Nearly all key automakers are gradually moving away from internal combustion-only powertrains for most of their production cars within this decade for environmental reasons, and Lamborghini is no different, with the company’s “pure” V12 combustion engine bowing out with the production of the last Aventador Ultimae by the end of the year. Going forward, the successor to the Aventador will be equipped with a new plug-in hybrid V12, ending the long reign of the screaming NA Lambo twelve-cylinder engine that has powered the vast majority of its iconic models over the last nearly six decades in some form or another.
With this in mind, perhaps now is a good time to revisit the excellence of the Murciélago, the model that brought the Lamborghini V12 into the 21st century. The Murciélago –debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2001 – had a 6.2-litre capacity and a maximum power output of 580 hp, which propelled it to a maximum speed of 330 km/h and an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. The second-generation Murciélago LP 640-4 in 2007 progressed to 640 hp at 8000 rpm, while the Murciélago 670-4 SV (Super Veloce) arrived in 2009 and came with 670 hp and a top speed of 341 km/h.
Engine aside, the exterior design of Murciélago was equally exceptional, so much that it has appeared in various films and music videos, including 2005’s Batman Begins as Bruce Wayne’s personal car, not to mention the endless appearances in significant video games such as Gran Turismo, Forza Horizon, and many more. As the Diablo’s successor, the Murciélago retained the famous “scissor doors”, but featured all-new new elements in both the bodywork and the interior. 4,099 examples of the Murciélago were produced from 2001-2011.
