What happens when one of the world’s most renowned supercar companies is bought by one of the world’s most conservative car companies? This is what happened when Audi bought Lamborghini in 1998. Three years later in Frankfurt the answer was unveiled in the shape of the Murciélago. Supercar fans and customers breathed a huge sigh of relief. This unlikely union had produced one of the world’s most stunning supercars.

Power came from a 6.2 litre V12 engine producing 580bhp fed through Audi’s quattro drive system into all four wheels. That fact alone made the car unique, but on top of that it featured scissor-opening doors and a top speed of more than 200mph. In short, it was a truly tempting proposition.

But with a price tag of more than £160,000 it needed to be. It was more expensive than a Ferrari 360 or Porsche 911 Turbo. Lamborghini maintained that the Murciélago was more akin to a Pagani Zonda or Porsche Carrera GT and in that company it was a bargain.

On the road, the Murciélago’s performance is stunning with levels of acceleration, braking and grip well beyond the limits most drivers will ever explore. What is perhaps more of a surprise is how easy the car is to drive. Sure, you sit low and rear visibility is poor, but the steering is well weighted and the manual gearbox delightfully precise.

With the arrival of the E-Gear paddle shift transmission in late 2004, the Murciélago’s credentials as a properly useable supercar were firmly established. Despite a premium of £9,000, the E-Gear system found favour with more than 50% of Murciélago buyers and second-hand examples still command a £5,000 premium over their manual counterparts.

Audi’s influence is clear in all the right areas of the Murciélago. In particular, the interior fit and finish are excellent, something that has in the past been sadly lacking in some of the world’s more exotic supercars, especially the Italian variety. Similarly, the mechanicals, engines and transmissions have proven to be robust and reliable.

Apart from regular servicing and the replacement of consumables such as brakes, tyres and clutch, second-hand buyers should be in for a relatively trouble-free time.

However, running costs are not cheap. Brake discs, for example, cost £2,000 a corner to replace. Your insurer will take an interest in your security arrangements and fuel pumps will become regular acquaintances if you intend taking the car on anything more than the occasional Sunday blatt.

But the Lamborghini Murciélago was never a car for people who worry about the pennies. As an example of automotive excellence it accomplishes virtually everything it set out to achieve, a fact every petrolhead should be grateful for.


Storage Two-piece fitted luggage set was a £3,000 option when new





Brakes Six-pot callipers were standard but brakes were upgraded to eight-pot on the 2006 model. Check for cracked discs as these cost £2,000 each to replace





Suspension The electronically controlled active suspension has proven to be trouble-free but check the front “lift suspension” button, which raises nose by 4cm, because it can fail if used infrequently



Clutch A full replacement will cost you £6,000 — expect it to last around 10,000 miles in normal use, less if driven hard





Wheels No factory option for wheel upgrade so owners settle for standard 18in units





Interior Both front seats can only be adjusted manually. The option of a dual colour interior for seat panels and door inserts is a rarely found factory option





Satellite navigation The factory-fitted Blaupunkt unit cost £1,800 and was not really up to the job, so most owners either do without or fit their own systems





Servicing Due every 7,500 miles or annually. A standard service should cost around £1,000 but brakes and tyres can see that bill rise dramatically

THE ONE TO BUY

A 2004 54 Murciélago E-Gear with 10,000 miles. Pay £128,000 at a dealer or £122,000 privately. The prices below are for the manual as the E-Gear has been available for only two years

OR, FOR THE SAME MONEY

2005 55 Aston Martin Vanquish V12 coupé
2005 55 Ferrari F430
Brand new Bentley Continental GT coupé
Brand new Aston Martin DB9
Two brand new Porsche 911 coupés

VALUES

Prices above are for the manual. E-Gear models command a £5,000 premium