Lamborghini Murciélago

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The Lamborghini Murciélago is a supercar produced by Italian automaker Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. and designed by Luc Donckerwolke. It was introduced in 2002 as the successor to the Diablo. The Murciélago is a two-door, two-seat coupé. To celebrate the company's 40 years in operation, 50 special edition Murciélagos were built during the autumn of 2003. An open-top version called the Murciélago Roadster was introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year. The roadster features similar performance to the coupé with a more aggressive rear flank, as well as a considerably higher price tag.

The Murciélago sports a 6.2 L version of the legendary Lamborghini V12 engine, a six-speed manual or six-speed sequential automatic transmission, and four-wheel drive. It also has a rear spoiler that can be raised to an angle of 70 degrees, side mirrors that fold in to improve aerodynamics, and side scoops that automatically open to the needed size to let in just the right amount of air needed to cool its engine. The 2008 car's fuel economy is 8 mpg (U.S.) (29 L/100 km) city and 13 mpg (U.S.) (18 L/100 km) freeway, making it the least efficient 2008 car for city driving, according to the EPA.^[1]

The coupé's base price is US $313,000, which is US $107,000 more than its smaller sibling, the Lamborghini Gallardo.

In 2006 the Murciélago's engine was replaced by a stronger 6.5-litre engine and the car's name was changed to Murciélago LP640. For the 2007 model year Lamborghini did the same with the roadster model, which is now called Murciélago LP640 Roadster. Both versions received a minor facelift.

[edit] The name

The name Murciélago (pronounced mur-thee-ay-la-go in traditional Castilian Spanish and mur-see-ay-la-go in Spanish spoken in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America), means "bat" in Spanish, comes from a bull that survived 24 sword strokes in an 1879 fight at the arena of Córdoba, and fought with such passion and spirit that the matador chose to spare its life, a rare honor. In another Lamborghini tie-in, the bull was later presented as a gift to Don Antonio Miura, who was a noted breeder and whose bull ranch the Lamborghini Miura was named after, and went on to sire a line of famous fighting bulls.

[edit] LP640

The LP640 version was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2006, as a facelift for the coupé version. It features a 6.5 L engine, now producing 631 bhp, improving performance substantially. Like the base Murciélago, the engine is mounted "backwards", with the transmission in front of the engine and the differential behind it, instead of a transaxle normally seen on mid-engine cars. There were also a few minor external changes, primarily to the low air intakes. The front and rear bumpers have been reshaped to channel air more efficiently, and the new exhaust has been shaped into the rear diffuser to minimize aerodynamic lift. The air intake on the left side has been enlarged to accommodate the feeding of the oil cooler. The car's body is made up of steel and carbon fiber, while underneath a revised suspension has been added to keep up with the car's exceptional performance. It also has an all-wheel-drive system that normally distributes 70% of the torque to the rear wheels, but can allocate up to 100% to either end depending on where the grip is running out. There are also new 18-inch Hermera alloy wheels running huge 335/30 tires at the rear. The LP640 retains the original car's scissor-opening doors. The LP640 U.S. MSRP rests at $311,100.

Inside the LP640, the seating has been reshaped to accommodate greater headroom, while an upgraded instrument panel is flanked by an improved stereo system.

The LP640's optional equipment includes ceramic brakes for swifter braking, chrome paddle shifters,[1] and a glass engine cover which shows off the LP640's 6.5 L V12 engine.

A special edition version of the Murciélago LP640 was introduced at the Paris Motor Show. The Versace edition features a customized all-white exterior and a matching white interior. However, a 1-of-a-kind black LP640 Versace and LP640 Roadster Versace were also presented by the factory. ^[2]

Lamborghini announced the LP640 Roadster version at the 2006 LA Auto Show.^[3]

[edit] Engine

LP stands for Longitudinale Posteriore, referring to the longitudinally-mounted, 6.5 L V12 engine, capable of producing up to 633 bhp at 8000 rpm. Along with a new six-speed manual transmission, which can come in Lamborghini's optional paddle shift "E-gear" package, the LP640 can go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds: 0.4 of a second quicker than the previous Murciélago. The LP640 is accommodated by an electronic Launch control device called "Thrust."

[edit] LP640 Roadster

The new Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 Roadster was presented on the 2006 Los Angeles Autoshow. It features the same engine as the LP640 coupé and replaces the 6.2 L Murciélago Roadster. The only design changes were oil cooling vents behind the air intakes, interior changes, and a reinforced body.

[edit] LP640 Versace

Presented at the Paris International Autoshow, the Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 Versace is a special edition version of the LP640 Coupé, with all the same performance features. The only difference is the two tone white-black trim, shown on both the exterior and interior of the car. However, Lamborghini de Spa have also built 1 black LP640 & LP640 Roadster. It also features custom Versace leather seating and a Gianni Versace logo plaque inside the vehicle.^[4]

[edit] 40th Anniversary Edition

In late 2003, Lamborghini announced a special 40th Anniversary Edition of the Murciélago, following in the footsteps of their Countach and Diablo Anniversary Editions. The limited production run of 50 vehicles featured enhancements including a limited-edition body color, carbon-fiber exterior detailing, upgraded rims, a new revamped exhaust system, and a 40th Anniversary numbered plaque displayed along the side. The interior featured a new leather trim and additional electronic features.

[edit] Specifications

[edit] Motorsport

The Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT is a race-only version of the Murciélago, developed jointly with Reiter Engineering and Audi Sport. It has rear-wheel drive unlike the standard Murciélago to comply with the FIA, ACO, and JAF rules. The car retains the standard Murciélago V12, but has air restrictors to manage power. Its acceleration and top speed are highly dependent on the gearing selected for a particular race track.

In March 2006 at the Super GT Suzuka 500 km, a Murcielago R-GT specifically built for Super GT (and rebadged RG-1) for the Japanese Lamborghini Owners Club (JLOC) recorded the first win ever for a Murcielago when they earned a win in the GT300 class. In March 2007 in the FIA GT Championship, the All-Inkl.com Racing Murciélago won the Zhuhai 2 Hours.

In December 2006, Reiter Engineering tested an upgraded Murcielago R-GT LM, featuring redesigned body work and a new rear wing with less drag.

[edit] Related Information

• Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa is the only person in the world to own a converted automatic Murciélago. The car was given to her as a gift by her husband, but upon realizing she could not drive a manual transmission, Kobe Bryant had the car converted to an automatic. The estimated cost of the car after conversion and customization was US$400,000.
• German tuner Hamann Motorsport produced a one-off LP640 Roadster with enhanced aerodynamic components, new rear silencer, new rims and some interior enhancements.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Lamborghini official website

• Topgear.com
• Murcielago 40th Anniversary Edition

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