In the late afternoon of the 5th October 1879, after a fiercely fought contest in the arena of Cordoba, a bull named Murcielago from the stud farm of Joaquin del Val di Navarra had his life spared by the famous matador Rafael Molina “Lagartijo”.
This was a very rare occurrence in bullfighting, and an honor accorded only to those bulls that have shown exceptional courage and spirit in the arena. And Murcielago was indeed such a bull. He was subsequently donated to the breeder Antonio Miura, and went on to father a formidable line of fighting bulls that extends right down to the present day.
The Concept of Murcielago
The Lamborghini Murcielago is 2-seater, 2-door coupe (with the now familiar gull-wing doors) based on the traditional Lamborghini layout: mid-mounted V12 engine, typical Lamborghini transmission with the gearbox mounted in front of the engine and the rear differential integrated into the engine unit, permanent four-wheel drive with central viscous coupler.
This layout, successfully employed by Lamborghini for more than 30 years, affords an optimal weight distribution (58% rear and 42% front) with conspicuous advantages for traction, braking and handling. The suspension design (independent double wishbones) represents the best possible solution for a high-performance GT and, again, is in keeping with Lamborghini tradition.
The external bodywork panels are made from carbon fiber, with the exception of the steel roof and door panels.
The rear of the Lamborghini Murcielago features two "active" intakes for the engine cooling air. With the exclusive VACS (“Variable Air-flow Cooling System”), the aperture of these air intakes can be varied to suit the driving conditions. Furthermore, to ensure correct aerodynamic equilibrium at all speeds, the angle of the rear spoiler can also be altered. According to the speed of the car, the rear spoiler can assume three different positions: closed from 0 to 80 mph, partially open (50°) between 80 and 140 mph and fully open (70°) above 140 mph. Depending on the aperture of the air intakes and the position of the rear spoiler, the car's Cx coefficient varies from a minimum of 0.33 to a maximum of 0.36. Bi-xenon headlights produce both main and dipped beams.
For the windscreen wiper, it was decided to adopt the proven single-arm pantograph design. This system increases the area swept by the wiper blade, thereby reducing blind spots in the visual field of the driver, and operates correctly at high speed without obstructing the driver's view when at rest.
The wing mirrors can be folded electrically and are mounted on long support arms so that the driver can see beyond the rear wings, which are especially prominent when the air intakes are open. However, mirror stability is not compromised, even at high speeds.
Murcielago Model Year 2006
There are new features on the Lamborghini flagship, the 12-cylinder Murcielago Coupe and Roadster, for model year 2006.
The most important of these is without doubt the possibility to equip the car with carbon-ceramic brakes.
Carbon-ceramic discs offer clear benefits:
* braking efficiency remains constant at both low and high temperature, with no fading, even after hard use
* improved handling, agility and efficiency
* shorter braking distances with reduced pedal effort
These advantages are complemented by:
* longer lifetime
* lighter than steel
* “state of the art” system
The Murcielago MY06 has a new standard equipment package, which includes a Becker navigation system (not for the USA) and a range of new options.
Optional equipment includes the “Interior Carbon Package“, where a number of the interior components are made from carbon fiber:
* cover for the driver side display
* dashboard cover (right and left sides)
* handbrake lever
* cover for the air conditioning and radio
* handles on the sides of the centre tunnel
* gearlever cover
* frame around the armrest
* ashtray
A further optional extra is the “Branding Package”, which comprises the Lamborghini logo in relief on the headrests and the colored Lamborghini logo on the wheels.
The Murcielago MY06 Coupe is now also available in the exclusive new color Oro Adonis (gold), already available for the Roadster version.
The "Privilege Programme" car customization option is also available for the Murcielago MY06.
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