I was afraid of him. Doing this job, I've driven quite a few, but the Lamborghini Murciélago still gives me goosebumps. At the same time, it has been at least three Sundays since the experience with this devil. I still have it in my head and although I want to work on other cars as well, my mind won't let me. I will remember the feeling I had when I gripped the steering wheel of the Murciélago for the rest of my life…
Devil's son
The Lamborghini Murciélago is the successor to the legendary Diablo model, which was produced in two generations spanning 11 years. It was named after the brave Spanish bull that survived 28 sword strikes in 1879 and secured the pardon of bullfighter Rafael Sánchez . The spirit of both lives on in each of the 4,099 Murciélago models produced.
The car began to be produced in 2001 as the first swallow supported by Audi . The twelve-cylinder engine with a volume of 6.2 liters had an output of 426 kW and was able to move the beast weighing 1650 kilograms from 0-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. The maximum speed attacked the limit of 332 km/h. The body of the car was made of steel, aluminum and carbon fiber panels, the whole was completed in the factory in Sant'Agata . The Murciélago honored tradition and, like the Diablo , was available with a manual transmission. Shifting with a precise hexavallon was accompanied by an honest steel click when the lever was moved by a precisely milled and visible " hook ".
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In 2004, the Murciélago came with a Roadster version. Luc Donckerwolke , Lamborghini 's chief designer at the time, was responsible for the body shapes. The car was 3 millimeters lower and a significant 150 kilograms heavier, due to which the maximum speed dropped to a still incredible 320 km/h. Both versions were sold simultaneously until 2006, when the second generation Murciélago was presented at the Geneva Motor Show.
It received the epithet LP640 in its name. The abbreviation reveals the location of the engine ( Longitudinale Posteriori – rear longitudinally ) and the numerical designation is the horsepower value. It was still an honest atmospheric twelve-cylinder, but now with a volume of 6.5 liters.
Compared to the five-year-old generation, the car was 30 millimeters longer, 15 millimeters wider and gained 15 kilograms. However, these facts are nothing for the enormous twelve-cylinder engine, which could accelerate the coupe to 340 km/h. Taming such a herd required intervention in the chassis and modified aerodynamics of the car. This increased the pressure on the individual axles, which is closely related to the unique grip.
Even the second generation did not avoid the Roadster version. It was also presented in 2006, but at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The roadster received a hard-to-fit canvas roof, with which the manufacturer did not recommend driving at speeds above 170 km/h. So most owners have it stored in the garage, even though it fits into a small space under the front hood.
It was Geneva again, where the strongest, lightest and also the most expensive version of the Murciélago – the LP670-4 SV ( SuperVeloce ) – was presented. That car was beautiful and scary at the same time! Compared to the standard LP640 , it shed a noticeable 100 kilograms, which is also due to the greater ratio of carbon to other materials. The sprint to 100 km/h was a matter of 3.3 seconds, the maximum speed attacked values above 340 km/h. Only 350 were produced, including the LP-670-4 SV China Limited Edition . The divine SuperVeloce ( super speed ) was also the last Murciélago to ever roll off the production line. Although it did not surpass its predecessor in the length of production, it crushed it in terms of the number of units sold by a total of 1199 cars. I am very curious how the current flagship of the car company, the Aventador model, will fare in the future.
Murciélago LP640-4 Roadster
It is slowly time to get to the test car itself. As you can probably deduce from the title, I had the opportunity to test the second generation with 640 horsepower and all-wheel drive. Personally, I could never imagine myself in such a car, although there are quite a few of them in our country. Even the standing Lamb radiates unbridled energy. And when the doors slide out, you sit behind the wheel, start the car, press the pedal… a huge force throws you forward and you suddenly find yourself in another world.
Design
The first generation Murciélago bears a strong resemblance to its predecessor, which lost its signature folding lights midway through its life. However, the tested piece with the year of manufacture 2008 kills all hopes for a peaceful life of the surrounding cars with just a glance. You probably remember the nightmares you had as children. Murciélago is one such. She wants other cars to be afraid, unsure of a single kilometer of road and always looking back to see where the white beast will emerge from. It is like a mantis, but releases the mating process before biting a defenseless partner. All of this came into my head a tenth of a second after I saw a particular piece for the first time.
