www.QV500.com - Lamborghini Murcielago Part 1: Murcielago
 
The Murcielago was Lamborghini's fourth generation supercar and the first totally new model to be produced under Audi's ownership. Not only did the German firm provide some much needed stability but a massive financial injection and the might of their extensive technical resources. This was perhaps the most developed Lamborghini ever put into production, the Murcielago's much-improved build quality and attention to detail making it a landmark car for the firm. In proper Lamborghini tradition, the new car was named after a fighting bull, Murcielago having fought in Cordoba during 1879 where the crowd demanded the matador spare his life.
   

An all-new design spawned from the troubled L147 Canto project begun in 1995 under Indonesian owners Megatech, Zagato had been commissioned to produce bodywork while four development mules went testing. However, when in July 1998 Audi acquired Lamborghini, they instantly rejected the ungainly machine and demanded what would become a two-year development of an almost totally new car. Bertone, IDEA and Heuliez all submitted designs, but eventually Audi chose a creation done in-house by Luc Donckerwolke. Constructed around a tubular steel spaceframe chassis reinforced with a carbon honeycomb central tunnel and underbody, the Murcielago was reputedly 60% more rigid than the outgoing Diablo 6.0. In re-locating the front suspension forwards, Lamborghini were able to stretch the wheelbase by 15mm, this making for a more spacious cockpit. The double wishbone suspension was uprated with automatic and manual cockpit-adjustable variable damping, the Murcielago coming only in four-wheel drive configuration with a central viscous coupling. Brakes were four channel ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, custom built four-pot calipers and drilled and vented discs.

 
Lamborghini were quick to point out that the 42/58 weight distribution was ideal for achieving optimum traction, handling and braking. The re-configured traction control reacted to throttle, injection and ignition to help the driver in difficult conditions. Dimensionally, the Murcielago was a little longer (by 110mm), wider (by 5mm) and heavier (up 25kg to 1650kg) than the Diablo. New 18-inch wheels were also designed by Donckerwolke and shod with Pirelli P Zero Rosso ZR18 tyres. A reworked version of the 6-litre engine used in the final days of Diablo production was installed, Lamborghini taking displacement up from 5992 to 6192cc.
   
In addition to a 2.8mm stroke increase (now 86.8), the Murcielago’s normally aspirated motor was also dry sumped to facilitate a 50mm drop in the height at which it could be mounted. Output was 572bhp at 7500rpm. Featuring a new Variable-geometry Intake System (VIS) and variable valve timing for both inlet and exhaust valves, the Murcielago incorporated a drive by wire throttle used to help meet the EU4 emissions legislation and improve driveability. Initially, only a traditional six-speed manual gearbox was available, this having a lighter and faster shift action than before while the box itself was repositioned in front of the engine. Performance-wise, the Murcielago was capable of a 209mph top speed and 0-60 in 3.4 seconds. As mentioned, having earlier penned the Diablo 6.0 VT, Luc Donckerwolke was responsible for the stunning bodywork. Looking truly exotic, the Murcielago was the first production Lambo not to have been designed by an Italian, the sharp styling being quite beautifully resolved and as cleanly executed as any first series Countach or Diablo. At the front, gaping air intakes were located either side of a jutting chin spoiler while trapezoidal headlight covers lent the nose a distinctive look.
 
It was the tail facia that featured perhaps the most radical styling though, huge meshed grilles for engine cooling being positioned beneath and between each tail light cluster. Fabricated wholly from carbon fibre save for a steel roof and doors, the Murcielago's bodywork incorporated several active aerodynamic devices, the most revolutionary being sail panel-mounted intakes, the apertures of which varied according to road speed and engine temperature. Electronically raising by up to 20 degrees, thus enlarging their section by some 80% to feed supplementary air into the rear-mounted radiators, they could also be operated electronically from the cockpit.
   
A retractable rear wing automatically adjusted between three pre-set angles to reduce lift on the back axle and improve stability. Xenon headlight washers electronically appeared from under small gullwing flaps. After Audi's arrival in July 1998, build quality improved dramatically as the German firm imposed ever more demanding targets. Not only were the Sant' Agata factory producing beautifully crafted and constructed supercars, but ones whose driveability and ergonomics were hardly compromised by their extreme nature. More comfortable, practical and refined than any Diablo, the Murcielago boasted 40mm more headroom, 30mm more shoulder room, much easier access in and out and an external noise controller to mute the V12's howl on long journeys. Adjustable for height and reach, the Murcielago’s Momo steering wheel could be ideally positioned for any driver, the superb cabin featuring almost entirely custom built switchgear, only a handful of components being sourced from Audi. The few options initially available included a sat-nav system and close ratio gearbox with shorter third through sixth gears. Launched at the Frankfurt Show in September 2001, Lamborghini began producing left-hand drive Murcielago's that October while right-hand drive deliveries began in spring 2002.
 
At the Frankfurt motor show in October 2003, Lamborghini introduced a Murcielago with an F1-style semi-automatic transmission, E-Gear utilising an electronically controlled sequential shift. Like Ferrari's system, the driver changed gear using paddles mounted on the steering column, an ECU providing optimised shifting depending on the driving conditions and style. In addition, three operational modes could be selected via buttons on the central console: Normal as a default setting; Sport mode for more dynamic driving and faster gear shifts or a Low Adherence mode for safer driving in adverse conditions. Production ended in spring 2006.