Lamborghini Murcielago LP-640 silver side view

History of the Murcielago

What is the Lamborghini Murcielago?

The Lamborghini Murcielago is a significant model in the Lamborghini pantheon. Being featured in songs and other popular media, many people not familiar with the Lamborghini brand have been left to wonder, what is the Lamborghini Murcielago? We will provide you with answers as we dive into its history, its name, and even some of its mentions in pop culture.

Lamborghini Murcielago V12 engineWhen was the Murcielago made?

The Lamborghini Diablo is perhaps the most well-known Lamborghini model. It was made for 11 years from 1990 to 2001, and it was the Murcielago that took its place in 2001. The Murcielago was produced for 9 years until 2010. It was significant as it marked a new strategy for Lamborghini. They would now offer two supercar vehicles with two different yet similar purposes.

One model would be the exclusive high-end V12 model that represented the best that Lamborghini could achieve, that was the Murcielago. The other would be a slightly toned-down V10 version of that with unique styling and features, and that was the Gallardo, which debuted in 2003. Following the strategy, these two models have since been replaced by the Aventador and the Huracan respectively.


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Lamborghini Murcielago LP-640 white with the doors open front viewWhere does the Murcielago get its name?

Like many Lamborghini models, the Murcielago draws its name from bullfighting, and it’s quite the story. On October 5th, 1879, a bull named Murcielago fought so valiantly against matador Rafael Molina “Lagartijo” that its life was spared. This is a rare honor that has been granted to very few bulls over the course of history.

After the impressive bout, Murcielago was donated to the breeder Antonio Miura (you may recognize that last name from another famous Lamborghini model). The bull named Murcielago went on to father a formidable line of fighting bulls that is still around today.

In this way, the Murcielago name became symbolic if not prophetic for Lamborghini. Though it was the Diablo that signaled a new era for Lamborghini, it was the Murcielago that was to set the bar for the Lamborghini models to come. You can still see much of its style in the Gallardo, and even in the Aventador and Huracan.

Lamborghini Murcielago yellow side view

Was the Murcielago featured in a song?

The Murcielago was featured in a Kanye West song in 2012 titled “Mercy.” The hook of the song was “Lamborghini mercy, your chick she’s so thirsty.” Interestingly enough, when the music video debuted some months later, a Lamborghini model was featured heavily in the background. Unfortunately, that model was actually the slightly more common Gallardo, which the film crew had to settle for due to time constraints.