Lamborghini Murciélago 2001

The Lamborghini Murciélago supercar replaced the Diablo in 2001. A total of 4,099 Murciélagos were built. The car was named after Murciélago, a bull whose name means ‘bat’ in Spanish, which remained standing in the arena after 28 thrusts of a matador’s sword in 1879. The bull was spared and sold to a breeder, who established a new breed of fighting bulls.

Audi, which had acquired Lamborghini by then, took great care over the car’s development. Audi’s management, led by Ferdinand Piëch, rejected designs from Zagato and Bertone. The work of the German company’s own design department, specifically Luc Donckerwolke, formed the basis of the car. Its 6.2-litre V12 produced 580 hp at 7,500 rpm. It was the first Lamborghini with a six-speed gearbox.