Murcielago Performance Bible: All Tests To Date

There isn't one definitive list of ALL the different magazine and television performance tests on the Murcielago thus far, and this post will help to rectify that. Below are the figures that have been recorded for the Murci on various tracks, by a variety of professional evaluators.

Please feel free to add any tests that you're aware of that I may have missed, but please know in advance that we'll need a link or reference for accuracy. NOTE: I have omitted the Car and Driver timed roadtest results of the Murcielago due to their editors stating that the results do no reflect the true potential of the car (broken shift stalk limited shifting) therefore it's not absent through mistake.

LAMBORGHINI MURCIELAGO PERFORMANCE DATABASE

0-60MPH
3.5 - Motor Trend (USA)
3.6 - Auto (Italy)
3.6 - Automobilismo (Italy)
3.6 - Road and Track (USA)
3.6 - Top Gear (UK)
3.7 - Auto Motor und Sport (Germany)
3.8 - Car and Driver (USA)
3.9 - Sport Auto (Germany)

0-100MPH (160KPH)
8.7 - Road and Track (USA)
8.8 - Top Gear (UK)
8.9 - Sport Auto (Germany)

QUARTER MILE
11.5 @ 124.3mph - Auto (Italy)
11.5 @ 123.4mph - Automobilismo (Italy)
11.7 @ 122.5mph - Motor Trend (USA)
11.8 @ 121.2mph - Auto Motor und Sport (Germany)
12.0 @ 121.0mph - Road and Track (USA)
12.3 @ 120.3mph - Top Gear (UK)

STANDING MILE
30.5 @ 169.2mph - Motor Trend (USA)

STANDING KILOMETER
20.9 @ 158.6mph - Auto (Italy)
21.0 @ 155.2mph - Automobilismo (Italy)
21.4 @ 156.0mph - Auto Motor und Sport (Germany)

MISCELLANEOUS TRACK TIMES
7:50 - Nurburgring, Sport Auto (Germany)
1:12.0 - Hockenheim, Sport Auto (Germany)

BEST MOTORING - FUJI TRACK TIME
1:38.6 - Ferrari F50
1:39.8 - Porsche 996 GT2
1:39.8 - Lamborghini Murcielago
1:43.4 - Porsche 996 C4S

BEST MOTORING - TWIN RING MOTEGI TRACK TIME
1:40.9 - Ferrari 360 Modena
1:40.4 - Porsche 996 911 Turbo
1:39.6 - BMW M3 CSL
1:36.9 - Honda NSX Type-R
1:36.6 - Lamborghini Murcielago
1:36.0 - Lamborghini Gallardo

0-100MPH-0
12.7 - Motor Trend (USA)

AUTO MOTOR UND SPORT - NARDO SHOOTOUT
205.1mph - Top Speed
12.5 - 0-200kph
37.6 - 0-300kph
696ft. - 150mph to 0mph (braking)

 

Wow great find Jim. Any chance you could identify which magazine or driver performed that test?

 

1. Factory times are often very conservative.

2. The winner between a GT2 and Murcie would depend on the track in question.

A Murcie is a bit faster than a GT2 in a straight line, particularly at speeds above 140MPH. At tracks like the Nurburgring, which have some areas where ultra high velocities can be achieved, the Murcie is able to match/beat a GT2. For reference, a stock GT2 has turned dry laps at the Ring in the 7:46 - 7:48 range consistently. The Murcie has a 7:50 time in the hands of the same driver (Horst Von Surma). However we're trying to verify that newer 7:43 time mentioned previously, which is an e-Gear model and was likely piloted by Horst for Sport Auto as well.

Another track time that we have for the Murcie and GT2 is at Hockenheim, which is a smaller and tighter course. At this venue the GT2 timed a 1:12.6 lap while both the Murcie AND Gallardo timed identical laps of 1:11.8.

So it really depends. I've seen other results as you have that show a GT2 beating a Murcie at various places, but the cars are really so close (MUCH closer than the average anti-Lambo person believes) that it would certainly come down to the driver under all circumstances.

 

While true in the past, Audi's influence seems to have caused a transformation. These are now machines that don't seem to fear turns.

An example:

HOCKENHEIM TIMES
1:11.8 - LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO
1:11.8 - LAMBORGHINI MURCIELAGO
1:12.6 - PORSCHE 911 GT2 (996)
1:13.2 - PORSCHE 911 GT3 (996)
1:13.5 - BMW M3 CSL
1:14.6 - HONDA NSX-R
1:14.7 - FERRARI 575M MARANELLO
1:15.1 - FERRARI 360 MODENA
1:17.6 - AUDI RS6 (2004)

Also based on recent time comparisons, the Murcie and Gallardo are both around 11 to 15 seconds faster per lap at the Ring than the previous Diablos were, including the lightened Diablo GT.