Reporting from Hell:The Lamborghini Topic

[CarlosAndrade]

EVO Reventón...

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[CarlosAndrade]

Autocar

What is it?

The new LP560-4 Gallardo doesn’t look dramatically different from its predecessor. But in reality it’s not far off from being a brand new car, which is extraordinary when you consider how small, relatively, Lamborghini’s budget is compared with its rivals.

The LP560-4 Gallardo boasts, as the name suggests, 560PS (the '4' refers to four-wheel-drive). Translate that figure into regular bhp and the number drops to a rather less catchy-sounding 552.

Either way, the important things to note are that the new 5.2-litre V10 has a completely different firing order from before and therefore sounds even better than ever. It also produces a chunk more power and torque and, according to Lamborghini, is a lot more driveable into the bargain.

The Lamgorghini LP560-4 Gallardo has had a minor cosmetic rethink inside and out, around the nose and tail especially. Aerodynamic upgrades include a new rear diffuser, which improves the car's stability at speed by around 30 per cent.

The nose has been given the Reventon treatment and now features more open, aggressive-looking nostrils while the rear lights have been ‘rationalised’ in an attempt to make the car look lower and wider, although the effect is reminiscent of a big Audi.

What’s it like?

The LP560-4 Gallardo is pretty special, even if the new gearbox isn’t quite all its cracked up to be. Shifts occur more quickly than they did before but not as smoothly as they do in some rivals.

Performance has taken a notable step up - and the previous Gallardo wasn't exactly slow. The handling and ride have also been improved to a point where you wonder what else they could do to improve the Gallardo’s dynamics other than to fit it with a fully functioning time/space bending machine.

The new engine weighs around 10kg more than the old 5.0-litre V10 (simply because it is that much bigger physically) yet overall the LP560-4 weighs some 20kg less than its predecessor.

Once again, Lamborghini has found ways in which to slash all-important kerbweight from the Gallardo, this time without resorting to Clubsport tactics as it did with the Superleggera (and which the 560-4 now beats on overall power-to-weight ratio).

It has achieved this by changing several key components in several key areas. The 4WD system has been completely revised and features new, lighter driveshafts and a brand new gearbox that weighs 10 kg less.

The suspension has also been rethought, not only to give the Gallardo sharper responses, but also to make it lighter and stiffer at each corner.

The tyres have been designed in conjunction with Pirelli, not merely to offer better grip than before across all conditions, but also less rolling resistance at any speed. Result? Overall the LP560-4, says Lamborghini, is a whopping 18 per cent less polluting and significantly more economical – to a point where it beats virtually all its competition on emissions. Not bad considering the 0-62mph time has dropped to a scant 3.7sec, while the top speed has risen past the magic 200mph barrier – to 202mph officially.

Despite the more refined ride and significantly improved refinement, the LP560-4 still feels every inch like a Lamborghini. The noise made by the new V10 is utterly delicious, yet it has a broader, more sophisticated voice than before.

The steering is sharper but less prone to kickback over rough surfaces as well. Steel brakes come as standard, unfortunately. Buyers will have to fork out a sizeable supplement for ceramic stoppers.

That means the LP560-4 is a fair bit closer on price to the Ferrari F430 Scuderia (which has ceramic stoppers as standard) than it first appears.

Should I buy one?

If you've ever lusted after a Gallardo then this is the best yet - and not merely because it's also the fastest. It's good to see that Lamborghini is taking its future seriously and fronting up to green issues - without diluting the basic appeal of its cars in the process.​

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[CarlosAndrade]

MotiveMagazine

I've never been of the opinion that the base Lamborghini Gallardo needed more oomph, but I'm obviously in the minority. The coupe's variants — the SE, the Superleggera — have offered additional speed and/or additional lightness, and they have kept the whole Gallardo enterprise fresh for the past five years.

So it should come as no surprise to anyone but me that a new Gallardo variant was needed, this time to replace the base coupe (the Superleggera's gone; the Spyder remains). The newest baby bull is called the LP560-4, and all you really need to know about it is that it has a frickin' Thrust mode. The end.

For those interested in the bothersome details of this $201,000 entry-level Lambo, know that the revitalization efforts extend to pretty much every area of the car. The LP560-4 has a revised body, suspension, engine, brakes, lighting, and transmission. It results in a Gallardo with the same power-to-weight ratio as the Superleggera, a 3.7-second 0-62 time, a top speed of 202 mph, and the kind of power curve to launch a thousand Evel Knievels.

