Lamborghini Murcielago
Ratings
4 stars
Summary
Highly recommended. A rolling supercar cliché: the Murcielago has everything from upward opening doors to an amazing mid-mounted V12 engine. pretence of practicality or utility. It's a toy - and a very expensive one.
Review
Despite the fact it was developed after Audi took control of Lamborghini, the Murcielago feels ever inch a "proper" Lambo. Not only does it share the mid-engined V12 layout of its predecessors, the Diablo and Countach, but it also delivers a similarly white-knuckled driving experience.
Fortunately the Murcielago is far better designed and built than earlier Lambos. The cabin isn't particularly spacious, but at least normal sized adults can fit in it, something that couldn't be said for the Diablo. As you would expect for such a mega-car, the Murcielago is a strict two seater with almost no luggage space.
The enormously powerful V12 engine remains one of the world's great powerplants, combining enormous performance with an electrifying soundtrack. Even the "standard" car is capable of passing the 200 mph barrier and demolishing the 0-62 mph dash in just 3.8 seconds. The more exclusive "LP640", with 631 bhp, is even quicker.
As one of the fastest road cars on the planet, the Murcielago has to be treated with serious respect. The four-wheel drive transmission helps to find traction for the enormous power, but it is still easy to overwhelm the available grip and to find yourself relying on the standard-fit stability control to keep everything pointing in the intended direction. An exhilarating, if terrifying, experience.
Ratings Breakdown
Styling
4 star
Lamborghini pretty much invented the modern supercar with the Miura and the Murcielago remains one of the sharpest-looking performance cars on the planet. Stunning from every angle.
Handling
4 star
Needs to be treated with serious respect, especially in the wet. Fundamentally predictable and good-natured, but the power can quickly overwhelm the available grip levels.
Comfort
2 star
The driving position still requires a fair amount of flexibility on the part of the pilot and the Murcielago is very noisy at speed. Open-topped convertible has an extremely awkward roof which takes a good five minutes to fit or remove.
Quality & Reliability
4 star
Solidly constructed - unlike Lambos of old - although the interior feels a bit over-complicated next to the elegant simplicity of a Ferrari 599.
Performance
5 star
If the Murcielago isn't fast enough for you then you really are running out of options: massively quick, even by supercar standards.
Roominess
2 star
The driving position is poor, visibility is terrible and luggage space is pretty much non-existent. Not really designed for the weekly shop...
Running Costs
1 star
There are small countries that cost less to run than a Murcielago. After the horrendous servicing, insurance and depreciation costs the sub-10 mpg fuel economy is the least of your worries...
Value for money
2 star
Buyers in this bit of the market aren't exactly short of cash, but even so the near-£200,000 pricetag does feel very expensive compared to the considerably more practical Ferrari 599.
