2005 Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster: The Fair-Weather Friend

In summer, Italy's roads are a zoo. Of the prehistoric kind. The raptors are roaming the roads. Although a yellow Lamborghini should leave a lasting impression in this animal kingdom, it's almost impossible to prevent close encounters with kamikaze scooter artists, no-risk, no-fun Valentino Rossi imitators, and breakneck delivery-van drivers. In the Murcilago, you can avert disaster by simply rocketing away from it-or by braking so hard it will miss you. Upgraded brakes are the key dynamic improvement over the coupe. With larger-diameter and fatter discs, stronger eight-piston front calipers, and a bigger brake booster to reduce the pedal pressure, the brakes are now easier to modulate, more prompt in their response, and a lot sharper. Optional ceramic brakes are in the pipeline for next year and should be even more convincing on the track, but they may well be less efficient when cold. After all, the roadster's setup will reel the car in from 125 mph to a standstill in just a little more than 500 feet. The extra-cost E-gear transmission is convincing in the Gallardo, but we're not so sure about its efficiency in the V-12 car, where it costs a cool ten grand extra. The fingertip controls are much easier to use than a clutch-which can be capricious in this car-but the software still needs more fine-tuning. When the throttle was nailed immediately after clicking into first, our Murcilago decided more than once to leap forward, stutter, and then stall. There's not much smoothness or progressiveness, faults that also can be attributed to BMW, Aston, Maserati, and Ferrari, among others. Attempting to start on a steep hill produces more adrenaline than a Tarantino movie, and the transition from forward to push-button reverse takes too long for a car that is this vulnerable and difficult to see out of. On the credit side, we noticed perfectly shaped and positioned shift paddles, energetically spaced gear ratios, and a more inspired shift action in sport mode (which also firms up the suspension and sharpens the throttle). Lamborghini expects the latest storm-in-the-hair model to account for 50 percent of all Murcilago sales, about 70 cars a year, worldwide. No doubt, if you want to go V-max anywhere on the planet, the upcoming 640-horsepower GT coupe is your ticket, but for anyone who lives for the moment, such as Venice Beach boulevardiers with offshore bank accounts, this extrovert plaything is the perfect car for one or two glorious seasons in the limelight.