2010 Lamborghini Gallardo Reviews

Life with a Lamborghini is like having something alien and alive under your skin. Every move it makes is felt in your body. Its exhaust and engine noises shout and bark and roar in your ears like getting nagged on a bad day by the mother-in-law of your nightmares.Through a layer of Alcantara, there are subtle vibrations from the steering wheel and seat that tingles the fingertips and your butt. A variation on a Thai massage. Vision is blurry because the vehicle picks up speed and changes direction at a pace that initially shocks the brain. Think absinthe in a pint glass.Then there's the squashing. First the car's acceleration will crush you in the seat and then the corners will press against your hips and head, pulling your arms to be free of the steering wheel and your legs off the pedals. World Wrestling Entertainment in your bedroom.VALUEYou've got to be kidding.TECHNOLOGYTechnology costs. This is about $550,000 to buy and register so you get lots of carbon fibre(body and cabin), aluminium (chassis and body), Alcantara and leather (cabin) and forged alloy (wheels). The V10 engine now has direct-petrol injection for an instant hit. Fuel consumption is decreased, now 13.5 litres/100km average down from 17 l/100km.The 5.2-litre V10 pushes 419kW at a glorious 8000rpm and torque of 540Nm at 6500rpm. The extra 7kW over the LP560-4 is achieved primarily by remapping the engine management system.The six-speed automated manual e-gear transmission is now improved. Which is like saying being run over by a truck is much better today than 20 years ago thanks to advancements in tyre design. The original e-gear fitted to the Murcielago was a harsh and jerky affair that made you look bad in front of your mates. The new one is much smoother. The LP570-4's e-gear is operated only by the steering wheel paddles - but of more interest is the choice of full automatic, Sport and Corsa.Basically, the auto is for getting to the shops, Sport is for making it to work on time and Corsa is there to put a big grin on your face on the way home.The all-wheel drive uses a central viscous coupling and a 45 per cent rear LSD. Normally, power is channelled at the ratio of 30:70 front to rear and hit the ground via Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres - 235/35ZR19 at the front and 295/30ZR19 at the rear - mounted on forged alloy wheels with titanium bolts.The wheels save a total of 13kg over the LP560-4. Every gram helps.The chassis is aluminium spaceframe with an aluminium and carbon fibre skin. In comparison with the LP560-4, only a liberal use of carbon fibre in the cabin shows the Superleggera has been designed to shave weight in order to get there faster.Carbon fibre is also used for the engine cover, bumper panels, spoilers and wing mirror housings. The rear spoiler, which is the easiest way of identifying the Superleggera, is actually a $15,000 option. All of the four cars already sold in Perth have this carbon-fibre wing.Carbon fibre is important in creating this coupe's character. The material is responsible for 40kg of the 70kg weight saving. The seats are covered in lightweight Alcantara instead of leather, however the car retains airconditioning and electric windows. The rear window and side glass are made of polycarbonate, as is the window over the engine bay.DRIVINGThe LP570-4 is making animal noises as it brakes and pitches and accelerates around the Wanneroo V8 Supercar circuit. Fresh from Italy and unlicensed for the road, the Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera enjoys stretching its legs after such a long plane flight and revels in the warm air and empty track.At 1340kg, the Superleggera - simply, lightweight - is 70kg lighter than the LP560-4 coupe on which it is based and is the lightest road-going model in Lamborghini's range. Light is quick is economical is (more) environmentally friendly.It has a 0-100km/h time of 3.4 seconds and clearly - and unashamedly - is designed to match the Ferrari 455 in acceleration. More startling, however, is its 0-200km/h blast of 10.2 seconds and its top of 325km/h.All this technical data goes out the polycarbonate window, replaced with the need to concentrate so hard to ensure it tracks neat and smooth around the circuit. Thanks to the e-gear automated manual, it's not particularly hard to drive. But it is particularly hard to perfect the corners while getting used to its width and the razor-sharp response of the engine.Start the circuit in the transmission's "automatic" mode, build confidence and switch on the run