Lamborghini's New RWD Gallardo

Antonio Alvendia

You don’t have to have a Harvard MBA to realize that “more” is the four-letter word that drives the exotic supercar market. More power. More speed. More sex appeal. More exclusivity. And, let’s get real: when folks slide into the driver’s seat of an exotic, many of them wind up needing more room — for their egos. So what’s up with the latest-and-greatest Lamborghini Gallardo?

As its numeric designation indicates, the new 550-horsepower LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni gives up 10 ponies to the reigning mainstream model, the Gallardo LP 560-4. (Lucky you, if you’re in a tax bracket where a $233,000 car is mainsteam.) The 550-2 takes a couple tenths longer to sprint from zero to 62 mph (3.9 seconds vs. 3.7). The Baboni Gallardo even comes up short in the top speed department: 199 mph vs. a hair under 202 for the 560-4.

If this all sounds, well, backward, no one at Lamborghini will argue with you. If fact Valentino Balboni himself is the first to agree, because the car that bears his name is about going back — to basics. Basic, in this case, being rear-wheel-drive like the Countach and Miura.

Continue reading and view more photos at MOTORMAVENS.Com

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Posted at 1:45 am in Antonio Alvendia, Balboni, Gallardo, Jeff Yip, Lamborghini, LP 550-2, Motor Mavens, Valentino

Comments

GTwildfire
Sep 11, 2009 at 6:36 pm

Y’know… where the hell did I get FWD? I think the multitasking’s getting to me. Read the whole Mavens article. nevermind…

BoostGearDOTcom
Sep 11, 2009 at 12:03 pm

@ Alex Vickers -

Valentino Balboni is such a big deal and long time part of Lambo that this is almost like a retirement honor, not so much a point of evolution or something that “makes sense”.

With that said…

What an awesome idea. I know when I retire someday neither of the companies that I work for will probably even care enough to give me a watch!

DJs-zj360
Sep 11, 2009 at 5:06 am

GTwildfire, just where did you get the FWD part from?

Alex Vickers
Sep 10, 2009 at 7:38 pm

Please excuse my language, but who the hell would pay more for a downgraded exotic? Back to basics doesn’t cut it for me, I want traction! I want to be able to drive in all weather! I don’t want slower!

GTwildfire
Sep 10, 2009 at 7:15 am

i had no idea any of them were front wheel drive. a bit of a shocker. FWD does get a bad rap sometimes but this genre really needs to be either RWD, AWD or an on-the-fly choice of either. Its a Lamborghini, not a Ford Taurus.