2010 Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SV

The Lamborghini Murciélago was named after a famous fighting bull that survived 28 sword strokes in a bullfighting match in 1879. Being a car named after a famous bull with such will and power, it makes sense that it has lasted this long in production. After 8 years of successful production, Lamborghini is putting the Murciélago to rest, but not without first making the most aggressive version yet as a way to be remembered - the 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce.

In 2001, Lamborghini first introduced the Murciélago as the replacement for the 11 year old Diablo. The Murciélago followed suit with many of the attributes of the Diablo. It retained the iconic 'Lambo Doors' which were vertically opening scissor style doors, the same beautifully crafted Italian body, a massive engine, and the performance of a supercar. The original Murciélago had a 571 horsepower V12 engine that launched the car from 0-60 miles per hour in just 3.8 seconds with a 6-speed manual gearbox and standard all-wheel drive. The car remained unchanged until a Roadster version became available for the 2005 model year. The Murciélago Roadster had the same body shape other than the top being replaced with a removable temporary cloth top. After four successful years of production, Lamborghini updated both models for 2006 with the Murciélago LP640 and the soon following LP640 Roadster. The LP640 has an upgraded 640 horsepower engine and an optional E-Gear transmission (see previous posts for description of E-Gear) than rocketed the car to 60 miles per hour in just 3.4 seconds. The LP640 not only received performance upgrades, but there were various exterior changes as well shown below.

The Murciélago LP640 received a newly redesigned front bumper and front air scoops, re-sculpted side view mirrors, redesigned side skirts, several new wheel options, and a redesigned rear end with a new rear diffuser, LED taillights, and a new exhaust tip to accommodate the updated exhaust system. The car also received interior upgrades customizable through the Ad Personam Program at Lamborghini. The new fascia makes the car look so aggressive that editor for Automobile Magazine Joe DeMatio said, "like the original Murciélago and the Diablo, the LP640 is more intimidating to look at than it actually is to drive." The LP640 has been hugely successful across the world since its debut. There have been several special editions as well during its production. A special run of twenty 'Versace Edition' LP640s were produced in 2006. The Versace Editions all were either white and black two tone with a custom Versace leather interior. For 2010, Lamborghini also made a 50 car run of special Murciélago Roadsters called the LP650-4 Roadster because it had a special tuning which brought out 10 more horsepower than the normal LP640 Roadster. It is finished in a special Grigio Tolesto over Arancio paint scheme (Grey and Orange) giving it a unique look. With the enormous success of the LP640s, Lamborghini decided their final edition of the Murciélago had to top the predecessor. They did so with the Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce.

The Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce or SV is the fastest production Lamborghini ever made. The SV has the same 6.5 liter V12 engine as the LP640, but it has been re-tuned with an improved air intake system and new valve timing for the engine to produce a massive 670 horsepower with 487 lb-ft of torque.The LP670 is extremely fast rocketing from 0-60 in just 2.8 seconds. This is due to not only the massive engine and the E-gear transmission, but also is due to the 220 lb weight loss. The LP670 was able to lose all of this weight over the normal LP640 because of several factors. It received a higher strength steel chassis that is 44 pounds lighter than the original, carbon fiber body panels that weigh approximately 28 pounds less, a revamped interior filled with carbon fiber and alcantara fabric helps the car shed another 75 pounds, and the engine shed another 73 pounds due to lighter materials and a 50 pound lighter exhaust system. The car also is equipped with new massive 15 inch carbon-ceramic brakes that stop the car in just 114 feet from 60 miles per hour. Besides performance upgrades, the exterior was revamped. A quote from Road and Track editor Douglas Kott sums up the LP670's exterior, "if the "standard" LP640 visuals are a slap to the senses, then the SuperVeloce is a punch to the solar plexus, its extra appendages recapturing the rawness and spectacle of the Countach LP400S." The SV's exterior is very aggressive with matte finish carbon pieces all over the car. The front looks different because the bumper has been slightly reshaped with the new carbon splitter and the 'hood' has new small air intakes closer to the windshield. (I put hood in quotes because that area is actually the car's trunk.) The side air intakes are also carbon which nicely compliment the new wheels unique to the LP670. Although the front and sides look great, the rear of the car is probably the most striking part. The rear is majorly carbon fiber with an aggressive hexagonal cut aluminum mesh and carbon fiber engine cover, carbon rear diffuser and bumper, a massive exhaust tip, and most importantly, the carbon fiber spoiler. The SV's featured on this blog all are equipped with the Aeropack wing which gives the car a great amount of down force but limits it to a 209 mile per hour top speed while the optional, much smaller wing allows for a 212 mile per hour top speed.

Ever since January of 2002 when I got my first Road and Track magazine, I have been enamored with the Lamborghini Murciélago. When I got the magazine, there was a Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina on the cover with a bright yellow Murciélago in the bottom corner and I immediately flipped to it and read all about it at just 7 years old. Ever since then, I have seen every type of Murciélago produced and have come to love the car. In the spring of last year, I saw the pre-production photos of the LP670 and became obsessed with it. On June 8th, I was on my way to my friend's house and as we passed St. Louis Motorsports on Highway 40, I looked over as I always do and saw 2 identical bright orange LP670 SV's sitting in the circle in front of the dealership. Naturally, I started freaking out so my mom took me back and I got out and took tons of pictures of the car. As I was walking around the cars looking at them, a salesman and client came out and right in front of me, opened up those iconic scissor doors and got in one of the SuperVeloces. Then they started up the V12 and drove away right in front of me leaving the greatest sound in the world behind. Never in my life did I expect to see that car start up in front of me. It was truly amazing. Above is the video of that experience. I also went back to the dealer a few weeks later to see a black LP670-4 SV and that car was striking as well. Seeing three of these beauties is a real privilege because there are only 350 of these $475,000 cars being produced worldwide. I wish the Murciélago was still in production after the last LP670 is sold, but I know that Lamborghini's next creation will be even better as the Murciélago improved over the Diablo.

*Note: All images and videos on this post were created by and are property of Ryan Cohen.