We drove the car at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and its environs, and Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini's R&D director, gave us the technical walk-around. "The power is up 40 PS, to 560, which is why it's called LP560-4." Converting from metric to American, 560 PS equals 552.33 horsepower. LP stands for a Longitudinale Posteriore engine placement and 4 represents the number of driven wheels. With the engine thus situated, the LP560-4 has a rear-biased weight distribution of 43/57 percent. The ten cylinders — arrayed in a ground-hugging, 90-degree V — get a larger bore versus their predecessors, bumping the V-10's displacement up 0.2 liters to 5.2. Lamborghini employs direct injection here: It allows for a 12.5:1 compression ratio, a wider power band, and an 18-percent reduction in fuel consumption and C02 emissions. Peak power happens at a lofty 8000 rpm; max torque of 398 lb-ft comes in the form of a little bump in the plateau at the 6500-rpm mark.

But the increase in power alone doesn't get the LP560 to the Superleggera's motivation-to-mass ratio: The new car also weighs 44 pounds less than the outgoing Gallardo. Revised axles and differentials (including a 45-percent limited-slip rear) shave mass, despite the addition of a toe link on the rear suspension. Otherwise, the body's weight remains essentially the same, even though the car is two inches longer than before. The more observant among you will notice that the front fascia comes to a point as on the Murciélago and the Reventón, and that the taillights, which previously reached up onto the deck, are now contained on the rear fascia, their Y-shaped LEDs giving off an unmistakably mil-spec vibe. With the lights suddenly horizontal and the extraction mesh running uninterrupted across the fascia's full width, the rear of the car looks a bit like a more rectilinear version of Audi's R8, a consequence that was wholly unintended.

"Idling through pit lane, the V10 sounds like devils's own sewing machine, a busy interweaving of alloy parts"

One area intentionally brought into line with the R8, however, is the transmission. Though still offered in the same six-speed manual or six-speed e-gear configurations, the e-gear unit has a rotational selector to replace the fore-aft mechanism. This results in as much as 40-percent faster and infinitely smoother, gentler shifts. Although, if you really want to feel the gears engage, you can select the Corsa shift program, which delivers a mule-kick to your lumbar region every time it swaps cogs. Corsa is just one of five shift/ESP modes, which also include, in order of increasing aggressiveness: Automatic, Normal, Sport, and the previously mentioned launch control, suggestively named Thrust. The more belligerent settings switch the ESP programming to Sport, which indulges fairly wide slip angles before intervening.

On the course set up for us at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a combination oval-infield arrangement, the car comes on with a Lambo's anticipated lack of subtlety. Idling through pit lane, the V-10 sounds like the devil's own sewing machine, a busy interweaving of alloy parts. Prod the throttle and the various butterflies in the car's lungs snap open, overlaying the brittle hum with a heavy, guttural howl. On the bowl, the car digs in and stays glued there, its seductive combination of lateral grip and body control prodding you faster and higher. Out here, the gearbox is mostly ceremonial — there is such a large powerband that you rarely have to shift. Third is fine even for tight corners and fourth is good for deep triple-digit speeds. You'd think that a torque peak of 6500 would mean a dearth of low-end grunt, but the direct-injection system keeps part-throttle response aggressive. In fact, the old Gallardo feels positively peaky by comparison.

Diving into the infield, the LP560-4 revealed a few weaknesses: The optional carbon-ceramic brakes ($10,000) have a dead zone at the top of the pedal travel, making smooth tip-in almost impossible. The brakes bite down so hard that you can nearly set off the seatbelt pre-tensioners if you don't get your footwork right. Also, the car's steering masks feel with weight. There's a force-feedback artificiality to the helm, which is ironic considering that the steering is nearly unassisted.

That said, I didn't use the steering wheel all that often. Mostly, I just steered the car with the gas pedal. While doing so, I was able to engage in the stereotypically Mediterranean activities of drinking a tiny espresso with an even smaller spoon and calling many people on several cell phones at once. Indeed, what could be more Italian than a car that leaves your hands free to gesticulate? Overdrive the car into a corner, and a slight relaxation of your right foot tucks the nose back into line. Brake hard for a tight left-hander, and the back end will come about, gently and controllably. At the limit, the whole car seems to dance, and all the heft and brusqueness of its demeanor evaporates.

The LP560-4 is equally at home on the road, with great initial bump absorption and a very balanced secondary ride. It also tends to attract people, many of them yokels. Four toothless gentlemen in a clapped-out F-150 were admiring the car's visuals, issuing numerous whoops, hollers, and invitations to race. Others were not so susceptible to the Lambo's charms. While on the strip, I saw a woman reach out of her rental Chrysler 300 and drop an overstuffed McDonald's bag right onto the street. I gave her the kind of overenthusiastic thumbs-up that even the bovine-hormone afflicted can read as sarcastic, and she gave me a crass and un-layered single-digit response. When she engaged me in conversation at a light it was to ask, somewhat quizzically, if I was an accountant. She then added that even a car such as the LP560-4 would fail to garner me female consort. I thought about reminding her that I had the high moral ground here — while she was dumping grease onto the pavement, my Gallardo was consuming 18 percent less fuel than last year's model. In the end, though, all I could come up with was this: "Eat another burger, you fat cougar!" With a tug of the paddles and a press of a button, I set the car to Thrust mode.​

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[CarlosAndrade]

Car and Driver

Don’t call me baby: Lambo’s littlest is all grown up.


