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A rare open-top Lamborghini with a freshly swapped row-your-own gearbox is heading to auction with no reserve — and the bids are already climbing fast. A 2008 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster finished in sinister Nero Aldebaran over a two-tone Nero Perseus and Bianco Polar leather interior has just gone live on Bring a Trailer (Lot #257,893), where it sits at $575,000 with nine days remaining and zero floor to protect the seller.
The Murcielago LP640 was already a pinnacle machine when it launched — a 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 squeezed into a wide-hipped, scissor-doored body that looked like it had been sketched by someone who'd never heard the word "subtle." In LP640 Roadster trim, Lamborghini took that formula and removed the last barrier between driver and the howl of that engine, swapping the fixed roof for a removable soft top that transforms the car into one of the most visceral open-air experiences money can buy. Just 186 Roadsters were built for the 2008 model year globally, making every clean example a genuine collector's piece.
What makes this particular car stand apart from the handful of other LP640 Roadsters that reach the market is the gearbox. The car left Sant'Agata Bolognese equipped with Lamborghini's E-Gear automated single-clutch transmission — a unit that was state of the art in the mid-2000s but has aged poorly alongside modern dual-clutch systems. Someone has done the hard work here: in June 2026, Royalty Exotic Cars completed a full 6-speed manual conversion on this car, incorporating fresh driveline components throughout. A complete 2026 service covering engine oil, coolant, and engine mounts followed. The result is one of the rarest configurations a Murcielago Roadster buyer could hope to find: a proper open-gate, left-foot-out manual in a drop-top V12 Lamborghini.
The specification sheet reads as well as you'd hope. Power comes from the 6.5-liter V12 producing 632 horsepower and 487 lb-ft of torque sent through all four wheels via a limited-slip rear differential. The bodywork wears full paint-protection film applied by the current owner, and 18-inch Hemera wheels sit at all four corners. A Larini exhaust system lets the V12 breathe — and sing — more freely than stock. The car carries the desirable Carbon Package, and a minor 2022 service addressed the door struts, switchgear, and air-conditioning components. At 14,000 miles on the odometer, this is genuinely low-mileage for a car this age, particularly one that has actually been exercised properly.
The Murcielago market has been one of the more compelling collector car stories of recent years. According to Hagerty's valuation data, prices across the Murcielago lineup have risen roughly a third over the past 18 months — driven in large part by surging millennial interest in the model. Hagerty notes that millennials account for approximately 38 percent of the Murcielago buyer pool, nearly twice the average across all classic and collector cars they insure. The Hagerty Valuation Tools peg a 2008 Murcielago LP640 in excellent condition in the range of $600,000–$800,000, with Roadster examples and manual-equipped cars both commanding meaningful premiums over base coupe values. A no-reserve auction with an already-strong bid of $575,000 puts this car squarely in serious territory.
Manual-gearbox Murcielagos are not common in any configuration. From the factory, Lamborghini offered a traditional 6-speed gated manual through most of the model's life before transitioning to the E-Gear unit — and buyers who want the analogue experience now frequently have to seek out conversions like this one. The precedent for what a properly-done manual Murcielago Roadster can achieve at auction is encouraging: comparable cars with similar mileage and desirable specs have cleared $800,000–$1,000,000+ at top auction houses when the configuration is right. This car, with its fresh conversion, full PPF, and desirable open-air body, appears well-positioned to challenge those numbers before the hammer falls on August 18.
Fans of the model at Motorious have covered several standout Murcielago examples over the years — including a yellow 2008 Murcielago that proved just how striking these cars look in brighter hues, a factory press LP650-4 Roadster from Broad Arrow Auctions that highlighted the rarest open-top Murcielago variant, and a 2009 LP640 Roadster that demonstrated the enduring appeal of the convertible body. A 2010 Murcielago LP640-4 Roadster through Broad Arrow further underscored that the market for these cars remains strong across the model's final years. For buyers who missed those opportunities, this BaT listing represents a compelling second chance at one of the most dramatic Italian supercars ever built.
The Murcielago was Lamborghini's flagship from 2001 through 2010, and it served as the car that kept the brand's fire burning after the tumultuous 1990s. Where the Diablo was wild and unruly, the Murcielago brought a measure of usability without surrendering any drama. The LP640 designation — introduced in 2006 — pushed power to 640 CV (hence the name), widened the bodywork, and sharpened the aerodynamics. The Roadster version followed in 2007, and the combination of that wide-body stance, scissor doors, and a V12 soundtrack unfiltered by a roof made it an instant icon. This particular car wears its Nero Aldebaran paint with genuine presence, the dark finish highlighting every crease and aero element Luc Donckerwolke's team designed into the bodywork.
The auction runs through August 18 with no reserve. Full details, gallery photos, and bidding are live on Bring a Trailer.
