Test Drive
The Report
07-09-2003, 11:29 AM
http://www.channel4.com/4car/cars/fullsize/rt03gallardo01.jpg
Baby bull
Owning a new Lamborghini is getting a third easier. The Lamborghini Murcielago is an iconic supercar, but there aren't many around. Small wonder, at £168,000. The real sales action in the supercar market happens at £100,000 or so - where the Porsche Turbo and Ferrari 360 Modena live. Lamborghini's £115,000 Gallardo wants a slice of that pie. With an all-new V10 engine developing 500bhp, four-wheel drive and an advanced aluminium spaceframe body, it's serious about it, too.
Lamborghini is now owned by Audi, and the Germans' technical expertise runs right through the Gallardo. Because of its four-wheel drive, it's far more of an all-weather supercar than the Ferrari, and it's habitable and practical enough to be driven every day. By people who don't mind being the centre of attention.
Despite the German influence, this isn't simply a hyper-Audi. Performance is sensational from an engine with undiluted Italian soul. Handling is better than ever, driving feel outstanding. It's the real deal all right.
One version costing £115,000; on sale autumn 2003.
No version or price information available.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/cars/fullsize/rt03gallardo02.jpg
Performance from 4500rpm up, four-wheel-drive traction, accessible grip, engine sound, looks, quality, relative usability Second gear ratio too high for Britain, some vision is hampered Will give Ferrari's breadwinner, the 360 Modena, a real fright Reliability and Quality
Hello and welcome to the Audi effect. The cars we drove were pre-production, four months ahead of the first customer Gallardos, and yet they were still solid-feeling and tightly constructed in almost every detail. Lamborghini people say they have customers driving their Murcielagos 10,000 miles a year, so even that extreme supercar is reasonably reliable. But it's a paradox that the cheaper a car is, the more it will be used: if you can afford a Murcielago, you almost certainly own half a dozen cars. Gallardo buyers might be using it as their only car, and so it needs to be the most reliable Lambo yet.
Image
The Miura, Diablo and Countach might have had their flaws but they were always the unchallenged king of the teenagers' bedroom-wall poster championship. And those teenagers, now they've grown up, will think you've really hit the big-league when they find you own a Lamborghini. Never mind the company has just a fraction of the race heritage of Ferrari or Porsche - it's a road car, see? What's more, the looks of this one don't disappoint: that characteristic planar nose, the chiselled flanks, the huge wheels pushed right to the edge, the way most of the silhouette is given over to engine not driver. Finally, now Lambo's owned by Audi the image is buoyed by solidity, reliability and a sense of permanence, not the old condition of staggering from one financial crisis to another.
Performance
This is what we're here for of course, and on most counts the Gallardo delivers. Astoundingly. The bald 500bhp figure leads you to expect nothing else, nor the 4.3-second 0-62mph acceleration time or the top speed of 193mph. Revving out to 7500rpm, the V10 supplements its huge displacement with high-tech aids such as dual-length inlet manifolds and variable cam timing to make sure the torque curve stays full over as wide a rev range as possible. It's tractable at town speeds, dawdling uncomplainingly in a high gear. Accelerate and the intake note deepens, accompanied by a fizzing of valve gear and a strong extra thrust after 4500rpm. There's a deep roaring charge to 6500rpm, when suddenly a new corral of horses kicks in to hurl you on. Breathtaking animalism, pure soul. Yet (unlike big brother Murcielago) it's not so absurdly loud at a cruise to tire you, or in town to wake your neighbours. So what prevents the full five-star rating? Simple. This car can almost break the British motorway speed limit in first gear, and second is good for 100mph plus. Third to sixth are for serious speed (autobahn or test track, officer). Net result: the high second gear makes the car feel, well, if not exactly sluggish then certainly restrained when coming out of 50mph second-gear corners. Conditions when a Porsche 911 Turbo sets off with mind-warping mid-range thrust.
Ease of Driving
Lambo has made huge strides in this direction since the Diablo. You can see out now, and clutch and gearshifts don't require Russian shot-putter muscles. Indeed, you can also opt for E-Gear, a clutchless sequential system operated by paddles behind the steering wheel. It's relatively smooth compared with rival systems, but not as involving as the cheaper real manual alternative. Visibility is pretty good once you accept you have to guess the position of the front bumper. Main blind spot is over the passenger rear three-quarter - awkward at Y-junctions. Also, you have to peer around the windscreen pillars in tight corners. There's nothing tricky about the ergonomics - the heating/air-con unit, and the stereo, come straight off an Audi A8 and are models of clarity.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/cars/fullsize/rt03gallardo03.jpg
Safety and Security
The Gallardo's entire structure is parent Audi's technology of extruded aluminium beams with sheet parts attached. Not that any parts are shared, of course, but it does guarantee huge expertise in crash protection and the material itself is very good at absorbing crash energy. It has been designed to meet strict US side and tail-end impact tests as well as all frontal and offset tests. The airbag count amounts to driver's and passenger's two-stage front 'bags (good) and seat-mounted side 'bags that protect the head as well and the thorax area (also good). The brakes are astonishingly effective, as is traction control and the ESP system, so crash-avoidance is fantastic. Mind you it needs to be, as you'll probably be driving it a whole lot faster than an ordinary car.
