Late Model Diablo vs Early Murcielago

The Murcielago, is a more refined car.

The Diablo is fully depreciated.

Most likely, the early Murcielago, has some more room to depreciate.

When comparing these cars, a driven exotic, is more reliable than a garage queen.



The 6.0, has potential, to increase in price.

Perhaps, a nice SV, will also appreciate ?

Any increase in prices, may be nothing but adjustments, for the loss of the true value of currencies. It is not easy, to make money, on a modern production exotic - aside from the limited edition F supercars.

 

I think that the user purposes would be slightly different: if I got a 6.0 Diablo it would be an occasional driver to preserve in my collection forever; if I got an 02-04 Murci, I would drive it as much as possible until the doors fell off (not really a collector car).

It would be a tough choice, honestly, since you could use an early Murcielago fairly guilt-free, since there are more around, lower price, standardized parts with Audi, etc.

 

+1

 

Both are so different and the badge is all they share in common. The Diablo is 100% Lamborghini, and the other is an Audi with the same badge.
I've owned 3 early Diablos and I would never trade up to anything past the 6.0. To me they are much simpler to use, work on, and reliability is excellent providing you pay for the right one and not one of those $75K Ebay Diablos. They are rare due to the low production numbers for each series, around 200 per year for the 10 year production run, so when you consider all the 2WD, VT's, SE's and 6.0's, etc, that's not a lot. Excellent investment as you will more than likely get all your money back when it comes time to sell, not so much for the Murcie.

 

Diablo all the way.

 

Never ceases to amaze how old am I


Am I the only one who remembers all that crap about the Diablo being a Chrysler ?

 

If my Diablo is a Chrysler, does this make my Testarossa a Fiat?

 

As a Diablo owner I am obviously biased towards loving the Diablo over just about anything. With that being said I do really like the early Murci. It is a great car and doesn't have too many sensors.

My mechanic (Steve Gleaner at Driven Exotics) really likes the early Murcis and thinks they are great cars. He has a 6.0 Diablo but has raved about how well made the early Murci is. There are obviously more electronics in the early Murci than the Diablo but I don't think it is enough of a difference to consider.

If price is a concern, I could see the early Murci dipping down to around $85-95 in a few years for an occasional deal here or there but I don't see the Diablos getting much lower. Maybe the later ones may come down a hair still (5% or so) but the early 2wd and VT and Roadsters are probably at rock bottom.

I think you'd be happy with either car and now is definitely the time to buy.

 

They really are very different cars. The Diablo is more raw. It is more of an event to drive, and the look of the Diablo is more exotic to me. The Murci has softened lines and looks more modern and tame than the Diablo, just like the Diablo looks more modern and tame than the Countach it replaced. That is the nature of car model development at the bean counters try to find ways to sell more and more, and must find a way to appeal to a broader customer base. I am glad the Aventador broke that trend. The Diablo will get more looks. The Murci will be more comfortable. It is roomier inside, and has better ergonomics. You can drive a Murci as a daily driver.....not so much the Diablo. The performance is not that different, as the higher horsepower of the Murci is offset by its greater bulk and weight. They are both great cars....just very different and I don't see many people cross shopping them because the differences in personality are quite large. One has to choose: Do you want a thrill, but one that you will tire of without long breaks? Or do you want less of a thrill, but a more comfortable/less tiring experience?

 

Which one trips your trigger?

 

Diablos are tight inside... for the driver anyway. More room in my countach, at least for
my build. Go sit and drive each and buy the most comfortable one for YOU.

 

THe cars are literally night and day different. Having made the jump from my 99 Diablo and also a 2001 Diablo 6.0 to my now third Murcie, I can tell you the difference is noticeable and you should consider what EXACTLY you're looking to accomplish when trying to decide on one or the other.

The Diablo, I had a 99 VT Coupe and 01 6.0...I've driven a TON of Diablos over the years as well and can tell you that nothing really compares to the Diablo. You get feedback from the car, I think it's a pretty comfortable car with the exception of bonking your head on the door frame as the cabin is a little cramped. The sound of the 5.7/6.0 is different than that of the 6.2 in the Murcie. NOTHING looks as sexy or aggressive as the 6.0 coming down the road...a TRUE show stopper and EVERYONE knows what it is...never once heard anyone ask who made the Diablo, almost went without saying.

