and a tune-up..



$8,200 for oil change, tune-up

DON RETSON
CanWest News Service
March 16, 2005

Dan Echino is one person you won't hear fretting about the potential for climate change from global warming.

Echino owns a V-12-powered Lamborghini Murcielago convertible. The 2005 vehicle cost him $535,000, including GST, though Echino's biggest gripe is Alberta's too-short summers, not the half-million he paid for the eye-popping two-seater.

"I'm not complaining about global warming," Echino said during a recent interview. "Our summers are too short in Alberta."

Echino's fabulous yellow roadster was part of a display of Ferraris and Lamborghinis at the recent Edmonton Motorshow.

Joining him at the show was good friend Tom Goodchild of Edmonton, who last April bought Echino's 2002 Lamborghini Murcielago.

Goodchild preferred not to disclose the sale price, saying he's still coming to grips with paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a vehicle most of us can only dream about.

But the two men spoke candidly of some of the joys and pitfalls of being members of such an exclusive club.

With an engine that packs 580 horsepower, 20-inch-wide tires and is very low to the ground, Goodchild deadpans that traction isn't a problem with his all-wheel drive vehicle.

"My car (goes) zero to 60 miles an hour in 3.6 seconds," he says matter of factly.

Costly breakdowns? Goodchild says he has never been in the situation of hearing funny noises when cruising 1,000 kilometres from the nearest specialty car shop.

It's not the sort of car that breaks down a lot, says the restaurateur.

"These cars are such finely tuned engines that it's rare to have any problems," agrees Echino, the president of a Lloydminster, Alta., petroleum service company, who also owns a 1999 Diablo Roadster.

But maintenance costs aren't for the faint of heart.

For example, because his 2002 Murcielago is still under warranty, Goodchild needed to have it serviced in Vancouver, one of only two Lamborghini dealers in Canada.

An oil change and tune-up cost him $8,200. New spark plugs cost $980. For a simple oil change, he now takes his Murcielago to ZR Auto in Calgary.

"Tuning a Lamborghini is like tuning an airplane engine," explains Goodchild, who says your average mechanic wouldn't try to tune such an exotic vehicle. With a deductible that's five per cent of the value of the car, inviting a buddy to get behind the wheel is out of the question, both men agree.

Echino admits it can be hard to keep within the posted speed limit when cruising along.

So, how fast has he cranked up either of his Lamborghinis? Echino joked that he'd get thrown in jail if he answered, then added that he once opened up on a racetrack at 305 kilometres per hour.

As for the risk of theft, Goodchild notes that the Lamborghini is so unique that it tends to attract a crowd wherever it's parked. Having people around deters would-be thieves.

Goodchild recalls a trip to Vancouver last summer with two fellow Lamborghini owners.

"Every time we stopped at a service station to fill up with gas, immediately there's 30 or 40 people around all the cars. It was quite something."

Edmonton Journal


http://www.canada.com/montreal/montr...9-4e51054cbfaa

Umm, does everybody know that you can use an NGK D9EV spark plug for these things? About $9 each at the Jet Ski/Motorcycle shop.

They rape you...because they can.

__________________
Current rides:
01 Diablo 6.0 VT
04 CLK500

Previous Adventures:
02 "UBER M3" Widebody (show car)
98 Diablo SV Monterey Edition, #8 of 20
03 Porsche 996TT
99 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec
94 Supra TT widebody(850hp)
94 Supra single turbo (yes, the actual orange one from TF & TF)

I dont know why this guy is lying and making lambos look bad - my 02's full service with oil change wasnt near $2500 - alot of these idiots just try to sound big becuase they want to pump them selveles up as if achieveing owning a roadster isnt enough

You hit the nail on the head YELLOW MURCIE!!!!!!!!!

I CALL BS on the bill, I want to see it...........I did not even pay the amount to PULL the motor and put a NEW clutch in my 01 SE............B>S>!!!!

He just wants to justify the over paid price he paid for his roadster.............


PS Mine should be here with-in three to four weeks.........I also only paid MSRP LESS 10K when I got it......PERIOD!

__________________
If you want to just look at it, buy a poster, otherwise drive like they were built to be driven!

1-866-LAMBORGHINI

www.catsexotics.com

Don't forget- that's $8200 in Canuckistan money- about $19.99 USD!

__________________
Ron
Current Sports Cars:
2004 Gallardo
2004 996 GT3
1999 Viper GTS
1997 993TT
1994 965 Turbo 3.6
1978 930
1972 916
1970 914-6

This is exactly why there are too many misconceptions about our cars. I can just hear it now, one guy will approach me and ask if I pay $8k for tune up.

__________________
Raymond

Im willing to bet he included the cost of tranporting the car through the rocky mountains to Vancouver in his 8200 . Which by the way today is equal to 6,833.90 hahah.

Inclosed shipping to Vancouver from Calgary is less than $500 (CAD)

That bill may be inflated, but what you have to realize is that prices in Canada vs. US are quite different. A new murcie is $410 000MSRP in Canada. They typically will sell for near or about msrp as there are not that many in the country.
I don't think $535 000 CDN after tax (7% if purchased in Alberta, 14% almost everywhere else in Canada) is that high really. 410 000 x 1.14 = 467 400 plus luxury tax, and whatever other fees. add to that the premium of the roadster (wich is not parallel to the US market. the fact that you got yours for less than MSRP means nothing in other countries.) and that seems about right.
They are not cheap cars anywhere, but they are alot more "affordable" in the US.


In regards to the $500 shipping cost for a murcie from calgary to van city. I dont think thats accurate. i could see being able to ship a car for that, but i would imagine that insuring a car like that would cost a fair bit more. Although I don't actually know that for a fact.

My 2500km tune up will be in July. I will make a note to ask the service manager how much a tune up will cost me for my Murcie.