Roominess
By the standard of mid-engined supercars, not bad. Driver and passenger can stretch out, though the driver's footwell is a bit cramped so don't wear big boots. Talking of boots, the one in the front can take a couple of airline hand baggage-sized cases, and two slightly bigger bags can fit on a ledge behind the seats. But in-cabin storage for small stuff is a bit hopeless. The door bins can barely take a glasses case, the console boxes are tiny, and the glovebox is a joke. No cupholders either.
Running Costs
Drive this thing as God intended and you're looking at 10-12mpg. Tyres are frighteningly expensive and won't last long, servicing will be frequent - and there's just one UK dealer, in London, so if you live outside the south-east, you'll have to transport your car for service. Certainly it won't be the relatively painless experience of Porsche ownership, but it's on par with Ferrari, so manages better than one star.
Comfort
The seats adjust in height, tilt, recline, lumbar and reach - all electrically. The steering wheel also adjusts for height and reach. So it ought to be possible to get comfy. But the seats have an odd curvature which means your shoulders aren't supported enough. Otherwise the news is good. The air conditioning coped with the 40-degree heat on our Italian June test drive. Most surprising is the ride: despite superb control of body movement in corners and complete damping of pitch and roll, the Gallardo actually rides with a suppleness that's unheard-of in supercars.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/cars/fullsize/rt03gallardo04.jpg
Fun to Drive
The Gallardo is an almost magically secure and capable handler. Its four-wheel-drive system finds astonishing traction, even in the wet or over bumpy surfaces - far better than a Ferrari 360 can muster. Cornering grip is spectacular. Response to the steering is progressive and faithful. More surprising is that there's very little sense of weight transfer: in many mid-engined cars, if you back off the accelerator mid-corner, there's a terrifying tendency for the tail to swing around, impelled by the mass of the engine. Not in the Gallardo. With such benign intrinsic behaviour, the ESP skid-control system has little to do, so its threshold is set high and it seldom intervenes. So you can leave it switched on for emergencies without it cutting back the fun. Best of all, though, is the feel of the car. Through the seat especially, but the steering too, there's wonderful progression and feedback. You sense the car's every effort on your behalf, interact with it, feel confident about going to the edge to get the best from it. And the sheer forces of acceleration, cornering and braking imprint themselves on your memory, especially to the accompaniment of that engine's acoustics. It rocks.
Stereo/Sat Nav
Traditionally, supercars hardly major on this stuff. Owners can afford gadgetry, but look, if you're out for a Sunday morning blast the engine's all the music you need. And you don't want a sat-nav because you want to go the long, twisty way. But the Gallardo is supposed to be useable every day. So it gets a good-quality Audi stereo, and optionally a big-screen DVD-based navigator that does everything the one on the A8 does.
Value for Money
Considering a Ferrari 360 Modena is just two-wheel drive, has two fewer cylinders and over 100bhp less to play with, this is a well-priced car. Against the Porsche Turbo, though, you're paying for sophistication, exclusivity and sound effects more than raw ability.
Used
Well, if you tire of it, you can sell with a balance of the manufacturer's two-year warranty. As the baby of the Lambo range, and a new car, its values will stay firm. Trouble starts when a car is the most expensive and the oldest - look at the way Ferrari 456 values plummet.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/cars/fullsize/rt03gallardo05.jpg
Baby bull
Owning a new Lamborghini is getting a third easier. The Lamborghini Murcielago is an iconic supercar, but there aren't many around. Small wonder, at £168,000. The real sales action in the supercar market happens at £100,000 or so - where the Porsche Turbo and Ferrari 360 Modena live. Lamborghini's £115,000 Gallardo wants a slice of that pie. With an all-new V10 engine developing 500bhp, four-wheel drive and an advanced aluminium spaceframe body, it's serious about it, too.
Lamborghini is now owned by Audi, and the Germans' technical expertise runs right through the Gallardo. Because of its four-wheel drive, it's far more of an all-weather supercar than the Ferrari, and it's habitable and practical enough to be driven every day. By people who don't mind being the centre of attention.
Despite the German influence, this isn't simply a hyper-Audi. Performance is sensational from an engine with undiluted Italian soul. Handling is better than ever, driving feel outstanding. It's the real deal all right.
One version costing £115,000; on sale autumn 2003.
No version or price information available.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/cars/fullsize/rt03gallardo02.jpg
Performance from 4500rpm up, four-wheel-drive traction, accessible grip, engine sound, looks, quality, relative usability Second gear ratio too high for Britain, some vision is hampered Will give Ferrari's breadwinner, the 360 Modena, a real fright Reliability and Quality
Hello and welcome to the Audi effect. The cars we drove were pre-production, four months ahead of the first customer Gallardos, and yet they were still solid-feeling and tightly constructed in almost every detail. Lamborghini people say they have customers driving their Murcielagos 10,000 miles a year, so even that extreme supercar is reasonably reliable. But it's a paradox that the cheaper a car is, the more it will be used: if you can afford a Murcielago, you almost certainly own half a dozen cars. Gallardo buyers might be using it as their only car, and so it needs to be the most reliable Lambo yet.
