CarBrandLogos archive · Lamborghini · 2001

LamborghiniMurciélago

The first all-new car built with Audi's money, and the last of the old V12 line.

Photo: Alexandre Prévot from Nancy, France · CC BY-SA 2.0

The story

A defining chapter in Lamborghini history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Lamborghini Murciélago, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

Audi took control of Lamborghini in 1998 and the Murcielago, launched in 2001, was the first evidence of what that meant. Development budgets, quality standards and supplier discipline arrived at Sant'Agata for the first time in the company's history, and the car reflected it: a flagship that could be driven daily without the compromises the Diablo had demanded.

Lamborghini Murcielago LP640Versace2 · Ton1~commonswiki · CC BY-SA 3.0

Design and engineering

Luc Donckerwolke's design kept the flat planes and scissor doors that identify a Lamborghini V12 while producing something considerably more resolved than its predecessor. Two details became talking points. The side air intakes were fitted with active flaps that opened as coolant temperature rose, and the rear wing deployed automatically at speed, so the car changed shape visibly as it was worked.

Lamborghini Miura Concept · smartvital from Berlin, Germany · CC BY-SA 2.0

In production

The engine was a development of the V12 that traced back through the Diablo and Countach to Bizzarrini's original design of 1963, enlarged to 6.2 litres and later 6.5. Drive went to all four wheels through a viscous coupling, with a six-speed manual gearbox or the paddle-shifted e-gear automated manual. The chassis was a steel tubular frame with carbon fibre and steel panels.

All-Inkl Lamborghini Side · Adam Pigott from Coningsby, UK · CC BY 2.0

Legacy

The LP 640 of 2006 brought more power and Filippo Perini's revised bodywork, and the LP 670-4 SuperVeloce of 2009 closed the line with a lighter, harder-edged specification. Production ended in 2010 after around 4,000 cars, more than double the Diablo's total, with the Aventador and its all-new V12 following in 2011.

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

2001–2010

Engine

6.2&nbsp

Body

2-door coupé

Technical specification

The Murciélago, in detail.

Production: 2001–2010
Class: Sports car (S)
Body style: 2-door coupé ; 2-door Roadster (automobile); roadster
Layout: Longitudinal, mid-engine, all wheel drive
Engine: 6.2 L–6.5 L Lamborghini V12
Transmission: 6-speed manual transmission; manual ; 6-speed e-gear Electrohydraulic manual transmission; automated manual
Designer: Luc Donckerwolke (original design) ; Filippo Perini at Lamborghini Style Center (facelift)
Assembly: Italy: Sant'Agata Bolognese
Manufacturer: Lamborghini