to Sport, and then, a lap later, press the centre console's Corsa button. Which is like riding a feral beast and then stabbing in the neck. Pull on the right-hand steering wheel paddle and the car jumps sharply, the next cog rammed in and the engine howl drops an octave or two.Up two more for the straight, down one, then two for the right-hander. The ratios plunge instantly and the tail gives a little squirm, the steering wheel turns slightly and the back settles for the corner. It seems to know what to do and even pretends to become friendly.If it didn't cost half a million dollars and didn't have the fuse-lit explosion of 419kW hanging over the driver's head, it could be a fun car. Which is why - unlike many of its peers - you can flick the Gallardo's engine mapping switch back to automatic mode and, literally, go shopping.Lamborghini last year has a similar track day when the limited-edition two-wheel drive Valentino Balboni model, plus a LP560-4, came to Perth.I was more enthusiastic about the Balboni, with the 40kg weight saving of the front drive mechanicals creating a coupe that boasted lighter and more responsive steering and far less understeer than the all-wheel drive model.Despite sharing drivetrains, the Superleggera's weight loss has removed that hint of understeer and made it feel as nimble, confident and as easy to drive as the Balboni. Plus, of course, it has all-wheel drive for particularly slippery conditions.OTHER MODELSAlso shown on the track day - but not driven - is the LP550-2, the car that evolved from the limited edition Valentino Balboni car that celebrated its former works driver with a lightweight, rear-drive chassis. It is identical to the 250 Balboni cars save for the lack of the trademark centre-body stripe and identification badges.The LP550-2 weighs 1380kg, runs 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds to top 320km/h, has 405kW and 540Nm and averages 13.3 l/100km. It's also about $140,000 cheaper. Lamborghini sells four Gallardo models in Australia - LP560-4 coupe and Spyder; new LP370-4 Superleggera; and the LP550-2.The Murcielago has stopped production and its replacement, the sub-3 second 0-100km/h Jota, is expected early next year.PRICINGThe Superleggera is $541,500 (add $27,204 for e-gear) and the LP550-2 is $399,990.VERDICTLousy visibility in traffic and a price tag Olympic/Commonwealth gold medallist Steve Hooker couldn't pole vault over fail to dent the allure of its tremendous performance.LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO LP570-4 SUPERLEGGERAOrigin: ItalyPrice: from $541,500Engine: 5.2-litre, V10Power: 419kW @ 8000rpmTorque: 540Nm @ 6500rpm0-100km/h: 3.4 secondsTop speed: 325km/hFuel: Premium unleadedFuel tank: 90 litresEconomy (official): 13.5 litres/100kmGreenhouse: 319g/km (Corolla: 175g/km)Transmission: 6-speed e-gear automated manual, sequential, paddle shifters; constant 4WDBrakes: 4-wheel vented discs, 8/4-pot front/rear calipersSuspension: Front/rear _ double wishbones, coilsWheels: 19-inch alloyTyres: Front  235/35ZR19; Rear  295/30ZR19; no spareLength: 4386mmWidth: 1900mmHeight: 1165mmWheelbase: 2560mmWeight: 1340kg

In Italian, superleggra means super lightweight. In the case of the Lamborghini Gallardo, it means a lot more. The latest LP570-4 coupe is lighter than before, and it also has an extra seven kiloWatts in the engine room, but the superleggera is really about sharpening one of the sharpest supercars in the world today.Lamborghini is also using the Gallardo Superleggera as a demonstration of its commitment to stripping excess bulk out of its cars, both now and in the future.“Lamborghini used to be known for having very lightweight vehicles with powerful propulsion systems. I think we lost that over the course of the years and we have to get back to that," says Lamborghini’s design boss, Manfred Fitzgerald.PRICING AND MARKETThe Superleggera still comes with a hefty pricetag, as an 18 per cent price hike in Europe points to a bottom line in the $560,000 region in Australia. Although Lamborghini won't admit it, the timing of the Gallardo Superleggera's launch is ideal for it to compete with the recent release of Ferrari's all-new 458 Italia.The Superleggera is 40kg lighter than the Ferrari, despite the Gallardo’s age, so it seems Lamborghini's work really is worthy of credit. Besides, as a racetrack weapon, the new Superleggera is the best Gallardo yet.Lamborghini is so dedicated to weight-loss work it entered a partnership with the University of Washington, a global pioneer in the research and development of carbonfibre