Image
The Miura, Diablo and Countach might have had their flaws but they were always the unchallenged king of the teenagers' bedroom-wall poster championship. And those teenagers, now they've grown up, will think you've really hit the big-league when they find you own a Lamborghini. Never mind the company has just a fraction of the race heritage of Ferrari or Porsche - it's a road car, see? What's more, the looks of this one don't disappoint: that characteristic planar nose, the chiselled flanks, the huge wheels pushed right to the edge, the way most of the silhouette is given over to engine not driver. Finally, now Lambo's owned by Audi the image is buoyed by solidity, reliability and a sense of permanence, not the old condition of staggering from one financial crisis to another.
Performance
This is what we're here for of course, and on most counts the Gallardo delivers. Astoundingly. The bald 500bhp figure leads you to expect nothing else, nor the 4.3-second 0-62mph acceleration time or the top speed of 193mph. Revving out to 7500rpm, the V10 supplements its huge displacement with high-tech aids such as dual-length inlet manifolds and variable cam timing to make sure the torque curve stays full over as wide a rev range as possible. It's tractable at town speeds, dawdling uncomplainingly in a high gear. Accelerate and the intake note deepens, accompanied by a fizzing of valve gear and a strong extra thrust after 4500rpm. There's a deep roaring charge to 6500rpm, when suddenly a new corral of horses kicks in to hurl you on. Breathtaking animalism, pure soul. Yet (unlike big brother Murcielago) it's not so absurdly loud at a cruise to tire you, or in town to wake your neighbours. So what prevents the full five-star rating? Simple. This car can almost break the British motorway speed limit in first gear, and second is good for 100mph plus. Third to sixth are for serious speed (autobahn or test track, officer). Net result: the high second gear makes the car feel, well, if not exactly sluggish then certainly restrained when coming out of 50mph second-gear corners. Conditions when a Porsche 911 Turbo sets off with mind-warping mid-range thrust.
Ease of Driving
Lambo has made huge strides in this direction since the Diablo. You can see out now, and clutch and gearshifts don't require Russian shot-putter muscles. Indeed, you can also opt for E-Gear, a clutchless sequential system operated by paddles behind the steering wheel. It's relatively smooth compared with rival systems, but not as involving as the cheaper real manual alternative. Visibility is pretty good once you accept you have to guess the position of the front bumper. Main blind spot is over the passenger rear three-quarter - awkward at Y-junctions. Also, you have to peer around the windscreen pillars in tight corners. There's nothing tricky about the ergonomics - the heating/air-con unit, and the stereo, come straight off an Audi A8 and are models of clarity.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/cars/fullsize/rt03gallardo03.jpg
Safety and Security
The Gallardo's entire structure is parent Audi's technology of extruded aluminium beams with sheet parts attached. Not that any parts are shared, of course, but it does guarantee huge expertise in crash protection and the material itself is very good at absorbing crash energy. It has been designed to meet strict US side and tail-end impact tests as well as all frontal and offset tests. The airbag count amounts to driver's and passenger's two-stage front 'bags (good) and seat-mounted side 'bags that protect the head as well and the thorax area (also good). The brakes are astonishingly effective, as is traction control and the ESP system, so crash-avoidance is fantastic. Mind you it needs to be, as you'll probably be driving it a whole lot faster than an ordinary car.
Roominess
By the standard of mid-engined supercars, not bad. Driver and passenger can stretch out, though the driver's footwell is a bit cramped so don't wear big boots. Talking of boots, the one in the front can take a couple of airline hand baggage-sized cases, and two slightly bigger bags can fit on a ledge behind the seats. But in-cabin storage for small stuff is a bit hopeless. The door bins can barely take a glasses case, the console boxes are tiny, and the glovebox is a joke. No cupholders either.
Running Costs
Drive this thing as God intended and you're looking at 10-12mpg. Tyres are frighteningly expensive and won't last long, servicing will be frequent - and there's just one UK dealer, in London, so if you live outside the south-east, you'll have to transport your car for service. Certainly it won't be the relatively painless experience of Porsche ownership, but it's on par with Ferrari, so manages better than one star.
Comfort
The seats adjust in height, tilt, recline, lumbar and reach - all electrically. The steering wheel also adjusts for height and reach. So it ought to be possible to get comfy. But the seats have an odd curvature which means your shoulders aren't supported enough. Otherwise the news is good. The air conditioning coped with the 40-degree heat on our Italian June test drive. Most surprising is the ride: despite superb control of body movement in corners and complete damping of pitch and roll, the Gallardo actually rides with a suppleness that's unheard-of in supercars.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/cars/fullsize/rt03gallardo04.jpg
Fun to Drive
The Gallardo is an almost magically secure and capable handler. Its four-wheel-drive system finds astonishing traction, even in the wet or over bumpy surfaces - far better than a Ferrari 360 can muster. Cornering grip is spectacular. Response to the steering is progressive and faithful. More surprising is that there's very little sense of weight transfer: in many mid-engined cars, if you back off the accelerator mid-corner, there's a terrifying tendency for the tail to swing around, impelled by the mass of the engine. Not in the Gallardo. With such benign intrinsic behaviour, the ESP skid-control system has little to do, so its threshold is set high and it seldom intervenes. So you can leave it switched on for emergencies without it cutting back the fun. Best of all, though, is the feel of the car. Through the seat especially, but the steering too, there's wonderful progression and feedback. You sense the car's every effort on your behalf, interact with it, feel confident about going to the edge to get the best from it. And the sheer forces of acceleration, cornering and braking imprint themselves on your memory, especially to the accompaniment of that engine's acoustics. It rocks.
