Lamborghini Murcielago 2005

Believed to be the only Black, Manual, Roadster built for the UK market. This Lamborghini Murcielago is a desirable Italian supercar, finished in an attractive stealth-like all-black colour scheme, and boasting an open-gate manual gearbox. Powered by a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V12, producing around 572bhp and 479lb-ft of torque and sending it to all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. The odometer displays an incredible 2,480 miles from new. The V12 Lambo is technically madder and badder than ever - but that makes us want a manual Murcielago even more. The early Audi-era Lamborghinis have aged beautifully. After the firm’s then-chief designer, Luc Donckerwolke, did an (arguably very faithful) styling overhaul of the bonkers Diablo at the tail end of the '90s, he’d go on create two timeless looks with the Murcielago and Gallardo. They’d remain Donckerwolke’s only Lamborghini production cars (not including 2006’s Miura Concept), but are widely considered some of the greatest designs to come out of Sant’Agata this side of the millennium. That was no mean feat because the Audi takeover had many wondering whether Lamborghini would go all safe and boring under its control. This is the company that slapped a giant wing on the back of the Contach for the sake of it, after all, and you could never imagine Audi doing that to anything. However, Donckerwolke’s first ground-up design would be the Murcielago in 2002 and, boy, was it a show-stopper. Not only had the Belgian designer managed to capture all the drama and aggression Lamborghini was known for (scissor doors, pop-up air vents and giant ducts), but there was a sleekness to it that was modern and refined. Pretty, you might say. Two years down the line and the Murcielago Roadster came along and somehow looked even more imposing than the hard top. The Roadster was essentially a speedster with the roof mechanism comprising a piece of material and some metal rods that needed to be manually secured. That gave the design team a bit more freedom, resulting in the dramatic restyling of the engine cover that was partly inspired by the B-2 bomber and, presumably, Darth Vader’s face. Naturally, Lamborghini had to strengthen the chassis to stop it from twisting, meaning the drop-top weighs an additional 29kg over the hard top despite not having an automated roof. But, honestly, that really doesn’t matter when you have unobstructed access to the Mucri’s 6.2-litre V12. Power remained identical to the coupe, meaning 580hp at an ear-splitting 7,500rpm, and despite the extra weight, it could still match the fixed roof’s 0-62mph time of 3.8 seconds. Lamborghini advised owners to not go above 100mph with the roof in place, but take it off and the only limiting factor depends on the size of your nuts. What makes early Murcielagos so special is that you could enjoy the V12 soundtrack by manually swapping cogs. The first batch of Murcis were all manual, but by the time the Roadster came along in 2004, Lamborghini had launched its automated e-gear transmission and this proved to be by far the more popular option on topless cars. Just 69 manual Roadsters were produced worldwide, of which only 4 were made for the UK Market - 1 x Black, 1 x White, 2 x Yellow. SERVICE HISTORY The vehicle received a full health check and routine service maintenance by Lamborghini main dealership Bristol in January 2024 where it was highly praised for its overall 'as new' condition. The service including an engine oil and filter change, along with a belt change. Following this a UK Inspection of roadworthiness was carried out April 2024 with a first time pass with no advisories. This vehicle has also passed the Monaco technical control with no issues, and this allowed it to be registered in the principality. DATES AND MILEAGES: - Lamborghini, London on 29/10/2008 at 1,650 miles - Lamborghini, Menton on 30/09/2016 at 1,939 miles - Lamborghini, Menton on 24/10/2016 at 2,013 miles - Lamborghini, Bristol on 26/01/2024 at 2,472 SUMMARY This Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster is an attractive all-black supercar, with significant road presence, and a V12 engine mated to an engaging manual transmission. Presented in impressive low mileage condition, and boasting a brand-new service, it is now ready to be driven. With all the noise and drama that you would expect from a flagship open-top Lamborghini, this original and handsome Murcielago is ready to be thoroughly enjoyed by its next owner.