technology including work with Boeing on its new 787 Dreamliner. Fitzgerald insists the partnership will allow Lamborghini to revolutionise the use of carbonfibre in its cars."We've learned over the past couple of years how to better understand the material of carbonfibre, which will be playing a key role in lightweight construction and manufacturing," he says. "Up until today, it was always the same method of having asthetic parts done in carbonfibre, but it will become more and more crucial to have this material also going into structural parts. For us it is a key factor of giving the customers – the drivers – added value. That comes from giving them enhanced driving dynamics, and this you can only do by reducing the weight of the vehicle."Of the 70kg stripped out of the LP570-4 Superleggera, 40kg is thanks to the extensive use of carbonfibre inside the cockpit, in the engine cover, door sills, exterior mirrors and the re-designed diffuser. The F1-style rear diffuser, in combination with a covered underbody, also helps the Superleggera generate around 50 percent more downforce for high-speed cornering.DRIVINGAcceleration is fearsome, repeatedly reaching 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds, thanks to a special launch control program, and bounding to 200km/h in only 10.2sec, before hitting its top speed of 325km/h. It's the kind of performance that will earn you more police attention than Lewis Hamilton's Benz burnout.At the heart of the Superleggera is an all-alloy, direct-injected 5.2-litre V10 engine that develops 419kW at a stratospheric 8000 revs, and produces a hefty torque figure of 540Nm at 6500. As those stats suggest, the engine’s best work is done at high revs, lacking the bottom-to-midrange grunt that many modern forced-induction engines deliver. But that only validates your urge to mash the throttle, just to hear the beast rage as it approaches the upper reaches of its rev range.The Lamborghini’s sensational acoustics – a deep, rich undertone overlaid by a high-pitched animalistic wail – is a consequence of the engine’s dual-plane crankshaft, where opposing pistons share a common bearing in this crankshaft design. The suspension has been stiffened significantly with a 20 percent increase in damper firmness and new suspension bushes that are 90 percent stiffer.The harsh difference in the Superleggera's suspension is immediately obvious, even before reaching the end of pitlane at the Spanish Monteblanco circuit where the car was launched to the world’s media. It doesn't offer Grand Touring ability of the LP560-4 Coupe, but that’s because the Superleggera was crafted for racetrack prowess... and it delivers.The lighter, stiffer Superleggera is a much more focussed track car than the LP560-4. Even though the suspension is rock-hard, it’s well-damped for the racetrack and - with the additional downforce - creates a sense of stability through super-fast sections of the track, where you’re quickly grabbing each gear through the six-speed sequential manual’s column-mounted paddle shifters. The stiffer bushings also ensure that there’s no slack in the suspension, and accordingly, the Superleggera responds swiftly to steering inputs. Turn-in is sharper, with hardly any discernible body roll.But for all its confident racetrack ability, there's still plenty of mongrel left in this car. Lift off the throttle mid-corner or fail to get the car's weight settled squarely before you punish the powerful ceramic brakes, and the weight of the mid-mounted engine will cause the rear of the car to dance around, requiring subtle steering corrections.The ESP Sport program is well-calibrated, and allows the all-wheel drive system's 30/70 front-to-rear torque split to slide the tail when you’re powering out of tight corners. But its emphasis on reducing weight as a means of enhancing the driving experience has a second benefit: improved fuel efficiency, which is becoming increasingly important, even for supercar manufacturers.The Superleggera returns a combined EU fuel economy figure of just 13.5L/100km, which is commendable for a car with its performance potential and proves that innovation like Lamborghini’s will ensure that the supercar has a future. Just don't count on them getting any cheaper.Lamborghini Gallardo SuperleggeraPrice: estimated $560,000On sale: second half 2010Engine: 5.2-litre V10Output: 419kW/540NmTransmission: six-speed robotised manual, all-wheel-driveEconomy: 13.5L/100kmEmissions: 319g/km CO2RIVALSFerrari F458, estimated $450,000Porsche 911 Turbo, $386,200Maserati GTS, $318,500