The facelift of the car helped a lot. He looks fierce, angry, and behind this rough mask willy-nilly reveals his greatest weakness. Like everyone, they need air to live. Lots of air. I can't imagine the volume of beneficial gas that goes through all the openings, deflectors, splitters and the engine in one single kilometer, when the bull is furiously speeding at 300 kilometers. When he feels the need for another surge, he proudly extends his bat wings and begins to suck. Anyone who is still roaming the road at this moment will be killed without mercy… All these battle shields are the work of a redesign of the bumpers, the combined exhaust tips and the graphics of the rear lamps. They are also the main telltale sign when another of the inferior, worthless, tin puffers approaches the car at night.
Back to earth. In the Roadster version, the Lamborghini Murciélago differs slightly in terms of dimensions from the base coupe. The three millimeters of height in favor of the coupe, however, seem a bit laughable when the canvas roof is down, because at that moment you have at least a stratospheric 33 kilometers of space above your head. Despite initial concerns, the length of 4610 millimeters is not such a problem as the width of 2057 millimeters. Classic garage dimensions? Let yourself dream. The fact that the Murciélago stands firmly on the ground with its wheels supports the view of the tire dimensions. 245/35 ZR 18 for the front axle and 335/30 ZR 18 for the rear gives the feeling that the Murciélago would not move an inch even when parked on a vertical glass wall. And it weighs a whopping 1,665 kilograms!
Interior
To be honest, the tested Murciélago is not the only Lambo that has passed through my hands during my work. I already tried the exclusive Diablo from 1992 last winter. Therefore, I could imagine in advance how I would "lie down" in the LP640 through the characteristic, upward-opening door. "It will be a piece of cake", I said to myself and pulled the handle. The movement creations of a 190-centimeter-tall and over a meter-weighing person could not even be imagined in a Lamborghini , but I swam inside. It just takes practice.
I'm inside. Safe and sound, I sit in the quilted leather seat and close the door with a little force. "I'm really here, in the car I've always admired," flashed through my head and I carefully covered my mouth in typically childish amazement. There is only carbon and leather all around, the plastic is limited to the vents, buttons that I could probably count on the fingers of one hand and the center of the steering wheel.
I was quite surprised by the amount of legroom. Well, not even if there is no engine in the front, which sometimes gets in the way of my legs. The latter is classically positioned between the seats and the rear axle. I remember last year's feelings after the first appearance of the twelve- cylinder Diablo , and I am filled with anxiety. We haven't started yet…
Engine – A tamed piece of art
In the introduction, I lightly hinted at what is hidden under the rear carbon hood. This beast is really something to be afraid of, that's why the designers literally covered it in a carbon crust and surrounded it with a complex structure of carbon tubes. Do you remember how in the fairy tale The Emperor's Baker they tamed the Golem and used it to bake bread? The 6.5-liter forked twelve-cylinder is a similar case. Here, however, he failed to get the information into his head that it is better to help than to destroy. One of the masterpieces of master motorists, but in an unguarded moment it will eat everything in its path.
The two rows of cylinders form an angle of 60°. The specific output of 72.5 kW per liter of volume is impressive, especially when the engine is not assisted by any turbochargers or compressors. 471 kW does not have the slightest problem with a supersport weighing 1,665 kilograms, which can be easily deduced from the overall pleasure to rev and also the acceleration value from 0-100 km. Admit that 3.4 seconds can put down many a hardened driver, let alone a passenger who is not in control of the car and silently prays with his head raised to the open sky. However, even that will be physically impossible. The torque of 660 Nm, peaking at 5,200 revolutions per minute, causes reliable transport of the entire body deep into the seat. Power and torque are transmitted to all four wheels using the Graziano six-speed sequential gearbox, which could be found in the specifications under the name e-gear . Enough of theory, let's move on to practice.
Ride – If you are weaker, you will die
From the first moment we agreed on a testing date, I was looking forward to it. In the first phase, I sit in the passenger seat and let him explain how the Muciélag LP640 is used in everyday life.