Stereo/Sat Nav
Traditionally, supercars hardly major on this stuff. Owners can afford gadgetry, but look, if you're out for a Sunday morning blast the engine's all the music you need. And you don't want a sat-nav because you want to go the long, twisty way. But the Gallardo is supposed to be useable every day. So it gets a good-quality Audi stereo, and optionally a big-screen DVD-based navigator that does everything the one on the A8 does.
Value for Money
Considering a Ferrari 360 Modena is just two-wheel drive, has two fewer cylinders and over 100bhp less to play with, this is a well-priced car. Against the Porsche Turbo, though, you're paying for sophistication, exclusivity and sound effects more than raw ability.
Used
Well, if you tire of it, you can sell with a balance of the manufacturer's two-year warranty. As the baby of the Lambo range, and a new car, its values will stay firm. Trouble starts when a car is the most expensive and the oldest - look at the way Ferrari 456 values plummet.
http://www.channel4.com/4car/cars/fullsize/rt03gallardo05.jpg
spare_me_a_murci
07-09-2003, 01:02 PM
MORE!!! MORE!!! MORE!!!
:bigthumb:
:bigthumb:
The Report
07-09-2003, 06:49 PM
Originally posted by spare_me_a_murci
MORE!!! MORE!!! MORE!!!
:bigthumb:
Yes:bigthumb: ,whait me :wink:
MORE!!! MORE!!! MORE!!!
:bigthumb:
Yes:bigthumb: ,whait me :wink:
The Report
07-09-2003, 09:21 PM
Originally posted by spare_me_a_murci
MORE!!! MORE!!! MORE!!!
:bigthumb:
http://a.blick.ch/PICS/HBEWA8qaaqw.jpg
http://a.blick.ch/PICS/HBIWAaraaqw.jpg
MORE!!! MORE!!! MORE!!!
:bigthumb:
http://a.blick.ch/PICS/HBEWA8qaaqw.jpg
http://a.blick.ch/PICS/HBIWAaraaqw.jpg
The Bull Car
07-10-2003, 12:33 PM
Originally posted by spare_me_a_murci
MORE!!! MORE!!! MORE!!!
:bigthumb:
Here's a bit of a question for you: When was the last time that Lamborghini had more than one car in its lineup? Negate the multiple 'models' spawned from an original (see the Diablo, and its convertible and LM variations) and the best that can be pulled out of the history books is 1990. Thirteen and a half years ago, Lamborghini had three cars in its lineup - the Diablo, LM200 and were just about finished with the Countach 25th Anniversary. For most of the 90s, Lamborghini had one product. Ownership of the company swapped hands several times: from privateer, to Chrysler, to privateer, yet again. The Bolognese company never really got a grip on the market. Luckily, before the firm sank into the same fate as DeTomaso, it was put firmly back on its feet by Germany consortium; Audi. Since its arrival into this world, the Murciélago, the new supercar champ and king of the stable has shown itself to be the perfect supercar for the modern world. Still possessing the power to stun the pants off of any driver or passenger with most of the comfort and some of the practicality of an everyday car. Along the way there were of course some unfinished projects which were never picked up. Scoff, as you may at the idea of a baby Lamborghini, but it was in the works. You may have driven it in Need for Speed II (unfortunately, no EA plug here), but the ItalDesign Cala showed exactly how serious Lamborghini was back in 1995. Any real clairvoyant in the motoring industry would have been able to pinpoint specific things in the Cala. Though the project was put off, and away in filing cabinets, it's easy to pinpoint where major influences have been picked up. Rear-mounted V10 engine and front-hinged doors, anyone? Come 2003, a whole thirteen years later, Lamborghini has unleashed the baby bull known to us as the Gallardo bringing a second member to family.
http://www.carbc.com/images/lamborghini/gallardo-01.jpg
The Gallardo breaks through - a completely new and small Lamborghini..
There are only so many ways that a mid-engined, low-slung supercar can be styled before a trend starts to appear. This statement might be true, bar the last part - Lamborghini has never had a problem when it comes to styling their cars. To keep satisfying the ever-salivating minds of automobile enthusiasts, the Gallardo takes on the image of two themes. First of course is that of the family. Since the time of the Muira, Lamborghinis that are two seat supercars always have a very distinct, sharply raked front end. It may be abnormally short, but it simply works with the extreme shape of the car. This front end contrasts with the car's very high rear end, again something that can be traced throughout the Lamborghini timeline. Meanwhile, the normally center-mounted cabin has been shoved forward to give more space for the engine. Cab-Forward or not, it's a distinct Lamborghini-only style. With the general shape carved in stone, the rest is up to the work of the stylist. Though the originally ItalDesign (Giugiaro) styled body was shelved when VW picked up Lambo, it was not done away with completely. Luc Donckerwolcke, the same designer who styled the Murciélago was chosen to give the Gallardo its final touches. Put the new Gallardo next to its bigger brother and posed in front of you are several differences between the two. Flush mounted into the body are skinny, vertical mounted headlights, with pentagonal air intakes set in the air dam below. Geometrical names aside, this facial figure looks remotely the same as the Murciélago. If you pay close attention to the side profile of the Gallardo, you'll see that the panel gaps around the doors are perfectly straight. So, unlike other dream-making Lambos, the doors are hinged at the front, and open out, rather than up. A bit of a shame by convention, but such is life…
http://www.carbc.com/images/lamborghini/gallardo-eng.jpg
Strong Cosworth V10 engine can be had with traditional six-speed, or new sequential box.
