Lamborghini Car

The Lamborghini Murcielago is a sports car 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 Murcielago is a two-door, two-seat coupe. To celebrate the company's 40 years in operation, 50 special edition Murcielagos were built during the autumn of 2003. An open-top version called the Murcielago Roadster was introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year. The roadster features similar performance to the coupe with a more aggressive rear flank, as well as a considerably higher price tag.

The name Murcielago (pronounced moor-thee-EH-la-goh in traditional Castilian Spanish and moor-see-EH-la-goh in Spanish of Latin America), means "bat" in Spanish, comes from a bull that survived 24 sword strokes in an 1879 fight at the arena of Cardoba, 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.

The Murcielago sports a 6.2 Liter 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.

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

LP640.
The LP640 version was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2006, as a facelift for the coupe version. It features a 6.5 Liter engine, now producing 631 bhp (471 kW), improving performance substantially. Like the base Murcielago, 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 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 (460 mm) Hermera alloy wheels running huge 335/30 tires at the rear. The LP640 retains the original car's scissor-opening doors. The LP640 coupe U.S. MSRP rests at $318,800.

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, and a glass engine cover which shows off the LP640's 6.5 Liter V12 engine.

LP640 Versace.
Presented at the Paris International Autoshow, the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Versace is a special edition version of the LP640 Coupe, 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. The Versace material costs $10,000 per seat.

LP640 Roadster.
Lamborghini announced the LP640 Roadster version at the 2006 LA Auto Show. It features the same engine as the LP640 coupe and replaces the 6.2 Liter Murcielago Roadster. The only design changes were oil cooling vents behind the air intakes, interior changes, and a reinforced body.