There’s surely no better way to enjoy a V12 supercar than with a manual gearbox. Heck, the previous owner of this Ferrari 599 went to great lengths (and expense) to ditch the flappy paddle F1 ‘box to a do-it-yourself shifter, and there’s little doubt it was worth the effort. Sure, paddles can still deliver a satisfying click and a sharp swirl of revs on downshifts, but nothing’s quite as satisfying as rev-matching a twelve-cylinder powerhouse with a blip of throttle and swapping cogs yourself.
Not that you’ve got a lot of options to choose from. Ferrari hasn’t made a V12 with a self-service cog-swapper since the aforementioned 599, and although there are plenty of used manual V12 Aston Martins to choose from on PH, they don’t exactly shout about what’s hiding under the bonnet. Gordon Murray will whip something up if you ask nicely, but you’ll need a briefcase with many millions stuff inside to get his attention. So if you’re wanting a modern-ish V12 manual supercar that won’t cost you the Earth or your firstborn child, you’ll probably want to consider a Lamborghini Murcielago. Hardly bottom of the barrel, is it?
Remember when we were all worried about the supercar maker going all soft under Audi ownership? The Murcielago well and truly put paid to those fears when it arrived in 2001, combining a striking Luc Donckerwolke design (which has aged magnificently) with a 6.2-litre naturally aspirated V12. Crucially, however, the Murcielago was offered exclusively with a manual gearbox from the off, with automated ‘boxes not arriving until 2004. According to the internet, in all its wisdom, over 50 per cent of the 1,921 6.2-litre cars pack the six-speed gated manual.
Naturally, that makes them considerably more attainable than pretty much every manual twelve-cylinder Ferrari released post-millennium - yet that doesn’t make them any less special. Particularly one as stunning and as rare as this 40th Anniversary car. Released in 2004 to mark the obvious, the 40th Anniversary Edition is one of the most exclusive Murcielagos in existence and quite possibly the Holy Grail of the early 6.2 cars.
Produced in an ultra-limited batch of just 50 cars (surely 40 would have made more sense), the special edition V12 was available exclusively in Verde Artemis with Grey Anthracite multi-piece wheels and exposed carbon fibre around the fuel filler cap and upper section of the door surrounds. Interior upgrades were kept to a minimum, with cream leather seats with contrasting black bolsters the only notable difference to the base cars, though the V12 on Anniversary cars should sound even sweeter thanks to an upgraded exhaust system. Oh, and of course, they were only ever offered with a glorious gated manual. Sublime.
Indeed, it’s an incredibly special variant of a very special car. It’s not known how many of the original 50 were earmarked for the UK market (an thread suggests it could be as little as three or four), one of which would have been the car we have here, being a right-hooker. It’s no surprise then that the seller’s asking £224,900 for it, which is a decent premium over this ‘normal’ manual Murci at £145,000. But then you wouldn’t get the special paint scheme, the carbon bits and the little plaque with the number 40 on it. For that, and for the right person, it’ll be a price well worth paying.
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