Hugging the outside wall of the banking at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at about 130 miles per hour, we had a thought: “this dash-top stitching looks perfect.”

Yes, the fencing was whizzing by in a blur, along with banner ads for cigarettes and motor oil and car wax and other assorted stuff. We were coming up fast on the braking cones that would prepare us for our slow, second-gear, 170-degree left-hander leading into the infield road course portion of our track drive of the new 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, and we’re focusing on dash stitching?

Well, it is really nice. But we wouldn’t have noticed it—at least not right then—if the new Gallardo wasn’t so calm, so collected, and so composed at that speed. Indeed, it was only at about 120 mph that we even started hearing any wind noise. This is a car that lives for triple-digit speeds.

A Really Good Car—No Bull

Lamborghinis have always been rare, fast, and exciting. But they haven’t always been good cars. The new Gallardo LP560-4—and to a large extent, its acronym-free Gallardo predecessor—is a very good car, however, pretty much any way you slice it. Well-built, well-equipped, and generally reliable, the Gallardo is a car one can actually drive each and every day.

The Gallardo has been given a thorough refresh for 2009. And we should make one thing clear right now: this is more than a nose job. It has more power, a better interior, and a more cohesive design. It also has a new suffix: LP560-4, to reflect its engine layout (longitudinale posteriore, meaning the longitudinally mounted engine sits behind the driver), power output (560 PS, which equals 552 horsepower), and the number of drive wheels (four).

This Thing is Gonna Be on Tons of Bedroom Walls

The new car’s styling is at once more aggressive and more elegant than before. The front end has been given a bit more of a chin in the form of revised, enlarged cooling intakes. The headlamps have been trimmed and no longer take up a majority of the front fenders. Parent company Audi’s signature can be found in the fitment of LED daytime running lights, which are Y-shaped, perhaps to tie into the taillamps, which now recall those of the Murciélago with their asterisk-like directional light pattern.

The body sides and rear decklid have also been smoothed and filled, with single slits replacing the dozens of gills on the original Gallardo. The skinnier taillights no longer wrap up onto the decklid, and they now sit atop a wide band of grillework that visually widens the rear end for that extra-exotic look. Taking a page from Ferrari’s time-hewn handbook, Lambo fitted the decklid with a new Plexiglas “window” to show drooling bystanders what’s underneath.

More Power, More Torque, More Fun

What’s under the window sure isn’t the same thing as before. The Gallardo’s naturally aspirated V-10 has been bored to 5.2 liters (up from 5.0) and fitted with a direct-injection system, enabling a high, nosebleed-inducing compression ratio of 12.5:1, all of which together results in a significant spike in output to 552 horsepower at 8000 rpm (from 512) and 398 lb-ft of torque (from 376). Lamborghini stresses that this is not the same V-10 found in certain Audi models (such as the RS6 wagon), stating that it has a unique block and heads, as well as its own direct-injection system co-developed with Bosch.

The first twist of the key (Lamborghini hasn't yet embraced the starter-button thing) floods the cabin with an engine note that is sharp and clear. And unlike the Audi R8, with which the LP560-4 shares a few structural bits but no powertrain components, it’s loud. Deliciously loud. As loud as legally possible. And thus, perfect.

Pull back on the e-gear’s right shift “paddle” (which actually looks more like a hook fixed to the steering column), and after a split second of clutch uptake, the LP560-4 starts forward. The Gallardo has never been unruly, and it’s still not. But there is some serious—serious—power behind that right pedal, and the further one dips into it, the more it returns in terms of controlled and thrilling acceleration. Within only a few feet, we knew one thing for sure: this is one fast car.

Prepare for Takeoff

For 2009, Lamborghini continues to offer a launch mode (Lambo calls it “thrust” mode) that optimally matches throttle and clutch characteristics for max acceleration. Here, it’s easy: 1) engage first gear; 2) select the “Corsa” mode for transmission; 3) disengage traction control with a dash toggle; 4) mash the throttle and brakes until the tach reads about five grand; 5) release the brake pedal.