The Murcie is a car that is almost too refined, this extends into the 640 as well. You get some feedback from the car but it's very easy to over drive the car. The gated shifter is smooth and you almost have to TRY to miss a shift, something I think is part of the appeal of an Italian supercar, a gated shifter that requires a little finesse and skill to operate smoothly. Cabin space is bigger in the Murcie. I personally feel as though the gauges are very plain in the Murcie, almost like they said, "oh yeah, we need those" and put them in. The 640 went too far with the gauge design, leaning more towards the aviation theme or adding so many lines on the gauges themselves you think there are a dozen stop watches in the dash. 640 is a little more comfortable than the early Murcies. Gearing is different in the 640's so they tend to have a little longer legs and are seemingly a little quicker off the line. Hp and torque overall is pretty close in numbers between the early Murcies and the 640's though.

Both have their appeal and both have their faults...only you know what appeals to your senses the most...if investment potential is what you're leaning towards, 99-01 Diablo all day every day. The Murcie is a reliable car that you can drive every day if you wanted...I still miss my Diablos if that says anything.

Best of luck in your search for the right answer.

 

I don't think the early Murcielago's have standardized parts with Audi, maybe Gallardo's do.

 

Why is that? Specifically why is a Murci a daily driver when a Diablo isn't?

And I'm not trying to start an argument, I'm really curious what the opinion is ...

-mick

 

My Diablo is an easy DD..i enjoy driving it quite a bit..as a matter of fact, the doors or a bit lighter and qay easier to push up open or pull down to close..

 

Very well said. Our 99 SV (thanks to Roy) is the best of both worlds. It provides a lot of the feedback of a vintage car with most of the comforts of a more recent supercar. My only complaint so far - the car has a huge ass! Its the only way to say it. The wedge shape of the body makes backing and maneuvering a little tricky, and of course no rearview camera.

Haven't driven a Murcie, but have spent lots of time with a Gallardo and it almost feels plush by comparison.

 

You can cure that problem by purchasing a Diablo GT

 

I think both are roomy around the waste and torso. Diablo smaller in the footbox and around the head as the side curves in more toward your head on the Diablo. My head rubs on the roof beam on a Diablo, just like on a Countach, but not on the Murci.

 

I many a time get asked..of all my Lambos...which one would you keep if you could only keep one...??

With out hesitation, my rapid respnse is.

my 2001 Diablo 6.0 HANDS DOWN..

 

I've had my 99 VT Alpine Edition for about 7 years now and you would have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands. As Victor stated, it is absolutely an event every time I take it out.

It has been completely reliable - in 7,000 miles the only thing it has needed outside of routine maintenance was the front lifting shocks rebuilt last year. Contrast this to my 98 F355 spider which has needed just about everything looked at over 10 years of ownership. Build quality in the Diablo is excellent - shames the Ferrari in my opinion.

I am 6'3" and about 225 lbs and I fit in it without discomfort - I couldn't wear a helmet, but no other ergonomic complaints. In a hard right corner my head will contact the upper door frame, but not unpleasantly. I grew up with a C4 Corvette, so I actually like the snug "cockpit" like feel. I am a size 13EEE shoe, though, so this is the only one of my cars where I truly have to wear driving shoes to keep my foot from getting stuck behind the brake pedal when I floor it. Feels a little pretentious but solves the problem.

I see no reason why it couldn't be a DD - it is comfortable, has much better visibility than the magazines ever said, good A/C and very tractable around town. About the only downside is the insane attention every time you stop and the ridiculous amount of time it takes to fill the gas tank since the funny bend in the filler hose means you have to pump at a slow trickle. The later cars with the adjustable suspension ride pretty nicely in all situations.

Barring any personal financial disaster I wouldn't try to sell it, but its value has held at about what I paid for it for 7 years. Again, contrast that with my F355 spider which has sunk like a stone.

I never looked at the Murci because the styling just fell flat for me. I'm sure it is improved in many ways, but as Victor said, the rawness and exoticness of the Diablo are what I wanted. To me, the Murci's cockroach styling always said "How Germans Would do A Lamborghini." Same with the Gallardo - I appreciate the performance but in my opinion their styling never justified the Lamborghini name. I like that the Aventador has brought that back.

The good news is that there's no bad choice in buying a Lamborghini, but given the same choice today I would get the Diablo again.

 

Which number Alpine Car do you have? My friend in town here owns #4/12. Electric blue over cream.