"Murcielago" is Spanish--not Italian--for "bat." It was named after
a Spanish fighting bull who showed such courage in the ring that he was
spared death at the hands of the matador. Murcielago went on to father
the Miura (sound familiar, Lamborghini fans?) line of bulls. The Lamborghini Murcielago
automobile debuted in 2001, with the cryptic "LP640" tacked onto its
name. The LP stands for "longitudinale posteriore," which is the
mid-engine position of the V12, which has--you guessed it--640 hp. The
Lamborghini Murcielago was available in coupe and convertible
configurations until its demise in 2011.It's All in the Numbers:
The stats for the Lamborghini Murcielago, big brother of the Lamborghini Gallardo and heir of the Diablo,
were impressive: 6.5-liter, 48-valve aluminum V12 generating 640 hp.
The six-speed transmission was available as a traditional manual or as
an automated manual, and the car was all-wheel drive for traction and
control. All of this added up to a top speed of 211 mph, and a 0-62 time
of 3.4 seconds by its final incarnation, slightly up from its original
2001 debut.
Totally Different from the Gallardo:
Okay, not really. It takes a trained eye to be able to spot the differences between a Lamborghini Murcielago and a Gallardo
passing you on the highway. They both have angular, sloped noses and
lower-than-low stances. The easiest way to tell them apart is near the
back wheels, where the air intakes are. On the Murcielago, the openings
are small and low, while on the Gallardo, they're vertical and long. The
bottom sill of the side windows on the Gallardo are curved, while the
Murcielago's windows lead straight back to a pair of cowls.
The Versace Variation:
The Lamborghini Murcielago
got a facelift in 2006, halfway through its ten-year life cycle. That
year, Lambo teamed with Italian fashion house Versace to create a
special-edition 'Lago coupe in white with custom black and white leather
seats. In 2008, Versace gave the Murcielago roadster the same
treatment, this time including a line of accessories to match (luggage,
driving shoes, hat, jeans). The door panels and seat surfaces feature a
snippet of Versace's "Greek key" motif, and a plaque inside declares to
the world that the leather was stitched by Gianni Versace couture.
