2008 Lamborghini Gallardo
Climbing into the car, we were right away reminded that Lamborghini is owned by Volkswagen and supervised by Audi. The cabin doesn’t exude Audi or German engineering, but the interior is high quality and ergonomically well developed. The materials are handsome and well matched, everything fits together well, absolutely nothing rattles, all of the controls had been in logical, expected locations. Everywhere we looked within the cabin, we saw good quality and elegant design. Initially put off, we even grew to like the difficult, shiny, carbon fiber door trim inside the Gallardo Superleggera.
Operating the Gallardo is intuitive, having a standard ignition key along with a standard hand brake. Some of the most recent luxury sedans from Germany are significantly harder to operate than the Gallardo. At the identical time, the Gallardo benefits from the same sophisticated navigation, audio and climate system discovered inside the newest Audi models. The controls are sophisticated but elegant (meaning easy) and straightforward to operate.
Finding in and out is fairly easy. The seats are roomy and comfortable. Outward visibility is a lot far better than expected. The cabin is fairly phenomenal, genuinely, and it makes the Gallardo a joy to drive on a frequent basis.
On the outside, the Gallardo advantages from Italian style. It looks exotic and flamboyant. A closer look reveals high-quality construction with body panels awash in quality paint that fit smartly and evenly.
Gallardo comes in coupe and roadster versions, plus a lighter, much more potent Superleggera model. We’ve only driven the latter, but two of us have driven two distinct cars in two locations, and came up with the exact same conclusions.
As expected, the Superleggera is lightning quick and blindingly fast. It grips the road so well that you’ll likely work the tires only on a racing circuit. And it has great braking capability. The acceleration performance is truly exhilarating and at full song inside the Sport mode the E-gear changes gears like a race driver in anger. However, around town, inside the automatic or standard manual modes, it shifts smoothly and is quite tractable at low speeds. It’s not as docile as a Porsche 911 Turbo but nor is it a Viper.
The biggest driving challenge comes when it’s time to park: The corners of the car aren’t visible, so we had been happiest when a spotter was directing us in tight confines. Also, jockeying into a parking spot in tight confines is difficult since the E-gear transmission is depressing and releasing the clutch as you give it little jabs of throttle and the carbon-fiber brakes are grabby when cold. Familiarity and some unique driving techniques help, but you may not desire to toss the keys to just anyone to park it. Then again, why give the keys to anyone? For that matter, why ever park it?
Model Lineup
The 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo comes in Coupe ($186,250) and Spyder ($217,000) versions. The Superleggera ($222,800) comes only as a coupe.
Choices for the Superleggera incorporate a stationary rear wing as an alternative to the standard articulated wing that rises and falls with the speed of the auto. Also on the choices list are eight-piston carbon disc brakes ($10,000), as well as a window net, fire extinguisher, and a bar for competition seat belts. The six-speed manual transmission can be a no-cost option. Navigation and entertainment systems are obtainable for the Gallardo, but not the Superleggera.
Safety features contain seat-mounted side air bags, anti-lock brakes, traction control, electronic stability control, and all-wheel drive.