The Lamborghini Murciélago (Spanish for "bat") is a supercar produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 2001 and 2010. Successor to the Diablo and flagship of the automaker's lineup, the Murciélago was introduced as a coupé in 2001. The Murcielago was first available in North America for the 2002 model year. The automaker's first new design in eleven years, the car was also the brand's first new model under the ownership of German parent company Audi, which is owned by Volkswagen. It is styled by Peruvian-born Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, Lamborghini's head of design from 1998 to 2005.
A roadster version was introduced in 2004, followed by the updated LP 640 coupé and roadster and limited edition LP 650–4 Roadster. The final variation to wear the Murciélago nameplate was the LP 670–4 SuperVeloce, powered by the largest and final evolution of the Lamborghini V12 engine. Production of the Murciélago ended on 5 November 2010, with a total run of 4,099 cars. Its successor, the Aventador, was released at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.
The Murciélago is an all-wheel drive, mid-engined supersports car. With an angular design and an exceptionally low slung body, the highest point of the roof is just under 4 feet above the ground. One of the vehicle's most distinguishing features are its scissor doors. which lends to the extreme image. First-generation Murciélagos, produced between 2001 and 2006, were powered by a Lamborghini V12 that traces its roots back to the company's beginnings in the 1960s. The rear differential is integrated with the engine itself, with a viscous coupling center differential providing drive to the front wheels. Power is delivered through a 6-speed manual transmission. The Murciélago suspension uses an independent double-wishbone design, and bodywork features carbon fiber, steel and aluminum parts. The rear spoiler and the active air intakes integrated into the car's shoulders are electromechanically controlled, deploying automatically only at high speeds in an effort to maximize both aerodynamic and cooling efficiency.
The first generation cars were produced between 2001 and 2006, and known simply as Murciélago, sometimes Murciélago VT. Their V12 engines produced just under 580 PS (572 hp), and powered the car to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.8 seconds.[10] Subsequent versions incorporated an alphanumeric designation to the name Murciélago, which indicated their engine configuration and output. However, the original cars are never referred to as "LP 580s". A first generation Murciélago Roadster was used in the 2005 movie Batman Begins.