Nothing happens for a nanosecond as the gear engages, but then the coupe rockets forward as if a truckload of TNT exploded 10 feet from the rear bumper. Fun? Well, sort of. In spite of what was undoubtedly our best acceleration stunt, it sounded like it hurt the car. So we only did it once—okay, twice—fearing that we might spend the balance of our time with it in limp-home mode. Street starts, however, are a different story. After slowly rolling out into an intersection in Vegas, we just hammered it; we broke all four wheels loose for a second in a straight line—and then simply catapulted forward, squealing and grinning like schoolboys who just stole the keys to Dad’s, well, Lamborghini. This didn’t seem to hurt the car. But we knew we were going straight to hell anyway.

For what it’s worth, Lamborghini claims that the LP560-4 is capable of charging from 0 to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds, which is quick. But we’ve driven many 3.7-second cars, and the LP560-4 feels a lot quicker. The last Gallardo Superleggera we tested weighed less than the LP560-4, and could hit 60 in 3.5 seconds. But that was with 40 fewer horsepower and 22 fewer pound-feet of torque. We can’t wait to strap some test equipment to it and see just how far off Lambo’s claims are. Ditto the quoted 202-mph top speed, which is up from 196.

Supremely Fast On the Road; Better On the Track

In the past, we’ve praised the Gallardo for its straight-line speed and splendid sounds, but criticized it for being a bit too sterile and heavy-feeling, and thus not much fun on the track. Lambo seems to have gotten the memo, making improvements to the chassis that go some way to improving its at-the-limit behavior. Numerous suspension pieces have been redesigned and lightened, and the e-gear transmission now offers five modes to choose from, the most aggressive being Corsa, said to cut shift times by 40 percent.

After our track experience, during which we lapped the speedway’s infield and about half of the banking at least two dozen times, we can tell you that Corsa mode does indeed work, but the shifts are quite brutal. Thus, we’d say the mode is appropriate only in 10/10ths driving. Anything less, and the “Sport” mode is a far better compromise—still quick but not neck-breaking. Both modes automatically raise the ESP threshold commensurately, while the automatic mode is pleasantly comfortable and thus is suitable when carrying a weak-stomached passenger.

Naturally, we spent most of our track time in Corsa mode, which allowed the 30/70 front-rear torque split of the VT (viscous traction) all-wheel-drive system to do its thing, and the LP560-4 to slide around a good bit with some easy-to-catch tail-out fun before reining it in. Steering is quick, light, and precise, with good feedback through the Alcantara-covered wheel. The feeling of porkiness of the Gallardo has been mitigated somewhat, and body roll, if there is any, is absolutely undetectable.

All of the LP560-4s present at the launch had the optional carbon-ceramic brakes, which never exhibited a trace of fade even after the cars had been track-driven for three hours without a break. They feel better calibrated than before, seeming less grabby. However, they are still far from supersmooth, especially with the transmission in Sport or Corsa modes, both of which downshift automatically (and occasionally harshly) during deceleration, making for herky-jerky stops in city driving. Oh, and the brakes still add $15,600 to the price, which is now $203,000, including the gas-guzzler penalty and freight charges.

All Grown Up and Better For It

Gallardos have always been fun and indulgent propositions, at least when considered by themselves and apart from their well-rounded yet hugely capable competitors. But the new LP560-4, which will start appearing here this summer, makes a strong case for itself even among the formidable competition. Its freshened interior is a decent step up in terms of refinement, with classier secondary switchgear and Audi-level fit and finish. It still suffers from horrendous rearward vision, windshield glare and a paucity of interior storage space, though there is a nice shelf behind the seats that can fit a purse or gym bag. And it now even comes with a cupholder.

Summarily, the Gallardo is all grown up, feeling every bit as solid and sophisticated as the Audi R8, only louder and faster. And while it isn’t quite as raw as, say, the Porsche GT2 or the Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series, neither does it have a big vacant space behind the front seats where seats were yanked out in the interest of turning things more hard-core. This one’s hard-core enough.

Is it as good as its main rival, the Ferrari F430? Well, if it’s not, it’s closer than ever to matching the legendary cavallino’s refinement and appeal. Looks like we’ll have to put them side by side at 130 ticks to find out which has the best dash stitching.​

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[CarlosAndrade]

Vegas Baby...Vegas!

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[DiogoPinto]

Video:Lamborghni LP560-4 Ad

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ja o tinha colocado mais a baixo..
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[CarlosAndrade]

ja o tinha colocado mais a baixo..
é [br]

Então foi esse video que postaste?Desculpa lá...é que quando abri não conseguia ver o video...:sh)

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[CarlosAndrade]

Edmunds Inside Line

How To Simultaneously Attract and Evade the Paparazzi

Look at me. Don't touch. Chase me. That's enough. Good-bye. Like the biggest tease you've ever met, a Lamborghini has stunning lines that irresistibly attract your attention, yet it's expressly designed to run away from just about anyone and anything in a heartbeat.

