Ask people about a car they most associate with Liberty Walk, and the #1 answer is probably going to involve Lamborghini’s name. And with the recent Tokyo Auto Salon 2023 having seen the Japanese body kit specialist unleashing a deliciously long list of novelties, this was also a proper occasion for the tuner to update its Lambo game. Enter the Liberty Walk Lamborghini Murcielago GT Evo, a full-width X full-length widebody of racing inspiration.
Yes, I know, especially if you check out the posterior of the renderings portraying the project (first three images in the gallery below), that taillight transformation may make you think of Grand Theft Auto lookalikes of real cars. But the actual kit is considerably more refined, and I’ll take you through it all below.
This year’s Tokyo event was massive and Liberty Walk delivered the absolute star of the show. That’s the title you get after you drill into the fenders of a Ferrari F40 to install your widebody. Of course, there are plenty of enthusiasts who have a hard time coping with this, and that’s okay. The same goes for Liberty Walk’s Super Silhouette FD Mazda RX-7, by the way.
Given those releases, which are just a part of the offensive, I can see why the specialist brought its second-generation Murcielago widebody (more on this below) to the show unfinished.
The new kit will debut on a reinvented iteration of Daigo Saito’s Murcielago drift car
You see, this Raging Bull-destined aero work will get its own release later this year. That unpainted “grey” Lamborghini Murcielago you see once you go past those rendering in the gallery is a drift car belonging to Japanese athlete Daigo Saito (have you seen his 2JZ-powered drift Challenger?), and it displays the bare aero work. However, before we zoom in on the new aero, allow me to talk drifting history.
This very Italian exotic instantly became famous back in 2015 and I’ll be glad to throw in a pair of refreshers. Here’s the Murcielago, whose factory 6.5L N/A V12 did 650 hp via light mods, doing battle with another impossible drift car in Japan’s D1GP, namely Imamura Yoichi’s Lexus LFA.
Then there was the (closed) street fight held in the country’s Niigata Russian Village. This pitted the RWD-converted Italian exotic, which was backed by Liberty Walk, against a 550 HP 5.0L V-8 Mustang RTR manhandled by Vaughn Gittin Jr.
Yes, the Murcielago is wider—and heavier—than most platforms on the drifting scene, while visibility is another drawback. And that’s why it may or may not return to competition use. One thing is clear, though: once Daigo Saito showcases the new version of the mid-engined slip angle tool, we’ll have a reason to celebrate.
The Murcielago was the first Lambo designed under Audi
For the record, the Murcielago (2001-2010) was the first Lamborghini conceived under Audi stewardship. It enjoyed multiple racing versions and even raced at Le Mans.
Oh, and if you want to buy one in good condition these days, be prepared to spend around a quarter of a million dollars, even though the price can vary quite a bit depending on the exact model, condition and mileage.
Liberty Walk’s new Murcielago GT Evo is an all-out widebody
The popularity that Liberty Walk enjoys today was mostly gained in the 2000s, when founder Wataru Kato upgraded his 1993-kickstarted operations by introducing iconic Lamborghini body kits. This explains the last two images in the gallery, which depict the tuner’s first Murcielago widebody, which features the kind of riveted-on overfenders that are still loved today.
Meanwhile, though, the JDM developer introduced another type of widebody, which takes a page from the motorsport book for a smoother integration of the extra real estate. In fact, to those who are familiar with Liberty Walk’s Aventador GT Evo widebody (check it out below in Tokyo attire), the Murcielago’s new, namesake aero shouldn’t be that alien.
The Aventador kit is offered with multiple material choices—the dry carbon version is priced at a whopping $190,850 (you could almost buy brand new Huracan for the money). However, the Murcielago GT Evo widebody only comes in FRP (fiber-reinforced polymer) and, at $48,000, seems like a bargain by comparison.
The package consists of the front bumper with canards and endurance racing-like fog lights. We can add side skirt extensions, front and rear overfenders and then some. Moving closer to the posterior, we find a roof-mounted air scoop, engine cover with a fin linked to that rear wing, itself connected to the rear overfenders. And we mustn’t overlook the rear bumper with that massive diffuser, the exhaust tips or the polarizing taillight kit.
In 2023, Kato-san, who turned 56 yesterday, decided to get back to his Lamborghini “roots” among other adventures. Sant’Agata Bolognese itself is having a big year, as the Aventador is retired, and its hybridized V12 successor is scheduled for a public reveal in March. Well, I can’t wait to see what Liberty Walk does with the 2024 Lambo.
Update: Here’s the 1,500 hp big turbo Lamborghini Murcielago drift car of Daigo Saito in its final form.