From the front, the Gallardo is very typical Lamborghini, but from the back, there's a different story to be told. Where the chiseled corners and curves of the Murciélago come together in a mixture of red, white, and orange lights and black mesh, the Gallardo is less successful. Dozens of tiny slats litter the tops of both rear fenders. The same goes for the engine cover. Though the case of the sports car is always 'Form follows Function'; Lamborghini has always made it look pretty. Brake lights, which flow right over the edge of the tail are something new to the junior supercar, but functional aerodynamic aid is not. Where the Murciélago applied 'wings', the Gallardo has a more conventional rear spoiler, which lifts at speed. Tiny it may be, but it proves its worth adding ground-hugging downforce. It's all capped off with a set of two very fat, circular tailpipes that stick out of the angled rear valance. Though it's not as appealing on the outside, the sunshine yellow Gallardo holds a completely new structure that stuns, just like its colour. With its aluminum skin peeled back, you'll find even more of the exotic metal in the form of an aluminum space frame, which has been shaped around the passengers and the engine. Better known as ASF, this structure has already proven it s worth in the Audi A8 blending impeccable strength without the tradeoff of heavy weight. It works leaving the little Lambo with a torsional rigidity at an impeccable 23,000 nm/degree on part with current champ, the Rolls Royce Phantom. Considering the internal components - a V10 engine, all wheel drive, and a heavy-duty transmission, the car tips the scales at 1430 kilos. Note that this figure represents the car's dry weight without oil, gasoline, or any other fluids. For some reason, Lamborghini always lists its figures in such a manner.
http://www.carbc.com/images/lamborghini/gallardo-04.jpg
Lightweight structure works well with super sticky grip from all wheel drive and other advancements.
Strictly speaking, this is the first production V10 that Lamborghini has ever fitted to one of their automobiles, aside from the Cala concept. Most small Lamborghinis have either utilized a V8 engine, or a small V12. This is breaking new ground for the Italian marque. But, the thing to note here is that this isn't a full Italian work of art. Though most of the engine was thought up and put on paper by Lamborghini, Cosworth did a lot of the development. Come to think of it, this too is a first for Lambo; rarely if ever would this company search outside their own borders for 'help'. Most of what's been added by Cosworth can be traced back to Audi-esque technology found in most of their engines. The backbone of the engine is standard issue for Lamborghini - a powerful engine, and four valves per cylinder (hence Quattrovalvole the Countach.) Oddly enough, the engine uses an angle of 90°. In a V10, this means that the engine will have a lower center of gravity and is something that has been pulled right from super high tech Formula One cars. Not as high-tech is the dry-sump lubrication, which too lowers the c-of-g. New additions, such variable valve timing on both intake an exhaust valves can all be found in the new 5.0 liter V10 engine. As if this weren't enough, to keep the performance up, there are variable intake manifolds. Truly, as if it took nearly next to no effort on Lamborghini's part, the engine shoots out a whopping 500 horsepower, created at 7800 revolutions per minute. The direct competitors to the Gallardo - Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari 360 Modena - pale in comparison with 50 and 100 horsepower deficits. The big engine also comes out on top where it concerns torque. The maximum torque output is rated at 376 ft-lb, which seems to be a low compared to today's best. But as you know, figures on spreadsheets rarely tell the full story and in this case, it's the part about the Gallardo's V10 creating 80% of its maximum torque at just 1500 rpm.
http://www.carbc.com/images/lamborghini/gallardo-int.jpg
Fine quality, but it's hard to get excited over the Gallardo's interior. Boring, and doesn't look very special.
Though the Gallardo is assembled in Lamborghini's hometown, a lot of its components come from all around Europe. The bare bones to the car's structure come form Neckarsalum, Germany - the birthplace of the A8 and other space frame automobiles. The engine comes from England, where Cosworth are located. Afterwards the engine goes over to yet another Audi facility, where it's components are assembled in Gyor, Hungary. Finally the whole package gets fitted together in Sant'Agna, Italy. But open the regular doors, and you won't find a typical Italian cockpit, but one that's filled with Germanic tones. Fine black leather wraps its way around nearly every surface in the interior, tightly around the dashboard and seats, which have been stitched in yellow thread. Yet without any sportive, decorative swigs trim, the Gallardo comes out looking like a black hole, sucking out all visible light. Switches and plastics don't have the generic appearance that they've been borrowed off a tiny econobox, a step forward in the right direction. There is something though, that is very familiar about the Gallardo's center console. The stereo and climate control systems look reminds the driver of an Audi. Right… that's because they're straight out of an Audi. Move down to the transmission tunnel, and on certain cars, you might get a bit of a shock. Lamborghini for the first time have a six-speed sequential gearbox. It leaves a big circular silver hole with three buttons for mode selection. To those who will drive this car daily, or at least a few times in traffic, the Gallardo has packaged driver comfort into the whole bundle. Sure, the massive front wheel well cuts into the driver's feet room, but there's enough for the average driver. The position of which one used to sit in - knees past the steering wheel has been cured with something more normal, while the bottom of the thick, three-spoke steering wheel has been flattened for extra room. Surprisingly enough, visibility in every direction is plentiful.
http://www.carbc.com/images/lamborghini/gallardo-03.jpg
The Gallardo is not as smooth as the Murciélago in terms of overall styling. Ends up a little on the stumpy side.