And so it remains with the 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, only more so. Cruise slowly, troll the cityscape, be seen, sneer at the gawkers and pretend you don't love it. This is a car that displays a raging V10 engine under a hatch that's inset with glass, and yet it can get away from the rabble at a top speed of 202 mph.

First, Some Italiano
The 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 replaces the apparently alphanumerically deficient Gallardo coupe in the Lambo lineup. The LP part stands for Longitudinale Posteriore, Italian for "the engine is back there, mounted longways" and accompanied by the appropriate thumb jerk over the shoulder. No surprise here.

Next in the sequence comes 560, the horsepower rating in CV or Cavalli Vapore: literally "steam horses." In American, this translates to 552 SAE horsepower, about 40 more than the weakling Gallardo coupe had last year. Credit goes to an all-new 90-degree 5.2-liter V10 engine.

Finally, the "dash four" part refers to Lambo's favored viscous traction all-wheel-drive system that directs all of that equine fury to the pavement. As the name implies, a viscous-type center differential divides the torque between front and rear: 30 percent front and 70 percent rear in this case. Apparently the wacky Lamborghini LM001 4x4 had more of an effect on the company's engineers than any of us could imagine at the time.

So, of Course, Las Vegas
What better place, then, to introduce this mechanically invigorated Gallardo, a fantastic high-speed driving machine that can peel your skin off, than the Strip in Las Vegas?

Surely Vegas is a mecca for enthusiast drivers and is known for its world-class driving roads. Umm. How about, no?

Las Vegas is all about seeing things and being seen. It's about neon lights, outrageous hotels, unashamed displays of wealth, artful inebriation and sins of the flesh. In short, Vegas is the epicenter of Lambo country.

Don't laugh. Lamborghini has leveraged this image into a business plan that has resulted in a 1,000 percent increase in sales over five years. Last year, Lamborghini sold 2,406 cars worldwide, an increase of 15.3 percent over the year before, and its overall revenue increased 34.0 percent. In the U.S., 1,001 cars were sold, a new record for the company. And this increased cash flow in recent years has funded the development of the improvements we see in the 2009 Lamborghini LP560-4.

They Do Have a Racetrack Here
Sure, Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a NASCAR oval track, but it contains a passable interior road course for Gallardo-flogging. Here we finally get to see if the 2009 LP560-4 is more than a pretty face with high, Euro-style cheekbones.

It is.

The V10 engine roars to life and rumbles patiently while it waits for us to shift the reworked e-gear six-speed automated manual transmission out of Neutral. As before, there's no console-mounted shift lever in sight: just a trio of flat buttons labeled "Sport," "A" (for automatic) and "Corsa," plus a pair of shift paddles on the steering wheel and just two pedals.

The Sport setting tightens up the shifting and liberalizes the electronic stability control. Corsa, newly added to the LP560, takes both a step further toward the full-race mode by making shifts 40 percent quicker than last year. Thrust launch control can be enabled for demon standing starts, and a stability control defeat switch exists for the highly skilled (or highly stupid).

After selecting 1st gear by tugging the "+" paddle, the car doesn't move until we squeeze the throttle gently. They say this thing can achieve zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds. Let's see if they're riiiigghht....

WOW! We'll have no trouble matching that back in the lab.

Where the 560 Comes From
The new V10 engine develops this massive wallop by way of a displacement bump from 5.0 liters to 5.2, a compression ratio raised from 11:1 to 12.5:1, the addition of direct fuel injection and revisions made to the variable valve timing system.

The VVT acts on the intake and exhaust cams as before, but reductions in bearing friction and inertial mass enable it to respond much more quickly to demands from the onboard engine computer.

In addition to the extra horses, the LP560-4 gains a flatter torque curve that peaks at 398 pound-feet instead of 376. It's likely that the impressive 18 percent increase in fuel economy will pass unnoticed by Gallardo owners, but a similar decrease in CO2 emissions will doubtless make good cocktail party chitchat: "Hey baby, I'm doing my part."

A dry-sump lubrication system provides superior oil pickup on racetracks and allows lower placement of the engine in the chassis for a lower center of gravity without fear of grinding a hole in a big oil pan. Following this theme is a 3,109-pound overall weight for the new Gallardo LP560-4, some 44 pounds less than before.

Entering Turn 1
Our sample Gallardo is equipped with the optional carbon-ceramic brakes (CCB), a $10,000 premium that replaces the 14.4-inch ventilated and drilled steel front rotors with humongous 15-inch carbon ceramic ones and swaps eight-piston front calipers for slimmer six-piston units. The rear brakes change, too, but the sizes remain the same.

