A friend of mine took me out for an 100+ mile jaunt in his Arancio Atlas (orange to you and I
) Lamborghini Murcielago a few weeks back. The car is a 2005 model and replaced a Gallardo he owned. Having never been in a Murcielago, I wasn't sure what to expect, especially as the LP640 is one of my favourite cars on the road.
We met up, drove about 50 miles to a lunch venue and then did the return trip; therefore, I had a good period of time to experience the car (from the passenger’s seat). We spent time both on the motorway and small country A and B roads.
Externally, the car is stunning and the sense of occasion surrounding it cannot be under estimated. Yes, it shrieks "look at me" but in all honesty, all of the feedback from other road users was positive on the day I spent in the car. A bit like a celebrity wading into a public event, as long as they don't behave like a prat, people are just curious rather than antagonistic and belligerent. Therefore not a car for those who do not like attention!
Internally, you are required to make some of the same concessions that Morgan owners make - in other words, it is hand finished and never going to be 100% perfect. For instance, some of the stitching wasn't perfectly symmetrical, the leather trim wasn't as taunt in places as it could be and (somewhat inexcusable), some of the trim pieces felt cheap and nasty. At one point I made the mistake of opening a roof mounted sunglass holder, only to have Steve say, "damn, I just got that thing to stay in place using double sided tape!"... sorry
So, the interior leaves a little to be desired - the hand finish is fine; however, you do wish they hadn't skimped on some of the parts. Nevertheless, you can forgive the Lamborghini this weakness as the magic starts when the car gains forward momentum.
Underway, it comes alive and, as with the exterior, you remember what the appeal of this beautiful car is! The sound is glorious from the V12 and the surge forward is mighty impressive. The acceleration is in line with other high level performance cars I’ve been in (I’m of the belief that when you are in the 0-60mph range in around 4 seconds, most cars feel very much the same); however, the sound and fury of it make it all the more visceral. This is compounded by the fact that the Murcielago feels very mechanical in every aspect. Steve confirmed this by saying it felt far more basic than the Gallardo; he likened the Gallardo to a scalpel and Murcielago to a sledge hammer. This, at least from the passenger seat (and having driven a Gallardo) seems a very fair and succinct synopsis.
Enough words, now for some pictures: -
Thanks again to Steve for a great day out in a car that has real personality, soul and sense of occasion