Everything about the Gallardo points to it being an excellent drive. There's no substitution for doing the job properly. Time spent in the lab, on the track and even on the road ads up, and makes this a very serious road car. But before all of that comes the engine. Sort of picture if you will, this beautiful monster in a tiny Italian piazza. Start it up, and the crowds will come flocking out of nowhere. Raise the revs and what you hear is a symphony of cogs, cams, and valves working in unison to fill the ears with the joyous sound of the balanced V10. Launch the car from a standstill, and the Gallardo will simply shock you with its lightning fast acceleration. The speedometer doesn't lie, rising with extraordinary speed. Not even four seconds have elapsed before 100 km/h is hit, and it keeps rising, bumping 300 km/h. Stick it in fourth, and the stump-pulling torque brings the car from 80 to 220 without breaking a sweat. The remarkable thing is that the car remains totally composed while doing this on every surface. Miracles are not involved, just a fool proof all wheel drive system, with a trick ESP program and wider-than-wide 295 width 19 inch wheels. Any provoked oversteer will be dealt with by computers with the utmost speed and without a puff of blue tire smoke - the opposite of Lambos hell-bent on making cornering difficult. Amazingly enough, this confidence at speed is just as high when you're not working the Autostradas. Where driving a Diablo would require forearms the size of footballs, and a heavy clutch foot, the Gallardo is nothing like this. A low-friction, servo-assisted rack combined with a 2.3 turns to lock make for one very agile bull. Meanwhile, the clutch has been tweaked to be extra light, though it shouldn't matter if you choose the sequential box. Koni adjustable shock absorbers plus sensors keep the car level, eliminating roll and pitch. Final tuning on the suspension has left the Gallardo with a ride that is typical supercar rock-hard.
http://www.carbc.com/images/lamborghini/gallardo-wheel.jpg
Simple braking technology works best here. 335 mm brakes on Brembo calipers sit inside 19 inch alloys and Pirelli rubber.
Traditional ways leave a car feeling well, traditional. Over the years, it maybe true that Lamborghinis have become faster, but they often share the same unshakable characteristics. That of course is all a part of the dream-building characteristics. Now that Audi have taken over, and have had a run through with one bull, the Gallardo comes from the factory much more solid, and improved. Come to think of it, aside from the minor design faults that really don't impede on performance, the Gallardo is just as good as its older brother in nearly every way. Check out the stats - it's just as quick, plus easier to drive at any speed yet it is hundreds of thousands cheaper. Porsche, Ferrari, and other junior supercars now have an extremely serious threat to contend with, even in their most pure race-car honed formats. While this may appear to be a hands-down victory as a stand-alone car, there is still a lot to be accounted for, particularly the fans. Those who have known Lamborghini from the beginning will be sour with the thought of German intervention, and the lack of scissor doors. As for us? We'll take this yellow one.
Specifications
Engine: 4961 cc DOHC 40v V10, 500 hp, 376 ft-lbs
Transmission: 6-speed manual, all wheel drive
Performance: 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, top speed is 310 km/h.
Economy: 19.3 l/100km
Suspension: F: Double Wishbone / R: Double Wishbone
Added: July 3rd 2003
Reviewer: Justin
Score:
Hits: 140
Language: eng
MORE!!! MORE!!! MORE!!!
:bigthumb:
Here's a bit of a question for you: When was the last time that Lamborghini had more than one car in its lineup? Negate the multiple 'models' spawned from an original (see the Diablo, and its convertible and LM variations) and the best that can be pulled out of the history books is 1990. Thirteen and a half years ago, Lamborghini had three cars in its lineup - the Diablo, LM200 and were just about finished with the Countach 25th Anniversary. For most of the 90s, Lamborghini had one product. Ownership of the company swapped hands several times: from privateer, to Chrysler, to privateer, yet again. The Bolognese company never really got a grip on the market. Luckily, before the firm sank into the same fate as DeTomaso, it was put firmly back on its feet by Germany consortium; Audi. Since its arrival into this world, the Murciélago, the new supercar champ and king of the stable has shown itself to be the perfect supercar for the modern world. Still possessing the power to stun the pants off of any driver or passenger with most of the comfort and some of the practicality of an everyday car. Along the way there were of course some unfinished projects which were never picked up. Scoff, as you may at the idea of a baby Lamborghini, but it was in the works. You may have driven it in Need for Speed II (unfortunately, no EA plug here), but the ItalDesign Cala showed exactly how serious Lamborghini was back in 1995. Any real clairvoyant in the motoring industry would have been able to pinpoint specific things in the Cala. Though the project was put off, and away in filing cabinets, it's easy to pinpoint where major influences have been picked up. Rear-mounted V10 engine and front-hinged doors, anyone? Come 2003, a whole thirteen years later, Lamborghini has unleashed the baby bull known to us as the Gallardo bringing a second member to family.
http://www.carbc.com/images/lamborghini/gallardo-01.jpg
The Gallardo breaks through - a completely new and small Lamborghini..