When the CCBs get up to temperature on the track, they bite like mad and haul the Lambo down to a stop in a hurry, but on the street they run cooler and tend to feel a bit erratic. The lightweight rotors reduce unsprung weight by a pound or so at each corner, but the big payoff is a heroic resistance to brake fade with track use.

The chassis turns into corners crisply and the road talks to us through the front 235/35ZR19 Pirelli P Zero tires and lightly assisted steering, but as we gain confidence and increase cornering speed, an undeniable trend toward understeer creeps into low-speed corners where the aerodynamic downforce from the revised front bodywork is in short supply.

Even so, altered geometry in the double-wishbone rear suspension and huge 295/30ZR19 rear meats contribute to an overriding impression of immense grip and poise. Profilers will be happy to learn that this car isn't a kidney-rattler, as the thoughtfully tuned springs and dampers filter out more of the impacts than we expected on the open road.

Inside the Leather Cocoon
The overriding theme inside the revised Gallardo is one of leather — lots of it. In addition to power-adjustable leather-upholstered seats, our LP560-4 had leather covering the dash and the center console — even the headliner was smothered in the stuff. Sumptuous? Yes, but such an interior is a bit monochromatic.

The navigation system, climate control interface and certain switches look like pieces from the Audi R8, because they are. The same goes for the flat-bottom steering wheel and the main instrument binnacles. All this is well integrated into the Italian architecture, but in the end it's still recognizable as Audi stuff. There are far worse parts bins to dip into, we suppose.

A display between the main instrument dials clearly tells us what gear we're in, but up and down gearchanges with any appreciable steering input are hampered by the shift paddles, which are fixed to the steering column and too short to reach. Parking this Gallardo is a bit of a trick, too; you must pull back both paddles together to engage Neutral and remember to set the parking brake so the Gallardo doesn't roll over the valet.

The Other Nine-Month Wait
If you haven't already put down a deposit on a 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, you're looking at a nine-month wait, minimum. At the end, the lucky few will be obligated to fork over $212,600, including $2,600 in gas-guzzler tax. If you choose the traditional six-speed manual transmission with a conventional clutch pedal (a version not presented to us in Vegas), you'll part with only $203,000.

They'll sell every one they can make, too. From a business standpoint, Lamborghini is making all the right moves. Despite a weak economy, Lamborghini's sales and profit are higher than they've ever been and the brand has never been stronger.

But from the point of view of the dedicated enthusiast (who incidentally will never be able to afford one), the 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 seems like a crime against engineering. All that outrageous performance, locked away and relegated to a life trolling for phone numbers and teasing the unwashed masses. Sigh.​

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[CarlosAndrade]

Auto Express

Don't be deceived - despite appearances the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560/4 features a raft of upgrades


Rating:

Blink and you might just miss the changes to the latest Lamborghini Gallardo. Yet as well as being faster and more powerful, the LP560/4 is easier to drive than ever.

When it arrived in 2003, the Gallardo became the car that saved Lamborghini. For all its glamour, the firm had spent years in the financial doldrums, averaging only 250 customers annually. Today, and 7,000 sales later, the model accounts for 90 per cent of all Lamborghinis registered, and the marque is enjoying record profits.

Understandably, it didn’t want to alter the winning formula too much with the latest variant – although to be fair, the changes are more obvious when old and new are side-by-side.

Murciélago-shaped air intakes have been fitted in the nose, while the sharper front end, daytime running lights, wider rear grille and striking tail-lamps from the Reventón also feature. The result is a more aggressive look, which is emphasised by the new range of matt-finish body panels Lamborghini is offering.

Under the bonnet, extensive changes have been made, with the arrival of an all-new 5.2-litre V10 engine. It develops 560bhp, hence the newcomer’s name – the ‘4’ refers to the four-wheel-drive system.

Replacing the 520bhp 5.0-litre, the unit produces 540Nm of torque – an increase of 30Nm over the outgoing powerplant – yet is 20kg lighter. And the E-Gear semi-automatic transmission, the choice of 70 per cent of UK customers, now shifts faster.

All this results in a power-to-weight ratio which can match that of the old lightweight Superleggera. The LP560/4 dispatches the sprint from 0-62mph in only 3.7 seconds (three-tenths-of-a-second quicker) and goes on to achieve a top speed of 202mph. What’s more, fuel economy is up by 4mpg to 20.6mpg, and CO2 emissions down 75g/km to 325g/km.

On the road, the upgrades produce a smoother, more refined drive. While the ride is a bit harsh on rough surfaces, the performance is more accessible and, on full throttle, the V10 lets out a heady, high-pitched scream. It sounds so fantastic, in fact, that you will find yourself slowing down on empty roads just so you can hit the accelerator and hear the whining note once more. There is greater feedback through the steering wheel and driver’s seat than previously, too.

