Merc1

Options are a mere $52,710.

Nabbing a Lamborghini for testing involves trying to chisel into a press-car calendar thick with celebrity-studded red-carpet parties hosted by the likes of Donatella Versace. It isn’t easy getting on the schedule. Lamborghini’s silk-suited brand managers are hyping a fantasy lifestyle, and we in the grubby Fourth Estate have nothing to offer against a Donatella photo op except burned-up clutches and chunked tires.

So when our single day finally arrived to snap into the Fritos-shaped buckets of a 632-hp Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 roadster—a car with $52,710 in options—it was tempting to dismiss it as just a cartoon commentary on the excesses of the filthy famous. Tempting, that is, until we arrived at the test track.

Introduced last year as a face-lifted Murciélago, the LP640 smoked 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and went wild whooping through the quarter-mile in 11.8 seconds at 126 mph. It brought its 4100-pound girth to a halt from 70 mph in just 150 feet and pulled more than 1.00 g on the skidpad. Ferrari Enzos move only slightly quicker and sell for more than a million. The base $351,700 LP640 roadster has some engineering cred that true car people can appreciate, even if Donatella hasn't a clue.

As with the previous Murciélago, the LP640 roadster looks like an LP640 coupe that lost its roof panel to a passing tornado. Jagged edges and some unfinished lines are the result. The roadster's roof-toupee is a better description-is a flimsy canvas sheet with a few snap-in poles and fold-out ribs to hold its shape. Practiced hands take about five minutes to insert tabs A into slots B. A plaque warns against exceeding 100 mph with the roof on, something the roadster can accomplish in second gear. When not threatening to shear off, the roof stows-just barely-in the front cargo bin.


2007 Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 Roadster

The Highs: Zero to 60 in 3.5, that 150-mph wind in your hair, a fine way to meet your neighbors.

The Lows: Tinkertoy top, inordinate cost, extroverts only.

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M

SDNR

I love this car -- it really is fantastic. The only problem with it is the image it projects about the owner. I know it is not fair to stereotype people and I know not all Lamborghini drivers are a "type" ...but the world is not fair and these types of vehicles will always attract as much derision from others as they do attention -- generally, they are not owned by elegant people, they just don't make a polite or refined impression. Lambos are all about showbiz and glitz; they are cars for beautiful people who love attention.


However, there is another type of Lambo owner, a much rarer breed. These are the genuine connoisseurs, people who love the insanity of that big V12 being pushed to the limit. 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds -- the LP640 roadster separates the men from the metrosexuals -- no pretty boy would ever drive that fast with the roof down .....it would mess up the do.

DaSilva

Lamborghinis should be for elegant people. (ME)
Lamborghinis should not be ALL about showbiz and glitz. (NOT ME)

but as you said in the end, -- no pretty boy would ever drive that fast with the roof down .....it would mess up the do -- Exactly !

be sure: I'm that elegant Roadster "type" - DaSilva
(and one day I'll hope that will be the case for real)

Mr. M

After meeting several Lamborghini owners and my dad doing business with some of them, I'm quite convinced that they are quite a breed of egoistic people. It's a pretty harsh generalisation and a sweeping statement at that but until I meet a nice Lamborghini owner I'm pretty convinced they are exactly the type of people you describe them to be.

This made me rethink my desire for Lamborghinis - the image associated with them immediately made them less desirable for me. A DB9 would suffice better.

Bruce

You know, I absolutely love the Murciélago. Is truly is a stunning car.

I remember when it came out people were constantly complaining about the lack of creativity in the interior and the fact that a great deal of Lamborghini's character had been washed away with Audi's buy out.

I always thought that was ridiculous..

lambornima

When I first met a Murcielago owner I was surprised by him. he wore grey shirts and Tshirt. nothing fancy and attention-whorish.

The second lamborghini owner I met gave me a ride. I know him from Lambopower and he owns an SLR722. he came to my house and gave me a ride in it. he said that his Gallardo gets a lot more attention (afterall, its a deep blue lambo) and that you CAN NOT be shy to own one of these cars. after seeing the amount of attention someone gets from the SLR, I CAN NOT imagine how it would be inside of a lambo. so from that perspective, lambo owners are not shy people who have a hard time dealing with attention. however, they are not attention craving idiots that many think they are. unlike ferrari owners...



...I saw the owner of a 355 spider a few years ago in downtown toronto. he had long greasy hair and no shirt, just a leather vest showing off his sixpack. he has crocodile pants with leather boots and he was wearing sunglasses. he looked like an IDIOT. me and a couple guys enjoying his nice red car and he comes out, opens the door, looks inside for no reason what so ever, and leaves again. why? just to let us know he owns the car

later, about 30 minutes, I hear a wonderful engine and realise its him, sitting in the middle of traffic reving his engine.


now, im sure all ferrari owners are not like this, but this guy had some serious issues, he looked and acted like a gay pornstar.

SDNR

I love stereotyping car owners. Some older Rolls-Royce owners are total dorks: men with mustaches who wear Harris Tweed blazers. Or the elderly C class owner who always puts his panama hat on the rear parcel shelf.

I know all Lambo (and Ferrari) owners are not the same ...but the stereotypes are definitely out there.

lambornima

sure. we are all bound to be a stereotype of something. Im Persian and I eat and sometimes dress the way a stereotypical persian teen would.

Also, there are many black people in my school and I know of one, MAYBE two that dont so weed, smoke and get into trouble with the law. despite the drinking, smoking etc, one guy I know who has my weight training course last semester, was a fantastic guy to hang out with and talk to once in a while. meeting a person for a few minutes is insufficient for judging the person, usually. who knows, those snobby, ******* lambo or ferrari or RR owners may be great people in other aspects. maybe they may agree with you on many subjects and issues.

Mr. M

Now that I gotta agree. Owning a car like a Lamborghini demands that you must have the guts and verve to be confident about it. Which explains why I'm out of the target group, even though I love Lamborghinis so much.

I agree about the Ferrari owners. Some of them are just snobs, I guess Ferrari drivers are more 'traditional' drivers in the sense that they've been owning nice cars for a long time, they expect the good treatment (or attention) they get all the time. Lambo owners are newer, more cautious and less brash about their actions if you ask me.

lambornima

lol, funny thing is, as a huge lambo fan, im a VERY shy person. If I ever get the opportunity however, I will not skip on a lambo.