There are only so many ways that a mid-engined, low-slung supercar can be styled before a trend starts to appear. This statement might be true, bar the last part - Lamborghini has never had a problem when it comes to styling their cars. To keep satisfying the ever-salivating minds of automobile enthusiasts, the Gallardo takes on the image of two themes. First of course is that of the family. Since the time of the Muira, Lamborghinis that are two seat supercars always have a very distinct, sharply raked front end. It may be abnormally short, but it simply works with the extreme shape of the car. This front end contrasts with the car's very high rear end, again something that can be traced throughout the Lamborghini timeline. Meanwhile, the normally center-mounted cabin has been shoved forward to give more space for the engine. Cab-Forward or not, it's a distinct Lamborghini-only style. With the general shape carved in stone, the rest is up to the work of the stylist. Though the originally ItalDesign (Giugiaro) styled body was shelved when VW picked up Lambo, it was not done away with completely. Luc Donckerwolcke, the same designer who styled the Murciélago was chosen to give the Gallardo its final touches. Put the new Gallardo next to its bigger brother and posed in front of you are several differences between the two. Flush mounted into the body are skinny, vertical mounted headlights, with pentagonal air intakes set in the air dam below. Geometrical names aside, this facial figure looks remotely the same as the Murciélago. If you pay close attention to the side profile of the Gallardo, you'll see that the panel gaps around the doors are perfectly straight. So, unlike other dream-making Lambos, the doors are hinged at the front, and open out, rather than up. A bit of a shame by convention, but such is life…
http://www.carbc.com/images/lamborghini/gallardo-eng.jpg
Strong Cosworth V10 engine can be had with traditional six-speed, or new sequential box.
From the front, the Gallardo is very typical Lamborghini, but from the back, there's a different story to be told. Where the chiseled corners and curves of the Murciélago come together in a mixture of red, white, and orange lights and black mesh, the Gallardo is less successful. Dozens of tiny slats litter the tops of both rear fenders. The same goes for the engine cover. Though the case of the sports car is always 'Form follows Function'; Lamborghini has always made it look pretty. Brake lights, which flow right over the edge of the tail are something new to the junior supercar, but functional aerodynamic aid is not. Where the Murciélago applied 'wings', the Gallardo has a more conventional rear spoiler, which lifts at speed. Tiny it may be, but it proves its worth adding ground-hugging downforce. It's all capped off with a set of two very fat, circular tailpipes that stick out of the angled rear valance. Though it's not as appealing on the outside, the sunshine yellow Gallardo holds a completely new structure that stuns, just like its colour. With its aluminum skin peeled back, you'll find even more of the exotic metal in the form of an aluminum space frame, which has been shaped around the passengers and the engine. Better known as ASF, this structure has already proven it s worth in the Audi A8 blending impeccable strength without the tradeoff of heavy weight. It works leaving the little Lambo with a torsional rigidity at an impeccable 23,000 nm/degree on part with current champ, the Rolls Royce Phantom. Considering the internal components - a V10 engine, all wheel drive, and a heavy-duty transmission, the car tips the scales at 1430 kilos. Note that this figure represents the car's dry weight without oil, gasoline, or any other fluids. For some reason, Lamborghini always lists its figures in such a manner.
http://www.carbc.com/images/lamborghini/gallardo-04.jpg
Lightweight structure works well with super sticky grip from all wheel drive and other advancements.
Strictly speaking, this is the first production V10 that Lamborghini has ever fitted to one of their automobiles, aside from the Cala concept. Most small Lamborghinis have either utilized a V8 engine, or a small V12. This is breaking new ground for the Italian marque. But, the thing to note here is that this isn't a full Italian work of art. Though most of the engine was thought up and put on paper by Lamborghini, Cosworth did a lot of the development. Come to think of it, this too is a first for Lambo; rarely if ever would this company search outside their own borders for 'help'. Most of what's been added by Cosworth can be traced back to Audi-esque technology found in most of their engines. The backbone of the engine is standard issue for Lamborghini - a powerful engine, and four valves per cylinder (hence Quattrovalvole the Countach.) Oddly enough, the engine uses an angle of 90°. In a V10, this means that the engine will have a lower center of gravity and is something that has been pulled right from super high tech Formula One cars. Not as high-tech is the dry-sump lubrication, which too lowers the c-of-g. New additions, such variable valve timing on both intake an exhaust valves can all be found in the new 5.0 liter V10 engine. As if this weren't enough, to keep the performance up, there are variable intake manifolds. Truly, as if it took nearly next to no effort on Lamborghini's part, the engine shoots out a whopping 500 horsepower, created at 7800 revolutions per minute. The direct competitors to the Gallardo - Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari 360 Modena - pale in comparison with 50 and 100 horsepower deficits. The big engine also comes out on top where it concerns torque. The maximum torque output is rated at 376 ft-lb, which seems to be a low compared to today's best. But as you know, figures on spreadsheets rarely tell the full story and in this case, it's the part about the Gallardo's V10 creating 80% of its maximum torque at just 1500 rpm.
http://www.carbc.com/images/lamborghini/gallardo-int.jpg
Fine quality, but it's hard to get excited over the Gallardo's interior. Boring, and doesn't look very special.
