2008 Lamborghini Gallardo Review

Specifications

The Lamborghini brand has come a long way since its roots as a manufacturerof farm tractors and air conditioners in the small Northern Italian village of Sant’Agata Bolognese during the 1960s. Automobile folklore has it that the founder and avid sports car enthusiast Ferruccio Lamborghini drove his Ferrari 250 GT to the Ferrari factory to meet Enzo Ferrari one day to voice his concern about the substandard craftsmanship of the clutch, at which point Ferrari dismissed Lamborghini and told him to go home and stick to driving tractors. Like the raging bull pictured in the Lamborghini logo, which was taken after Ferruccio’s astrological sign, the Taurus, this was the pivotal point when Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to develop sports cars that would outperform his arch rival. The first car was the Lamborghini 350 GTV, making its first public appearance in 1963. Ever since then, Lamborghini has been a company on a quest to create the perfect car in very limited volume. To own one is to own a piece of very fast mechanical art.

Needless to say, to this day Lamborghini still sets its targets at competing head to head against Ferrari and other exotic car manufacturers. Take the 2003release of the Gallardo (named after a particular breed of fighting bull), Lamborghini’s so called entry level super car and successor to the Jalpa. It was slotted to compete head to head against the Ferrari 360, and now the Modena-built marque’s F430. Powered by a 5.0-liter V10 (which further went into use in several Audi products), the mid-engine four-wheel drive Gallardo is outrageously quick, yet also reviewed by many to be a realistic daily driver, able to be tossed around town in part due to better visibility and driver control than other supercars in this class. Of course, as capable as the Gallardo is, some people are willing to spend more for something with even better performance.

So given the same powerplant, how does one improve overall performance? Well Lamborghini took the Gallardo into the Jenny Craig program to shed those few extra pounds and unveiled the Gallardo Superleggera (Italian for Super Light) at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. At a dry weight of 2,998 pounds, the Gallardo Superleggera drops over 154 pounds in North American models and 220 pounds in European models, as they don’t have side airbags,through the substituted use of carbon fiber over aluminum and polycarbonate over glass. Items swapped in favor of the lighter carbon fiber material include the new engine cover surround, rear diffuser, under body paneling, exterior mirror housings and transmission tunnel covering. The entire exhaust system, as well as the forged alloy wheels have also been modified or redesigned with 17.6 pounds worth of weight savings.

Inside, the carbon fiber framed seats and dash are upholstered in Alcantara, a synthetic material that has the quality of suede but is much lighter and better wearing. The rearview mirror housing, e-brake handle, console pieces, and door panels are assembled in carbon fiber too. The rear window and hood covering the engine is replaced by a much lighter and transparent polycarbonate piece which also offers onlookers a clear visual of the engine.

So how does this all translate into performance? Combined with the weightsavings, remapping the engine ECU and modifying the inlet manifold for improved breathing and reduced back pressure in the exhaust, the Superleggera now produces 10 additional horsepower, up to 530 hp at 8,000 rpm and 376 lb-ft of torque at 4,250 rpm. It can achieve zero to 62 mph at 3.8 seconds, which shaves 0.15 seconds off the regular Gallardo. With a top speed of 196 mph, designers opted to integrate an available fixed carbon fiber spoiler for the Superleggera, adding 110 pounds worth of downforce stability. As mentioned earlier, the Gallardo has rear-wheel biased four-wheel drive distribution for superior traction no matter the weather. The aluminum double wishbone front and rear suspension system coupled with Pirelli PZero Corsa 235/35 ZR 19s up front and 295/30 ZR 19s at the rear should help to effectively negotiate those high-speed S-curves, hairpin turns, or highway merges without problem. And if you have to stop, the power vacuum, aluminum alloy calipers, eight-pistonfront and four-piston rear, chop a bit over three feet from the regular Gallardo’s braking distance.

Similar to the regular Gallardo measurements, the Superleggera has a wheelbase of 100.8 inches and measures 169.3 inches long by 74.8 inches wide and 45.9 inches high. Structured around an aluminum space frame with aluminum and thermoplastic panels, the Superleggera enjoys one of the best weight to power ratios in its class.

If you’re lucky enough to buy one, there are two transmission choices available at no extra cost. The first is a six-speed manual (for traditionalists) or, if you’d rather do it F1 style, a six-speed E-Gear electronic sequential system with full automatic or paddle-shifting capability can be had.

The Superleggera will add a 20 percent premium over the regular Gallardo at $220,330, which is a hefty price to pay for these performance gains, but for those who want the best Gallardo money can buy, the surcharge will be worth it. The car is available in four “look at me” colors, including Midas Yellow, Borealis Orange, Telesto Gray and Noctis Black. A few of the options that can be requested include a multimedia system with navigation and CD-changer, a rear video camera to make parking easier (that rear spoiler might make it necessary), a carbon accessories kit for the interior, carbon fiber spoiler, and carbon-ceramic brakes.

For the regular consumer, who can only dream of seeing this car up close and personal, it will be a major hit at local auto shows and popular on posters for the garage or a teen’s bedroom, yet for those that can afford this extra rare supercar, the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera is quite a good value, which is why all 350 slated for production this year have already been spoken for.