Watching a $350K Lamborghini Murciélago Get Destroyed Is the Worst Holiday Gift

lamborghini murcielago destroyed
An (intact) Lamborghini Murciélago | Lamborghini
An (intact) Lamborghini Murciélago | Lamborghini

Alas, poor Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640, we knew it well.

One fine specimen of the rare Italian thoroughbred supercar was smashed to pieces by Taiwan authorities wielding a giant metal claw. As if the mere knowledge of such an incident wasn't enough to bring tears to the eyes of gearheads around the world, we live in the age of the Internet, and there is video, because of course there is.

Look on these works, ye car lovers, and despair. Once it starts, you can't look away.

click to play video
Jesse Yao/YouTube

Why would anyone commit such an atrocity against such an innocent beauty, you ask? Per The Sun, the car's owner was stopped and caught with fake license plates in Taiwan after he illegally imported it. It was impounded and despite appeals, he couldn't prevent its destruction. Taiwanese law states that it cannot be resold, so it had to be totaled.

No matter how you shred it, it's a damn shame. The supercar is named Murciélago (Spanish for "bat") after a famous fighting bull that survived 90 sword strokes. It cost £280,000 (about $350,00) and was only produced between 2001 and 2010, with a run of 4,099 models built.

This bat will never fly again.

Eric Vilas-Boas has never driven a Lamborghini Murcielago, but it was his car of choice whenever he played Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 more than a decade ago. Track his nervous breakdown at @e_vb_.