I fasten the standard seat belt that I would find in any VW model. I impatiently watch the key, which slowly goes into the ignition. The engine does not jump right away, you need to give the starter time until all twelve cylinders spin sufficiently. Became! The engine is cold, it runs erratically and there is an intoxicating smell coming from the exhaust. We have awakened the beast! A beast that camouflages itself under carbon deposits. We shouldn't have done that. We have disturbed the bull from his rest, and he gives it to us with a deep, loud speech. "Just keep roaring", I thought, "This sound is a feast for the ears of any motoring fan!". Not so for the residents of the nearby houses, who got up very quickly from Saturday lunch and started to find out who wants to tear up the asphalt for them. It's time to disappear…
We completed the first kilometers in city traffic. The bull occasionally turns a sharp corner and lets us squirm a little. It's clear, it's not the right temperature and you need to wait a while. He's holding on bravely. During the journey through the city, I just glance at the passers-by, who look at the Lambo as if it were a revelation, and I take valuable advice from an experienced interpretation. After endless driving, we successfully reached a long, straight road, where there was an opportunity to put spurs on the bull. Memories of last winter immediately came back to me and with a smile on my lips I ventilate my feelings to the surroundings. We are in Lamborghini , it is a beautiful Saturday afternoon…
It doesn't take long and we arrive at the place where I decided to shoot a short video. During the preparations, we talk about everything possible, but I can't focus on anything else, my eyes are always on the Murciélago . Just to be done, I want to go for a drive.
About two hours passed, more and more cigarette butts were lying around, and finally the moment I was looking forward to arrived. I get the key in my hand. A little tool to get all 640 horses moving. I start and use the button on my left knee to shift into reverse. I have never experienced such caution in myself. There is almost nothing to see in the wide but low rear-view mirrors, and whenever I look back out of habit, I see a running twelve-cylinder. It is necessary to show what the beast can do. Looking in the rearview mirror gives me horror!
Using the right carbon paddle, I shift into 1st gear and set off. Fortunately, the path in front of me is clear and exactly copies one of the landing areas of the Mošnov airport. I shift for two and I feel as if a cannon ball flew into my back. The gearbox makes itself known with a noticeable jerk, but the change in speed is almost imperceptible. The whole thing repeats itself with each upshift, the cannonball turns and hits me in the chest as I downshift. I have never experienced anything like it! The car listens to the word, but with its rude response it constantly repeats who is the boss!
The straight road ends at a roundabout. I only vaguely remember the words of a former colleague about people in the 90s and gyms. It's as if the Murciélago wasn't even a new model. For a while, I was convinced that it must be Diablo 's younger brother, who went through the same harsh upbringing of the forefather named Countach . I turn at the nearest exit and before I can even feel the turn signal lever, I'm out. Everything is happening faster than my brain can absorb. I step on the gas pedal and the engine revs up with a shrill roar. I order a three, a kick to the back and a series of turns come. Interweaving is incredibly difficult even when using the entire width of the road. Left, right, a sharp bite of the brake pads into the ceramic-carbon ventilated discs and it all starts anew. Constantly monitoring the behavior of the car and the surrounding traffic gives me a lot of work, but I manage everything and enjoy the excellent communication of the chassis and steering. Wherever I send the car, it rushes there without hesitation. Thanks to its incredible cornering grip, it doesn't budge an inch and I'm shaking my head in disbelief at the fact that I drove the same set of corners last weekend to the limit of adhesion with a car with a third of the power…
The series of turns is behind me and it is necessary to return to the ground again. I slow down and enjoy the smooth ride through the village. The people here have probably never seen a Lamborghini and it's a wonder they don't wring their necks. But I was quite surprised how well the chassis can filter the bumps on the surface, where at other times I worry about reflected kidneys and blood in the urine. I did not expect such behavior from a brute named Murciélago .
A dream come true
It doesn't make much sense to talk about the fact that driving a Lamborghini is the dream of most young and old boys. I am happy that, thanks to the loyalty and attitude of the car owner, it came true. Although I probably wouldn't have even withdrawn money from the ATM after getting out of the car, I learned a lot of valuable lessons. Lamborghini is not for everyone, and those who recklessly overestimate their capabilities will end up badly. On the other hand, I am glad that the car company under the wings of the VW concern did not soften and in the 21st century it produces cars, not unlike the Miura or the Countach model. The Murciélago LP640-4 is not a good servant and can be a very bad master. In normal daytime conditions, it is difficult to drive, there is no view from it, and without enough experience, even a short ride can be hellishly expensive. However, if there is an opportunity to test the car on a closed circuit, a clear section or preferably on a very wide circuit, I guarantee the experience of a lifetime. Thanks, Lamborghini !