Take it on a closed racing circuit, and the LP560/4 is surprisingly accessible. The driver can explore all the grip on offer with confidence.

Arguably more impressive, though, is how easy the Gallardo is to drive on public roads. Even in heavy traffic, it can be no more threatening than a hot hatchback – and that’s not something which could be said of previous Lamborghini models.

The LP560/4 costs £147,330, so it’s taken a £20,000 leap further away from the reach of most wallets. Even more so when you consider the popular E-Gear transmission option on the model we drove will set buyers back a further £6,250. Ceramic brakes are a whopping £9,730 extra and gorgeous black alloy wheels add £2,000.

The new Gallardo is a superb car. And at those prices, no wonder Lamborghini’s finances are so healthy.​

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[CarlosAndrade]

Times Online

The new 202mph Lamborghini is a beast with a muzzle firmly in place

Joseph Dunn Half a dozen choppers ferrying journalists and Lamborghini top brass flew in formation over the scorched badlands of Nevada like something out of Apocalypse Now. Only Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries was missing. This was not a reenactment of Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam classic but an expensively staged spectacular to mark the unveiling of the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4.

Could the launch of a tweaked version of an existing car possibly justify all this razzmatazz? Admittedly the LP5604 is more powerful than the standard Gallardo, quicker, lighter and more thrilling to drive. But the differences are subtle rather than stark. One suspects the theatricals were therefore more to do with Lamborghini’s carefully mapped out marketing strategy of launching a new car each year.

The LP5604 will replace the original Gallardo, which has been in production since 2003 and has been by far the most successful Lamborghini in history, shifting more than 7,000 units to date. Competition from Ferrari, in the form of the F430 Scuderia, and Porsche, not to mention the possibility of an Audi R8 V10 later in the year, means that Lambo has been forced to up the ante.

Close up, the LP5604 (the LP stands for “longitudinale posteriore”, the position and arrangement of the engine, the 560 refers to its metric power output and the 4 denotes permanent four-wheel drive), is a ferocious-looking machine. The stub nose drops viciously over the front wheels, while the front air vents have been enlarged to feed the larger engine. The lines along the flank remain sharp and the fat rear end, which houses the engine, is beefier than a Geordie doorman and packs just as big a punch. The new engine adds 39bhp to the standard car’s 513bhp and will hit 62mph from standing in 3.7sec, shaving 0.2sec off the sprint speed of its predecessor. It has a top speed of 202mph. To put the car’s sheer power and performance into some sort of perspective it is worth remembering that a normal family car will typically reach 60mph in about 12sec. The LP5604 will be travelling at 124mph in 11.8sec.

It is the sort of power that can get a driver into trouble, and within an hour at the speedway a Russian journalist had ploughed off the track, over a gravelled area, through a metal fence and into a brick wall. He survived but the car didn’t. This then is a beast with all the ferocious appeal of a Siegfried & Roy pet tiger - one moment of inattention and it can turn and bite.

Like the original Gallardo, the LP5604 has all the fixtures and fittings you would expect in a family saloon: sat nav, air-con and stereo. The black leather seats hold you in place well enough, but overall you are left feeling distinctly underwhelmed. The switchgear on the fascia is chunky and metallic and, for my tastes at least, a little too visible: who wants to be confronted by a conspicuous button to operate the electric windows in a £143,350 supercar? At the same time, parts of the rev counter and speedo can be blocked from view by the small steering wheel.

These are minor quibbles. The real test of the car is not inside the cabin but out on the road. Gun the engine in your garage and neighbours will think an F-15 has landed on your driveway. From inside the cockpit the noise is even more monumental: the engine is situated six inches from the back of your head.

Floor the throttle and the acceleration is savage. The new gearbox is a huge improvement on the original, and changes are fast (120 milliseconds) and seamless both in auto and in paddle-shift mode. On the track, where all you have to lose is your nerve, the ride is thrilling. But is the car quite the extreme, no-compromise racer that Lamborghini would have us believe?

After several tyre-squealing laps, the one question I was asking was how the Russian managed to lose control. The LP5604 is fast and fun but it is not uncontrollable. Time and again, just as the car began to wobble, the onboard electronics kicked in to pull it back from the edge. Feel the back end begin to slide and instantly power is redistributed to the wheels that need it and cut from those that don’t, to keep things on the straight and narrow. And good though the new box is - especially in “corsa” race mode – it is not as visceral and real as a genuine manual gearstick. Lamborghini says a manual box will be available but that most of its customers prefer the ease of the paddle shift.

And this is probably at the heart of the Gallardo LP5604: it is billed as edgy and extreme - as is the company that makes it – but it is not yet a full-blooded seat-of-your-pants supercar. Such a car needs to be coaxed and tamed to get the most out of it; the LP5604 is house-trained and flatters the driver.

