Lamborghini Murcielago

Formerly owned by Chrysler and later an Indonesian company called Megatech, the Italian exotic car company fondly known as Lamborghini is now owned by Audi/Volkswagen. In 2002, Lamborghini introduced a high-strung yet well-mannered bambino called Murcielago. As with some past Lambos, this car gets its name from a legendary fighting bull: in this case, one whose life was spared because of the extraordinary courage he displayed while in the ring.
The Murcielago (pronounced "Mercy-ell-ah-go") is Lamborghini's flagship and as such is essentially an evolution of the previous Diablo. Its 6.2-liter, V12 engine, mounted amidships, has numerous high-tech engineering features to help both maximum power and overall smoothness and tractability. Power is sent to all four wheels through a viscous all-wheel-drive system with limited-slip differentials at both ends. Underneath the carbon-fiber body panels (the roof and doors are still steel) is a tubular steel space frame. Last year, Lamborghini introduced a Murcielago roadster. It has additional structural bracing and auto-deploying rollover bars to compensate for the loss of the fixed roof.

Price: $273,000
Miles Per Gallon: 9/13 mpg
Curb Weight: 3638 lbs
Layout: Mid-Engine/AWD
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual
EngineType: V12
Displacement: 6192 cc
Horsepower: 580 bhp @ 7500 rpm
Torque: 480 lb-ft @ 5400 rpm
Redline: 7500 rpm
0-60 mph: 3.6 sec
0-100 mph: 8.7 sec
Quarter Mile:12 sec @ 121 mph
Skidpad: .90g
Top Speed: 205 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph: 122 ft
Slalom Speed: 65.7 mph