Lamborghini Gallardo

Lamborghini Gallardo at a glance

The Gallardo was Lamborghini's answer to the Ferrari 360 and F430: a smaller, cheaper and more usable car below the V12 flagships. It was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2003 and named, like many Lamborghinis, after a breed of fighting bull. Audi, Lamborghini's owner since 1998, made it the core model of the brand; production peaked at 1,951 cars in 2007. The company's story is told in the history of Lamborghini.

V10 engines, gearboxes and performance

The V10 is a dry-sump engine, so the oil level must be checked correctly. Both gearboxes, the six-speed manual and the e-gear automated manual, are supplied by Graziano. The 5.2-litre LP 560-4 has 44 kW more than the original 5.0 and is about 0.5 seconds quicker to 100 km/h. With 419 kW and 1,520 kg, the LP 570-4 Superleggera has about 276 kW per tonne.

Body, cabin and practicality

The body uses an aluminium spaceframe with aluminium panels, built at the Audi plant in Neckarsulm before final assembly in Sant'Agata. The cabin is snug but usable for two, with Audi switchgear, a small front luggage compartment and, as an option, a 7-inch navigation screen. A front lift system raises the nose by 30 mm for ramps and speed bumps.

Running costs and buying checks

The V10 is durable if serviced on time, but the Gallardo remains an expensive car to keep:

• e-gear clutches wear with town driving; software updates help, and a specialist should check the remaining clutch life;
• some cars built before 2005 suffered con-rod bearing failures, which were fixed on most of them;
• throttle bodies can stick, causing an uneven idle;
• tyres wear quickly and the handbrake is a known weak point;
• ceramic brakes are costly to replace, though they usually wear out only with track use.

Fuel use is high, as expected from a 5-litre V10, and it rises sharply on track days.

Gallardo versions and special editions

Crash testing and the aluminium structure

As a low-volume supercar, the Gallardo was never crash-tested by Euro NCAP or the IIHS, so no official rating exists. Its crash structure is the rigid aluminium spaceframe.

Rivals: how the Gallardo compares

Compared with the Ferrari F430, the LP 560-4 has 52 kW more and all-wheel drive, which makes it easier to use in poor weather. The Audi R8 V10 shares its basic engine and much of its structure but is softer and cheaper. Compare these cars in the 1cars comparison tool or see where the Gallardo stands in the fastest cars ranking.