With the new Lamborghini flagship soon to arrive, I thought I would pose a question that I have wondered about the outgoing Murcielago. I have asked this question of a few others in the past, and no one as of yet has had a definitive answer. With the number of obviously very informed members here I wonder if we will find the answer?

Here it is: Since the new worldwide VIN format came into use in 1981, Lamborghini has used the 4th digit of its VINs to indicate the car model line. The first letter of the model name became the fourth letter of those cars' VINs. Thus, Countaches used C, Jalpa = J, LM series = L, Diablo = D, (although Diablo Roadsters used R), Gallardo = G.

However, all Murcielagos have VINs with a 4th digit of B! This leads me to believe that the Murcielago was orignially supposed to be called something else, and it was decided to change it to Murcielago at the last minute.

Does anybody have any insider / historical insight? Or am I just reading too much into it? What's the "lost" Lamborghini nameplate?