 and 2006 and was powered by a Lamborghini V12 that traces its roots back to the company's beginnings in the 1960s. The rear differential is integrated with the engine itself, with a viscous coupling centre differential transferring power to the front wheels. The total power distribution is 70 percent at the rear and 30 percent at the front. Power is delivered through a 6-speed manual transmission. The suspension utilised in the car uses an independent double-wishbone design, and the bodywork mostly features carbon fibre except for the steel roof and aluminium scissor doors. The active rear wing and the active air intakes integrated into the car's shoulders are electromechanically controlled, deploying automatically only at high speeds in an effort to maximise both aerodynamic and cooling efficiency. The interior was also made more comfortable and ergonomic than its predecessor sporting a simple and clean look with all the major controls along with the gearshift knob integrated into the central tunnel.
The first generation cars were known simply as Murciélago. The naturally aspirated V12 engine installed in the first generation cars generated a maximum power output of at 7,500 rpm and of torque at 5,400 rpm, accelerating the car from a stand still to in 3.8 seconds and on to a top speed of . Subsequent versions incorporated an alphanumeric designation to the name Murciélago, which indicated their engine orientation and output. However, the original Murciélago is never referred to as "LP 580".
Murciélago Roadster (2004–2006)
The concept car of the upcoming open-top variant was presented at the 2003 Detroit Motor Show as the Murciélago Barchetta. The production version called the Murciélago Roadster was introduced in 2004. Primarily designed to be an open-top car, it employed a manually attached soft roof as a cover from adverse weather, but a warning on the windshield header advised the driver not to exceed with the roof in place. The roof which was made of fabric could be folded and fit into a leather bag supplied with the car in order to store it in the front compartment when not in use. The designer, Luc Donckerwolke used the B-2 stealth bomber, the Wally 118 WallyPower yacht, and architect Santiago Calatrava's Ciutat de Les Arts i Les Ciències in Valencia, Spain as his inspiration for the roadster's revised rear pillars and engine cover. The roadster weighs more than the coupé due to the loss of the roof and the addition of chassis reinforcing components. The roadster could accelerate from in 3.8 seconds which is more than the coupé owing to the increased weight while the top speed remained the same as the coupé.
Murciélago LP 640 (2006–2010)