The legendary Los Angeles Lakers have symbolized a car gift for his teammate, and his wife is…
The renowned American basketball player Kobe Bryant was well-known for his passion for exotic cars. The NBA star amassed a sizable auto collection over his lifetime that demonstrated his taste for elegance, speed, and luxury. One of the most well-known vehicles in his collection was a Lamborghini Murciélago from the first production run.
Whether it’s the iconic wedge shape that has come to represent Lamborghinis or the V12 engine that roars in the middle, the flagship Italian supercar is one of the most amazing vehicles to have been sold in recent memory.
That being said, Kobe’s Murciélago was marginally more unique than any other Lamborghini produced between 2001 and 2010. Being the first Murciélago with an automatic transmission, it held a unique distinction. Kobe’s Lamborghini’s backstory is equally fascinating as the supercar itself!
The love tale of Kobe and Vanessa Bryant is a well-known and enduring one. In 1999, she was 17 and he was 21 when they first met. After six months, they got engaged and were soon to be married. They remained wed until 2020, when Kobe tragically perished in a helicopter accident. The well-known basketball player reportedly wanted to purchase Vanessa a unique gift for her 19th birthday back in 2001.
See also: Lamborghini introduces the Autentica and Invencible, two unique supercars that signal the end of the company’s production of V12 engines.
He made the decision to purchase her a brand-new Lamborghini Murciélago, one of the most extreme exotic vehicles available at the moment. One vital piece of information, which the Black Mamba was unaware of, was that his girlfriend was incapable of operating a stick shift. The flagship supercar from Lamborghini was only offered with a manual gearbox and gated shifter when it first went on sale.
Kobe chose to take inspiration from his legendary NBA player and Los Angeles Lakers teammate Shaquille O’Neal, who had to have a Ferrari extensively modified to fit his massive 7-foot-2 stature inside the cabin in order to ensure the love of his life could enjoy her special birthday present. MotorBiscuit claims that Kobe sent the Lambo to Exclusive Motors, located close to Century City in Los Angeles, so that an automatic transmission could be installed.
Although not much is known about the modifications made to Kobe’s Lamborghini, Dub magazine was able to speak with someone who was involved in the conversion. It resembles a semi-automatic transmission in essence. Speaking to Dub magazine, the individual said, “You just use the shift lever and then gas the pedal.”
