Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV: Review

Nice review here of the Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV.

If this part of our test was purely about road presence, the Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce would be the outright best car we've ever driven. Not even a Bugatti Veyron can match the drama of the SV as it prowls along, attracting pointed fingers and dropped jaws everywhere it goes. That's what happens outside of the car: from inside it's even more dramatic.

The hip-gripping bucket seats hold the driver and passenger very snugly, though some more lower back support would be appreciated for longer stints. The unique SV stitching gives a sense of this car's other worldliness, while the view through in the rear view mirror of the slatted rear screen confirms it.

Turn the key and the 6.5-litre V12 lets you know it's the star of the show. It sounds angry, as if it's more than a little peeved at being constricted by warming up and trundling along with other traffic. Find some empty roads, however, and the aggression of the low-speed running turns into a joyful howl as the engine heads towards its peak power of 661bhp at a giddy 8,000rpm, and there's still another 500rpm left to run till it hits the limiter. There are a variety of engine tones and notes as it builds revs, and all of them assemble into one of the best engine noises you will ever experience.

Long gearing in the six-speed gearbox means the engine hangs on to gears to ridiculous speeds - third gear is all you need for almost any driving conditions in the UK. It's also more than enough to see you banned from driving for a very long time if you let the engine have its wicked way. Keep the throttle hard to the carpet and the thrust in your back is brutally strong and incessant. There's no let up in the way the LP670-4 SV accelerates.