Lamborghini Faceoff (Murcielago LP640 & Gallardo Superleggera) – Maisto

Lamborghinis have been a brand which is a dream to most of the enthusiastic drivers and exotic car collectors, the same is applicable to diecast collectors too. The Murcielago is the first 1:18 scale diecast model to hit my collection and the best Lamborghini in my whole collection. This idea of having a faceoff sparked because most of my friends who visit me always confuse between them as they are in a same color, sale and ofcourse Lamborghinis.

Lets start the faceoff with an official introduction, first the Murcielago which is a high-performance two-door mid engine sports car, introduced as a coupé in 2002 model year succeeding the famed Diablo. The car was a first new design in eleven years, as well as the first under the ownership of Volkswagen. The name Murcielago was derived from a fighting bull that survived 28 sword strokes in an 1879 fight against Rafael “El Lagartijo” Molina Sanchez, at the Coso de los califas bullring in Córdoba, Spain. The first generation Murcielago are powered by 6.2 liter V12 engine produced only 580ps (572bhp) and later (LP 640) upgraded with 6.5liter V12 which produced 640ps (631bhp) of power.

The Gallardo also known as the baby Lamborghini was introduced in 2003. The Gallardo is named after a famous breed of fighting bull which also means “gallant” in Spanish. It is also a four-wheel drive, mid-engined sports car which is the most-produced model to date, with over 10,000 built in its first seven years of production. A lighter version of Gallardo was unveiled in 2007 Geneva Auto Show dubbed the Superleggera (super light) in preparation for the next Ferrari 430 Scuderia. The Superleggera is lighter than the base Gallardo by 100 kg via the use of carbon fibers and titanium, its engine pumps out 10ps more at 530ps and comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox as a standard. During its two year production life, 172 were produced out of which 46 were orange.

Face and Stance:
As both the cars are made by a same diecaster (Maisto) we expected a similar look and finish, but its not. The Murcielago though 2yrs old stands bold and has better finished details though the Gallardo sports better headlamps and decent black alloys kicks in some punch. Gallardo is taller and narrower than its counterparts making it a little compact.

Dimension and Case Presence:
Both the cars are well scaled and the body is well crafted too. The Gallardo’s compactness gives it a smallish feel but is almost the same size as the Murcielago. Under spotlight the Murcielago looks a little dull and looses the actual eye grabber quality, Gallardo on the other hand shines under lights thanks to the glossy paint finish and clear electricals.

Features and Interior:
Murcielago is a clear winner here as it sports a traditional scissor door, cleaner bodylines, better steering turn, much better interior detailing. The scissor door hinge is innovative and does the duty well without spoiling the aesthetics of the car even when the doors are opened. The smoked glasses are replicated nicely and rear view mirror in deep glossy black is a cool touch.

The interiors are kind of plasticky but nice in term of texture and contour. Addition of chrome for interior adds up class especially on the gearshift housing and air con vents. The paddles for gearshifts are provided but they are almost double the size of what it is supposed to be.

The Gallardo which is also an equally competent contented comes with all the features but the wow factor is missing. The doors open but to a very small degree that disappoints the display freaks as this pull no eyes. The front cover for the crash cage/luggage bin is nice and opens up tall to reveal the plain and neat bin underneath it.

Interiors though plasticky is very detailed and it’s the all black finish make him loss to Murcielago. If the Murcielago’s paddle shifters are huge this guys shifters are tiny and almost invisible. The steering wheel is smarter and the four point seat belts add no value, as they are chunky and hide almost the full seats.

Engine Bay Treatment:
Both the cars are mid-engined and the rear hatch opens high to unveil the monstrous motors. Murcielago takes the cake again as the engine details are far more superior to the Gallardo engine bay. Murcielago even has a small engine badge which reads “V12 6.5L” which is readable even at 5mm x 5mm in dimension.

Rear-end and Tail lamps:
The game doesn’t moves to Gallardo even with the engine hatch shut, the carbon fiber get some points to it but the Murcielago’s irresistible tail lamp and thanks to the translucent material, craftsmanship and keen design observation of the diecaster. The chrome tipped twin exhausts in Gallardo is cool but lacks that punch which Murcielago packs, adding bit of sporty appeal to the rear end. Fancy license plates on both the model are nice.

Verdict:
The older models of Maistos are better than the newer model may be due to outsourcing, cost cutting or maybe even due to overhead costs going up. But Maisto bewares because other brands like Welly and Motomax are ramping up to compete and their offering are getting better with every new release.

Overall the big daddy wins this diecast faceoff but I still love the front end of the Gallardo for its clear lens headlamp and those gorgeous black alloys who is also camera friendly. But the instant love for the rear end of the Murcielago is also visible in photograph compiling.