In the time it takes you to say ‘Welcome to Kevin Haggarthy on Cars' the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 will have travelled from standstill to 62 mph. That’s 3.7 seconds. If that alone isn’t testimony to the fact that we are referring to one of the World’s fastest supercar’s here, its top speed of 202 mph surely must.
Yet the true credibility, and essential DNA of this amazingly sophisticated and truly exclusive machine lies much deeper than acceleration figures and top speed alone. More importantly, the LP560-4 represents the ultimate in modern road car technology, and succeeds in what to many might be the ludicrous proposition of harnessing a humongous 552 bhp of V10 power into both usable, enjoyable, and safe road use.
In the Gallardo LP560-4 we have automotive art and engineering ingenuity, combined with the exotica of Lamborghini – and that means that anywhere in the World this car goes, it will be the subject of wow factor envy and admiration; even the less visually astute will be unable to avoid their thoughts being pleasantly diverted by the deep raucious, hard, and savage sound of its engine. Many a time, you will hear a Lamborghini before you actually see it.
This second generation Lamborghini Gallardo is set to build on the sales reputation of its predecessor as the most successful Lamborghini model ever, having sold some 7,100 Gallardo models since its launch in 2003. In doing so, the LP560-4 is anything but a facelifted and tweaked standard Gallardo - it is virtually an all new car. Stephen Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini claims the LP560-4 “..will outclass its predecessor in every respect”.
engine
And the fact is…….it does; and the greatest testimony to the claim lies in its all new engine, sharing only the number of cylinders with its predecessor. Make no mistake, the Gallardo is improved in just about every single area, but this new engine is by far what the new LP560-4 is really all about. It is indeed a brand new 5.2 litre V10, with an incredible output of 560 PS (552 bhp) at 8,000 rpm. That’s a 40 PS power increase over the previous Gallardo, combined with a 20 kilogram reduction in weight, improving the power to weight ratio over the old car to 2.5 kilogrammes per PS, making the new car significantly faster than the old.
And here’s how fast. It means that the LP560-4 will go from 0-124 mph in 11.8 seconds, that’s about the same time it takes a new 2.0 litre diesel Audi A6 to reach half that speed. The engine has a 5,205 cm3 displacement, creating the 560 PS name tag at 8,000 rpm. We’ve already talked about better top speed and acceleration, yet Sant’ Agatas engineers were still able to achieve a reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by18%.
The LP560’s engine is set longitudinally, or ‘Longitudinale Posteriore’ in Italian, denoting the ‘LP’ designation for the model. Enthusiasts know that a mid-rear engine set up is the optimum for a purist sports car, putting the centre of gravity closer to the rear axis. In the LP560 -4 it results in a near perfect weight distribution, with 43% on the front axle and 57% on the rear.
If you’re curious about the ‘4’ on the model name tag it denotes the fact that the Gallardo has permanent four wheel drive transmission. It’s the best way to tame over 500 bhp on the bends, there is twice as much grip as all four driven wheels will be called upon to earn their keep, not only allowing the keen driver to carry more speed into fast bends, but with a much greater chance of coming out of them safely; the added advantage of being able to apply throttle earlier in the exit from the curve.
Better by design
Yet no Lamborghini would be ‘a Lamborghini’ unless it was drop dead gorgeous to look at. Whilst the LP560-4 is devoid of the wings, spoilers and skirts of predecessors like the Lamborghini Diablos of the past (in fact the Gallardo is nearon modest by comparison) it is by sight and sound every inch an exotic Lamborghini. In stark contrast to the Oragami-like angular sophistication of the ‘every-boy’s-bedroom wall-favourite Countach’ of old, modern Lamborghini’s are all about precise lines, clean surface edges, and distinctly minimalist design – with a touch of elegance.
‘Evolution of form systematically follows the demands of function’ say Lamborghini. In the LP560 -4, that evolution has resulted in a redesigned front end, characterised by enlarged and clearly accentuated cooling intakes to give more breathing for the bigger powered engine, and there’s a subtle new spoiler between the air intakes to improve aerodynamic equilibrium at high speeds. The rear has been also redesigned, giving a neater compact finish, with streamlined covers to the left and right of the engine bay to accentuate both the greater power and length of the new car.
Just to make sure your new Gallardo is noticed, the new headlights have a characteristic daytime running light integrated beneath the Bi-Xenon lamps, consisting of 15 LEDs positioned in a ‘Y’ structure. The lighting entertainment continues at the rear too. with the brake lights displaying the Y form three times over.
Cool cabin
Not surprisingly, your £147,000 buys you a supercar with exceptional interior fit and finish. Vehicle and passenger lateral air bags, and a two-zone air conditioning system with sun regulation come standard of course. As does the Lamborghini Multimedia System including a USB connector, and sports seats with an electronically operated backrest.
