I was born in the 80’s, so naturally, I had Ferrari Testarossa and Lamborghini Countach posters on my bedroom walls with matching 1/18 Bburago models next to them growing up. These mid-engine 12 cylinder cars will always be the only true supercars in my heart. Period mid-engine V8’s or the later Lamborghini Gallardo’s are just ‘sportscars’ to me. Modern interpretation of mid-engine flagships like Ferrari’s latest SF90 you can also keep – I will take a BB512 or TR over it any day of the week. Unfortunately, Ferrari has long departed from the mid-engine 12 cylinder formula, starting with the 550 Maranello. As great as the 550 is, I do blame Luca di Motezemolo for scrapping the supercar set up and reverting back to the traditional front engine GT lay out. He had singlehandedly deprived me the pleasure of enjoying what could’ve been at least another 4-5 models of beautiful mid-engine V12 Ferrari’s (not that he cares).
Fortunately, Lamborghini did not make the same mistake and continued its mid-engine V12 lineage which they literally invented back in the late 1960’s with the Miura – the Godfather of supercars. The Murcielago being the third iteration since the Miura, was produced under Audi’s ownership of Lamborghini, but you’d be wrong to think it is a “German Lamborghini” that lost most of its Italian heritage. The Murcielago does not depart far from its immediate predecessor, the Diablo 6.0. Most importantly, the V12 that it uses has practically the same DNA as the original 12 cylinder engine found in the company’s first ever model – the 350GT. The original engine was designed by Italian auto industry heavyweight Giotto Bizzarrini. Bizzarrini had a very impressive CV – he started his career as Alfa Romeo’s test driver and was then poached by Enzo Ferrari to work on a wide range of things, including the development of the mighty Ferrari 250 GTO. He was then hired by Lamborghini in the 60’s to design their first ever engine, and that engine shares the same roots with the one in the Murcielago today. Of course, after so many generations, the Murcielago’s engine has been enhanced and revised quite a bit, such as having 6.2 litres and 580HP, but essentially it is the same base as the engine in the 350GT. The Murcielago is also the last Lamborghini to use this engine, for Lamborghini (and Audi, inevitably) designed a completely new V12 engine for the Aventador. So the Murcielago is truly the last of the “Italian Lamborghinis”.
The car we have here today is extra special, as it is the 40th anniversary edition. It was built to celebrate the brand’s 40th anniversary, just like what Lamborghini did with the 25th anniversary Countach and the 30th anniversary Diablo. As a special edition, it has a number of things that were made especially for it, such as the colour – a greenish blue known as Verde Artemis made only for the 40th anniversary model. The interior has two tone seats where the middle section is white, but the outer section leather is different between the driver and passenger seats. The passenger side uses black leather while the driver’s side uses a different type of leather in grey, which is quite unique and also tailored for this model. The upper door trim and the area behind the rear windows also use a special carbon fibre-like material which ordinary models do not have. Performance-wise, the 40th anniversary did not get much upgrades from the already very capable ordinary model, it does have a special exhaust system though. Lamborghini only made 50 units of the 40th anniversary worldwide, all in manual transmission (thank God), and the one we are reviewing today is the only one in Hong Kong.
When you first sit in the car you notice two things immediately. The first is that the seating position is completely normal. The owner has a similar body-frame as myself and for the first time ever I didn’t even have to adjust the seating position before a review drive. Secondly, and this is something I say often about classic cars but never expected to say the same for a modern classic V12 Lamborghini, is that the visibility in the cabin is great. The front windshield extends all the way down, the long doors provide a great side view and, most surprisingly, the rearview is also top notch, as the engine cover is made up by four large panels separate from each other creating a visual gap between each one of them.
Setting off, again you immediately notice two things. First is that the clutch is extremely light, and I am talking about lighter than any of the cars we have reviewed to date, including the BMW M3 and my Alfa Junior. It is also extremely easy to engage, without any need for getting used to – as if I have driven the cars many times before. Despite the Ferrari-like metal and open gated gear shifter, the gearshifts feel soft and liquid. To be honest, the car looking like the way it does, can benefit from a slightly heavier clutch and more rigid gearshifts to go with its look. The way it works now feels like The Rock having the voice of David Beckham. The second thing you immediately notice when setting off, and something which is less of a surprise here, is the car’s width. Literally the moment you set off you keep looking at your left and right mirrors to make sure you’re within your lane.
The moment you step on the gas pedal though, nothing else matters. That glorious V12 sound is everything I had anticipated it to be. The Italian V12 roar can be rivalled by nothing else, although admittedly it does sound a little muted in the cabin and can benefit from an aftermarket exhaust. As expected, the car is fast, but it’s the way it picks up that is impressive. Power and speed pick up very quickly, as if you were driving a very light car, which is hardly the case as the car is 1,800kg+. This must’ve certainly been due to the car’s four-wheel-drive system, making the power surge rapid and effortless.
The fact that at speed, the car feels very much like a grand tourer (because it is one), was an odd feeling. Because while visually, the car looks like the same breed as my Ferrari 360 but on steroids, the sensation it provides at speed is a lot more muted and mature than that of a V8 sports car. Although that should have been expected as most V12 supercars are intended to be grand tours, it nevertheless felt weird and out of character when I got off the car and looked back at its amazing physical presence. And that is perhaps why Luca di Montezemolo decided to revert back to the more mature front-engined and big boot layout for Ferrari’s V12 category. Because while mid-engined V12’s look amazing, they inevitably create an identity crisis when its driving characteristics are more about comfort and torque than being nippy and revvy. Still, I would much prefer a Testarossa-esque descendant than a 599 GTB.
In any event, from the bottom of my heart, I am ever so grateful for today’s opportunity to try a Murcielago. This is legitimately a bucket list item for me. I always wanted to own a mid-engined 12 cylinder Ferrari or Lamborghini, but have always been afraid of its lack of usability and potentially high maintenance costs. Today, a dream came true and I got to meet my hero, to which I can unreservedly say I have no regrets doing so whatsoever. My biggest thanks to the owner for sharing his pride and joy with us, and as always I thank the team for all their hard work:
Alex W. (http://www.taipanmedia.com)
Alex C. (IG: @nofishshark)
Adhiraj Rathore (IG: @supercarsofhongkong)
See our review video here: