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Car and Driver

2004 Lamborghini Murcielago Pairs a V-12 with a Six-Speed Stick

The Murciélago was the last Lamborghini to have a V-12 with the original Bizzarini-designed architecture. It was also the last V-12 Lambo available with a manual transmission, and this example is so-equipped. The unusual dark green over pale beige leather only adds to the appeal here. In 1961, Giotto Bizzarrini walked out of Ferrari along with other engineers and became one of eight employees personally terminated by Enzo Ferrari in a famous rift that became known as the palace revolt, or the night of the long knives. As Bizzarrini was the fellow behind the 250 GTO, this probably wasn't the smartest move by Enzo, and it certainly didn't help when rival Italian industrialist Ferruccio Lamborghini came looking for an engine for his new sporting GT car. Bizzarrini built him a sonorous V-12, and for nearly 50 years, you could find that twelve-cylinder jewel at the heart of Lamborghini's flagship supercar. Courtesy: Bring a Trailer That long lineage is part of the appeal of this 2004 Lamborghini Murciélago up for auction on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). Finished in dark green over beige leather with contrast stitching, it's an incredibly classy spec for a brand that specializes in some loud and eye-catching combos. The best bit is between the seats, where you find the exposed gate and shifter of a genuine six-speed manual transmission. Courtesy: Bring a Trailer This car's 6.2-liter V-12 features many modern features, with four valves per cylinder, electronic fuel injection, four throttle bodies—two per cylinder bank—and dry sump oil lubrication. It can, however, trace its lineage right back to Bizzarrini's original genius, as found in the 350GT and the Miura. In this application, it makes 572 horsepower, 479 pound-feet of torque, and 1.3 Pavarottis in operatic decibels. Courtesy: Bring a Trailer With all-wheel drive as standard, a Murciélago is not a lightweight vehicle. Then again, this is a supercar with a rampaging bull on its nose, rather than a prancing horse. It's meant to gore you in the kidneys with explosive acceleration, and then go charging at the horizon with a twelve-cylinder roar. Here, the fact that you get to swap cogs yourself just adds to the excellence of the experience. This example has just 35K miles on the odometer and has had the paint refreshed to deal with some clearcoat issues. The 18-inch Speedline wheels wear Pirelli P-Zeros and look fantastic against the green. Remember when supercars had reasonably sized rims? There's also a front-lift system for getting around parking ramps and whatnot. Courtesy: Bring a Trailer Under Audi's parentage, the replacement for the Murciélago got a clean-sheet V-12 that it would eventually share with the R8. That's no knock against the Aventador, as it was equally unhinged as its ancestors, but the Murciélago was sort of a last-of-breed moment. Especially so here, as the Murciélago was the last V-12–powered Lamborghini you could get with a manual. Courtesy: Bring a Trailer Lift the door, slide behind the wheel, slot that shifter into first gear with an authoritative clack, then set off and sink your foot into the carpet. Some say if you listen closely enough to that V-12 at full roar, you can hear Enzo shaking his fist in anger. Related Story Tested: 2003 Lambo Murciélago Tames a Raging Bull The auction ends on July 7. Brendan McAleer Contributing Editor Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. Read full bio