Lamborghini’s successor to the Diablo, and the first new model released under the control of the Volkswagen Group, was the Murciélago. Released in 2001, the Murciélago was built with a carbon fibre body wrapped around a tubular space frame. The design from Luc Donckerwolke evinces Volkswagen’s involvement while remaining concordant with many earlier Lamborghini models. At speed, the Murciélago automatically deploys a rear spoiler and pair of aero “bat wings”, which emerge from the rear canopy to improve engine cooling. The raised wings are a playful take on the supercar’s name and its translation from the Spanish word for “bat”, also serving as the most distinctive, stylish, and functional features of the Murciélago design.

The 6.2-litre V-12 engine and six-speed gated manual transmission were entirely revised units which were heralded as vast improvements over previous offerings. This standard powerplant configuration was factory-rated at 572 horsepower and coupled to an all-wheel drive system; 0-97 km/h arrived in just 3.8 seconds on the way to a top speed of 332 km/h.

The example here was delivered new to its first owner in Stuttgart, Germany, via Lamborghini Stuttgart on 17 June 2002. The car was specified in Arancio Atlas over an Avorio Lilium interior with orange accents, the eye-catching combination it is presented in today. Copies of the accompanying service book suggest that the Murciélago stayed in Germany until around 2005, with services from 2006 to 2011 executed by the Lamborghini main dealer in Prague, Czech Republic. In 2017, the supercar was serviced by Lamborghini Wien in Austria, while the car is offered for sale from a vendor domiciled in Germany. At the time of cataloguing, the odometer read just 25,278 kilometres.

This attractively presented Lamborghini, with its distinctive paintwork and manual gearbox, presents an enticing opportunity to own a supercar from a celebrated period of production by the Sant’Agata Bolognese manufacturer. The six-speed Murciélago has long been in demand for the analogue driving experience it provides, and this example begs to be exercised on the open road.