But you can spend more money still, and indulge in a navigation system and a module for TV reception, a hands free blue tooth phone set, an anti-theft device, and a rear view camera. And there’s a further option I especially like, and that is a lifting system control of the front of the car which at the touch of a button, allows you to raise the height of the Gallardo over obstacles – perfect for Ferry travel and steep outlets from driveways, and relief to a common nightmare with supercars. If you really want to go to town on the extras front, you can have a glass engine cover too. We’d ‘have em all’ – but at this sort of money one would have thought that a few more of these optional extras could have been thrown in as part of the package. But let’s face it – your money is invested here in the engine, and the Gallardo’s stupendous performance.
The driving
Thus by far the most engaging and exciting feature of the LP560 -4 is indulging in its purpose; the driving. This is where its all at folks – for this Lamborghini is just so..so special behind the wheel, that logic and sensible discretion leading to your not so prudent purchase, become all but irrelevant. Quite frankly, nothing matters now other than the ‘I simply must have one’ factor.
From the millisecond the Gallardo 560-4 barks into life your right foot indulges in a symphony of melodies, brutal, raw, and ultimately intoxicating at the extreme. Its time for emotion to take over – and you’ll be surprised how quickly amnesia sets in on how much you paid to purchase and insure your new Lambo – in fact, you’ll forget money period – the driving pleasure is just too great. Your first emotion has to be at least an anticipatory smile, expanding to a grin the size of a soup bowl….and a bit of a stir in the tummy too as 500 horses with uncompromisingly efficient direct linear force push harder and harder into the small of your back. You’ll simply ache for some open road to indulge in that incremental melody of accelerative force that is quite frankly nearon addictive. Yet its all too sophisticated and refined to stir a latent boy racer driving style – for the Gallardo feels like a Gentlemans car…. with Attitude – and the ‘attitude’ in the equation is reflected in so much outright speed and power that even the most inclined egotistical boy racer can see he’d be a fool to ‘have a go’ at matching the Lambo’s pace.
The suede and carbon fibre steering wheel is the pathway to precise almost race car like steering - yet assisted just enough to allow passive effort in town, with lots of feel when driven on the challenging cross country roads that Lamborghinis’ love. And as you drive your Gallardo to such roads with great enthusiasm you soon get to understand the superior control that can be achieved by four wheel drive. –in this case enabling its generally 30:70 front to rear ratio to move the torque spread around in milliseconds when it detects even the slightest change in road conditions. As a result you inevitably have better directional control and a safer spread of power through all four corners of the car’s weight.
e-gear
Once you’re out of that bend, you’ll be eager for the next, but in between there is great pleasure to be had flipping up and down the Lambo’s automated e-gear transmission. The purists can of course, opt for standard six speed manual transmission, but most owners opt for the paddle shift ‘e-gear’ . Yet in the LP560-4 the e-gear option is anything but swapping a gear stick for paddles – it is much more sophisticated than that………..
With the e-gear system you can choose between five different driving and changing programmes – a ‘normal’ mode, a SPORT programme with more rapid change times, a CORSA programme which directs the engine to optimum acceleration, and fourthly the ‘Thrust Mode’ which ensures maximum acceleration from rest with optimally adjusted throttle action and clutch – in simple terms ‘flat out’ acceleration. Oh yes, and then there’s the boring automatic mode for driving around London – handy nonetheless.
Scrubbing off the speed comes courtesy of a new braking system with no less than eight Brembo specialist cylinder callipers grasping massive 365mm diameter brake discs up front, and four to the rear clasping 356 mm discs. They do the job fine, and you should only consider the optional carbon ceramic brake disc option (greater performance, reduced weight) if you’re intending to spend lots of time driving hard on a racetrack – otherwise they feel pretty dead on the road, where you generate fairly minimal heat, unless you’re Lewis Hamilton. I wish.
Finally, suspension tweaks for the LP560-4 improve the Gallardo’s on road abilities even more, the ride is comfortable but stiff, a compromise you’ll be tempted to live with once you’ve experienced the Gallardo’s amazing ability to grip fast roads with such uncompromising tenacity.
the People’s Supercar
The LP 560-4 is probably one of the best Lamborghinis ever made. A precision like jewel in Lamborghini’s crown that is amazingly easy and unintimidating to drive for a car of such stupendous road eating ability. That makes it ‘the People’s Supercar’ – one that you can enjoy regardless of skill and experience as long as you drive within your limits. That said, the Lambo is more than ready for even the most skilled driver – the challenge is not the car’s, it’s yours. But what a challenge…you’ll simply love it.
Ends.
Kevin Haggarthy