Though the Gallardo is assembled in Lamborghini's hometown, a lot of its components come from all around Europe. The bare bones to the car's structure come form Neckarsalum, Germany - the birthplace of the A8 and other space frame automobiles. The engine comes from England, where Cosworth are located. Afterwards the engine goes over to yet another Audi facility, where it's components are assembled in Gyor, Hungary. Finally the whole package gets fitted together in Sant'Agna, Italy. But open the regular doors, and you won't find a typical Italian cockpit, but one that's filled with Germanic tones. Fine black leather wraps its way around nearly every surface in the interior, tightly around the dashboard and seats, which have been stitched in yellow thread. Yet without any sportive, decorative swigs trim, the Gallardo comes out looking like a black hole, sucking out all visible light. Switches and plastics don't have the generic appearance that they've been borrowed off a tiny econobox, a step forward in the right direction. There is something though, that is very familiar about the Gallardo's center console. The stereo and climate control systems look reminds the driver of an Audi. Right… that's because they're straight out of an Audi. Move down to the transmission tunnel, and on certain cars, you might get a bit of a shock. Lamborghini for the first time have a six-speed sequential gearbox. It leaves a big circular silver hole with three buttons for mode selection. To those who will drive this car daily, or at least a few times in traffic, the Gallardo has packaged driver comfort into the whole bundle. Sure, the massive front wheel well cuts into the driver's feet room, but there's enough for the average driver. The position of which one used to sit in - knees past the steering wheel has been cured with something more normal, while the bottom of the thick, three-spoke steering wheel has been flattened for extra room. Surprisingly enough, visibility in every direction is plentiful.
http://www.carbc.com/images/lamborghini/gallardo-03.jpg
The Gallardo is not as smooth as the Murciélago in terms of overall styling. Ends up a little on the stumpy side.
Everything about the Gallardo points to it being an excellent drive. There's no substitution for doing the job properly. Time spent in the lab, on the track and even on the road ads up, and makes this a very serious road car. But before all of that comes the engine. Sort of picture if you will, this beautiful monster in a tiny Italian piazza. Start it up, and the crowds will come flocking out of nowhere. Raise the revs and what you hear is a symphony of cogs, cams, and valves working in unison to fill the ears with the joyous sound of the balanced V10. Launch the car from a standstill, and the Gallardo will simply shock you with its lightning fast acceleration. The speedometer doesn't lie, rising with extraordinary speed. Not even four seconds have elapsed before 100 km/h is hit, and it keeps rising, bumping 300 km/h. Stick it in fourth, and the stump-pulling torque brings the car from 80 to 220 without breaking a sweat. The remarkable thing is that the car remains totally composed while doing this on every surface. Miracles are not involved, just a fool proof all wheel drive system, with a trick ESP program and wider-than-wide 295 width 19 inch wheels. Any provoked oversteer will be dealt with by computers with the utmost speed and without a puff of blue tire smoke - the opposite of Lambos hell-bent on making cornering difficult. Amazingly enough, this confidence at speed is just as high when you're not working the Autostradas. Where driving a Diablo would require forearms the size of footballs, and a heavy clutch foot, the Gallardo is nothing like this. A low-friction, servo-assisted rack combined with a 2.3 turns to lock make for one very agile bull. Meanwhile, the clutch has been tweaked to be extra light, though it shouldn't matter if you choose the sequential box. Koni adjustable shock absorbers plus sensors keep the car level, eliminating roll and pitch. Final tuning on the suspension has left the Gallardo with a ride that is typical supercar rock-hard.
http://www.carbc.com/images/lamborghini/gallardo-wheel.jpg
Simple braking technology works best here. 335 mm brakes on Brembo calipers sit inside 19 inch alloys and Pirelli rubber.
Traditional ways leave a car feeling well, traditional. Over the years, it maybe true that Lamborghinis have become faster, but they often share the same unshakable characteristics. That of course is all a part of the dream-building characteristics. Now that Audi have taken over, and have had a run through with one bull, the Gallardo comes from the factory much more solid, and improved. Come to think of it, aside from the minor design faults that really don't impede on performance, the Gallardo is just as good as its older brother in nearly every way. Check out the stats - it's just as quick, plus easier to drive at any speed yet it is hundreds of thousands cheaper. Porsche, Ferrari, and other junior supercars now have an extremely serious threat to contend with, even in their most pure race-car honed formats. While this may appear to be a hands-down victory as a stand-alone car, there is still a lot to be accounted for, particularly the fans. Those who have known Lamborghini from the beginning will be sour with the thought of German intervention, and the lack of scissor doors. As for us? We'll take this yellow one.
Specifications
Engine: 4961 cc DOHC 40v V10, 500 hp, 376 ft-lbs
Transmission: 6-speed manual, all wheel drive
Performance: 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, top speed is 310 km/h.
Economy: 19.3 l/100km
Suspension: F: Double Wishbone / R: Double Wishbone
Added: July 3rd 2003
Reviewer: Justin
Score:
Hits: 140
Language: eng
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