Classic pearls of the future - Lamborghini Murciélago
02/28/2017
For many people, the Lamborghini Miura is the epitome of the Italian super sports car, and the mid-engined sports car designed by Gandini has become correspondingly expensive.
In its wake, early models of the Lamborghini Countach are now also making it into the seven-figure range, so one naturally wonders whether this trend will continue with its successors, the Diablo and Murciélago.
Let's take the Lamborghini Murciélago. Launched in 2001, around 4000 units were built over a period of almost ten years, 899 of which are said to have been open-top roadster versions.
Even the first version, designed by the Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, who was head of Lamborghini design between 1998 and 2005, had a lot going for it under the hood: the V12-cylinder 6.2-liter engine developed 580 hp and, thanks to all-wheel drive, allowed acceleration times of just over 4 seconds for the sprint to 100 km/h. According to the factory, the top speed was over 330 km/h. According to the factory, the top speed was over 330 km/h.
Very few owners are likely to have driven their Lambo that fast, because you don't really get comfortable at these speeds. This did not change with the even faster LP 640-4 variants, which now produced 640 to 670 hp (depending on the model) thanks to the increase in displacement to 6.5 liters.
Visually, the Murciélago was much more harmonious, perhaps even more bravura than its ancestors, at least than the Countach and Diablo. It was actually closer to the Miura, which had a much more harmonious design than its descendants. Not a bad omen. And Audi had certainly made sure that the Murciélago did not become a permanent guest at the local Lamborghini dealership. It was better made than its predecessors anyway.
The Murciélago was fast and dangerous enough not to be suitable for every driver. It was also beautiful and eye-catching enough not to be overlooked. Future classic car buyers should also understand this in 15 or 30 years' time. By then at the latest, we will know whether the Murciélago was rightly described as the classic pearl of the future in 2017.
Anyone opting for a model with a 6-speed manual gearbox will probably have made the better choice in terms of value development. But what do we know what the preferences will be in 2030 or 2040 ...
More pictures of the Lamborghini Murciélago can be found in a picture magic selection. A driving reportwas written four years later in the anniversary year 2021.