When it goes on sale in June it will initially sit in the company’s product range alongside the standard Gallardo (which will eventually be phased out) and last year’s stripped-down version, the Superleggera. It will undoubtedly sell well and add to the growing allure of the brand, which has seen sales increase from 1,000 cars in 2003 to 2,406 in 2007. The company, renowned for its Italian flair but now under the ownership of Audi, is embarking on an ambitious German-style expansion plan. The odds are we will see a Spyder version of the LP5604 masquerading as a new car next year.

All this helps to keep the brand fresh and lively - as does its new merchandise line of clothes and key rings (can’t afford the car? Buy the sweatshirt instead) and its clever product placement (watch out for the Lambo in the new Batman film this summer) – and it will certainly have its arch rival Ferrari keeping a wary eye on its Italian neighbour. But whether this particular new car is quite as “extreme, uncompromising and Italian” as the slogan claims is a moot point.

Still, none of that really seems to matter when you are sitting in a traffic jam outside the neon casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. Here, where fortunes are made and lost on the turn of a card or the spin of the roulette wheel, you are not looking for visceral performance and the fear of stalling. Instead you are soaking up the looks and the camera flashes from passers-by thinking the same thing as you are: “If I get lucky tonight I’m gonna buy me one of those.”

Vital statistics

Model Lamborghini Gallardo LP5604
Engine type 5204cc, 10 cylinders
Power / Torque 552bhp @ 8000rpm / 398 lb ft @ 6500rpm
Transmission Six-speed clutchless manual
Fuel / CO2 13.6mpg (combined) / 351g/km
Performance 0-62mph: 3.7sec / top speed: 202mph
Road tax band Band G (£400 per year)
Price £143,350

Verdict Watch out, Ferrari

Rating

Date of release June

The opposition
Model Ferrari F430 Scuderia £172,605
For Superb performance and handling
Against Expensive, more common than a Lambo
Model Porsche 911 GT2 £131,070
For Brilliant to drive, relatively affordable
Against Lacks romance of an Italian supercar​

Link

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[CarlosAndrade]

Mais Reviews do Gallardo LP560-4 página 107 e página 108

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[CarlosAndrade]

At Sant'Agata...

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[CarlosAndrade]

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[bg2]

estupenda, esta pintura branca


cumprimentos

 

[CarlosAndrade]

Welcome to Sant'Agata...

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[AndreEmiliano]

mas que belas fotos...nao cansa de olhar e olhar e apreciar e olhar e olhar .... e babar...

ja agora carlos se conseguires, coloca umas fotos dos interiores á noite com a iluminação... penso que ainda nao vi o ambiente a bordo á noite nesses bichos..

 

[Macavenco]

Boas.... (ou neste caso Bons, Bons, Bons...)

Porque é que uma das ponteiras de escape é cromada e a outra não é? Será apenas para o efeito visual?

E ver o interior iluminado seria fixe.... peço desculpa mas não vi todas as páginas anteriores, só algumas....


E agora o suicídio: eu devo ser dos poucos que gosta mais do Murcielago do que do Gallardo...:sh)

 

[maia]

E agora o suicídio: eu devo ser dos poucos que gosta mais do Murcielago do que do Gallardo...:sh)

Eu prefiro o Murciélago todos os dias ao Gallardo. Este último não tem porte quase nenhum. Ainda ontem vi um Gallardo Spider e aquilo parece um brinquedo. É sem dúvida muito bonito mas é extremamente pequeno. O Murciélago, por outro lado, é uma besta! Impõe respeito! Em termos de imagem/porte, um é pequeníssimo, ou outro é, talvez, um pouco exagerado. Dois mundos diferentes.

 

[CarlosAndrade]

mas que belas fotos...nao cansa de olhar e olhar e apreciar e olhar e olhar .... e babar...

ja agora carlos se conseguires, coloca umas fotos dos interiores á noite com a iluminação... penso que ainda nao vi o ambiente a bordo á noite nesses bichos..

É algo complicado de arranjar mas caso encontre posto e mando PM a avisar![]

 

[CarlosAndrade]

Boas.... (ou neste caso Bons, Bons, Bons...)

Porque é que uma das ponteiras de escape é cromada e a outra não é? Será apenas para o efeito visual?

E ver o interior iluminado seria fixe.... peço desculpa mas não vi todas as páginas anteriores, só algumas....


E agora o suicídio: eu devo ser dos poucos que gosta mais do Murcielago do que do Gallardo...:sh)

São as duas cromadas...na ultima foto é que está uma mais suja que a outra![]:sh)

Tambem prefiro o Murciélago ao Gallardo![]