After the thoroughly convincing Gallardo Spyder, Lamborghini fans hoped for a similar, automatic folding roof for the updated open-air Murcielago. Unfortunately, the LP640 roadster is haunted by the same manual top as its predecessor. Removing the complex scaffolding takes no more than three or four minutes, but putting the stuff back on requires the efforts and considerable patience of two people. Just ask Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni, who taught us plenty of new Italian vocabulary while spending more than fifteen minutes trying to pitch this incredibly stubborn tent.
The best thing about the LP640 roadster is that it removes all the barriers t
hat separate you from the sounds of the wonderfully melodious engine. Even with the windows up, the turbulence above 70 mph will flatten your nose, fold back your ears, and push dimples into your cheeks. At the same time, the unfiltered 6.5-liter V-12 assaults your hearing organs. Full throttle through the gears is an incredibly physical experience: 4000 rpm sounds deafening, 6000 rpm hurts, and 8000 rpm threatens a momentary coma. In sync with what's going on inside the auditory canals, this car attacks your sense of balance by applying what feels like the longitudinal g-force of a Formula 1 racing car. Lamborghini claims that the two-seater can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds, a 0.4-second gain over the previous version. A Bugatti Veyron is almost four times more expensive but only 0.9 second quicker.
For $361,700 (with e-gear), you certainly can buy a more practical sports car, but you can't buy a more outlandish one. With an amazing engine and a wild ride that can take you past 200 mph, the topless LP640 fears no rivals in terms of its wow factor.
