0-200: GO HOME!
This sleek Italian beauty, a 2002 model, had the advantage of running first in the coolest morning air. And according to our May 2002 road test, this is a 205-mph car. But not today, as the big Lambo struggles in its attempt to hit 200. The all-wheel-drive exotic gets out of the hole very well, hitting 60 mph as quickly as the Ruf Rt 12. But after three runs at different times of the day, Millen finally gives up, stating that it's only getting warmer and that the mid-engine Lamborghini simply won't go much past 190. Our VBOX GPS data concur, showing that the Murciélago tops out at 190.1 mph, right at the 2-mile mark.
"It definitely pulls extremely strong, this car," says Steve after his first run. "It went through the mile at about 175 but it just didn't seem to have much after that."
Steve's right. The Lambo, at the 1-mile mark, is already sailing along at 171.6 mph. But in the next full mile, it gains only 18.5 mph, peaking at 190.1 mph.
What gives?
We can't say for sure. The car has nearly 15,000 miles on its clock and may not be in optimal tune, but it runs well. And although Steve says he doesn't particularly like the car's classic metal shift gate -- which doesn't help the speed of his shifting -- that shouldn't really affect the car's top speed.
Here's what we suspect: Chen put aftermarket wheels and tires on his Lambo, replacing the stock front 235/35ZR-18s with 235/35ZR-19s and the stock 335/30ZR-18 rears with 345/25ZR-20s. While this makes the car look sharp, the net effect is a car that rides about a half-inch higher front and rear, effectively making for taller gearing and also compromising the car's aerodynamics.
Nevertheless, the Lambo puts in a strong performance, and although we would have rather tested a new 6.5-liter 640-bhp LP640, we very much appreciate Chen making his 580-bhp 6.2-liter Murciélago available to us, and we like the way he uses it as a daily driver. A 190-mph daily driver, that is.
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