As far as problems go, it’s a nice one to have. You already build the most brutish supercar in the world: one that owners love because there is nothing quite like it; and a car that enthusiasts adore because it is as raucous as it is refined. However, both owners and motoring journalists desire more — so you duly deliver.

Lamborghini’s new Murciélago LP650-4 Roadster is a brilliant object lesson in how to not fade away. The Murciélago has been with us since 2001, and its replacement model will probably break cover in about a year’s time. Between now and then, we’re likely to see a number of “special edition” — models that aim to keep the car fresh and buyers queuing. And the LP650-4 Roadster is one of the very latest.

Lord, what phenomenal ingredients the LP650-4 has to work with. When the menacing Murciélago was first launched, it arrived with the full complement of supercar must-haves.

These included a V12 engine with 571bhp, doors that scissored upwards, a clever four-wheel-drive chassis that promised not to throw drivers into the scenery, 0-62mph in less than 4sec and a top speed in excess of 200mph.

Over the years, the Murciélago has been gently tweaked, and was recently pumped with power to 661bhp in another special edition, the LP670-4 SuperVeloce (unless you work for Lamborghini, there’s little hope of you keeping up with the naming system). That car appeared at this year’s Geneva motor show, its job to keep the petrolhead world talking about Lamborghini. It worked.

You just know that this new roadster will do the same. The LP650-4 isn’t far behind the SuperVeloce in the power stakes, what with its 641bhp and big 487 lb ft of torque, but this version isn’t so much about outright oh-my-God horsepower as it is about kerb impact. No, not ruining your alloys, but making a style statement that, whatever you think of it, is impossible to ignore.

Lamborghini says that it will build a total of only 50 LP650-4 Roadsters for the worldwide market, with a handful of right-hand-drive cars coming to the UK. It’ll certainly feel special, with some really neat extrovert touches, such as the transparent engine cover that affords a superb view of that fabulous V12 engine lurking behind the driver’s head.

That said, anybody who thinks this roadster isn’t fast enough with its top speed of 205mph and 0-62mph in 3.4sec really should get an aeroplane instead. An F-18 should do the trick.

The driving experience should remain otherworldly too – that 6.5-litre V12 is one of the greats, with a noise that is pretty much unequalled by anything else out there. It’s a high-revving unit, with maximum power needing 8000rpm, but the aural experience on offer will see roadster drivers going up the dial often. Its transmission is Lamborghini’s familiar six-speed e-gear sequential manual.

And like its less extrovert LP640-4 Roadster sibling, the LP650-4 isn’t much heavier than the Murciélago coupé, which you’d expect of an open car. There is plenty of carbon-fibre bracing around the engine, which is intended to compensate for the structural stiffness lost by removing the roof. The regular LP640-4 will give the occasional shudder if a wheel drops into a pothole, but it doesn’t really corrupt the dynamic experience. And besides, having less body structure between you and the source of that V12’s pulse-racing sound is a real bonus.

Like the exterior’s design tweaks, the interior is also unique to the roadster, with an interesting asymmetric dashboard treatment — on the driver’s side the dash is finished in Alcantara, while the passenger side gets black leather. Other niceties include a reversing camera — backing up a Murciélago without this is a terrifying notion — and navigation system.

To mirror the exterior colour scheme, there are also splashes of orange around the cabin. The brake callipers are painted the same searing hue too, so if you like the car but aren’t a fan of orange, you’ll need to get over it.

I did. I reckon the LP650-4 Roadster looks fantastic in this colour scheme, although I’m not sure how I’d feel about tooling around London without a roof in a car that onlookers are likely to love or resent in equal measure. (Lamborghini says there isn’t a hood of any description, so there’s no hiding.)

One thing is for sure: introverts won’t be buying this car. For those who can stand the attention, orders can be taken for the LP650-4 at dealers right now, with deliveries later this summer. Lamborghini hasn’t confirmed a price yet, but it’s likely to be a 10% premium over the regular LP640-4 Roadster — or about £260,000. That’s a lot, but with only 50 to shift worldwide, I doubt Lamborghini will struggle.

Hot Wheels Specs

ENGINE 6496cc, 12 cylinders
POWER 487 lb ft @ 6000rpm
TRANSMISSION Six-speed sequential manual
FUEL/CO2 13.3mpg / 495g/km
ACCELERATION 0-62mph: 3.4sec
TOP SPEED 205mph
PRICE £260,000 (estimated)
TAX BAND G (£400 for a year)
VERDICT A style statement that’ll also blow your socks off
RELEASE DATE Orders taken now for this summer