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Lamborghini Gallardo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lamborghini Gallardo | |
|---|---|
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| Manufacturer | Lamborghini |
| Parent company | Audi AG |
| Production | 2003-present |
| Assembly | Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy |
| Predecessor | Lamborghini Jalpa |
| Class | Supercar |
| Body style(s) | 2-door coupé 2-door spyder |
| Layout | Mid-engine, four-wheel drive |
| Engine(s) | 5.0 L V10 |
| Transmission(s) | 6-speed semi-automatic and manual |
| Wheelbase | 2560 mm (100.7 in) |
| Length | 4300 mm (169.3 in) |
| Width | 1900 mm (74.8 in) |
| Height | 1165 mm (45.9 in) |
| Curb weight | 1569 kg (3460 lbs) |
| Related | Audi R8 |
| Designer | Luc Donckerwolke |
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This article contains only non-IPA pronunciation information which should be expanded with the International Phonetic Alphabet. For assistance, see Wikipedia:Manual of Style (pronunciation). |
The Lamborghini Gallardo, (Pronounced Ga-yard-oh) is the Italian supercar maker Lamborghini's "entry-level" supercar (owned by German Audi), sitting beneath the Murciélago. It is also the first car to feature the new Lamborghini V10 engine - only the third engine made by the firm. 5,000 Gallardos were built in just three years, making it the company's most-produced model to date.[1] The second-place Diablo took a decade to sell 2,903 units.
The car is named after a famous breed of fighting bull. Gallardo is also Spanish for the word gallant.
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The Gallardo was designed as a competitor to the Ferrari 360, and now competes with its replacement, the Ferrari F430 both of which, despite having only V8 engines, develop similar peak power. And, although the Gallardo's performance is lower than that of the V12 Murcielago, it remains extremely fast, and according to many reviews, a better engineered vehicle. Many reviewers have commented that the Gallardo has much better rearward visibility and is more maneuverable and tractable in low-speed traffic, making the Gallardo a more practical car to drive. It is also much more practical to use in bad weather than many other supercars, thanks to a specially developed rear-biased all-wheel drive. Although corporate owner Audi[2] is renowned for its Quattro AWD system, Lamborghini uses a system of its own.
To the disappointment of some Lamborghini fans, the Gallardo does not have scissor doors, or Lambo doors as they are sometimes called, as found on the Countach, Diablo, and Murcielago models. This upholds the Gallardo's image as a more composed supercar.
The Gallardo was designed by Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, who is currently the Design Director at Spanish automobile manufacturer SEAT. Donckerwolke won the 2003 'Red Dot Award' for the design of both the 2003 Gallardo and 2002 Murcielago.
At current U.S. prices, a 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo coupe costs USD $186,250 - $222,800. And a 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo spyder costs USD $201,595 - $263,595.
The Gallardo uses a V10 engine loosely based on Audi's old straight-5 design.
The Gallardo offers two choices of transmissions, a conventional (H-Box) six-speed manual transmission, and an advanced six-speed electro-hydraulically controlled 'semi-automatic dual-clutch sequential manual', or, as Lamborghini abbreviates it to, "E-gear". The latter ("E-gear") allows the driver to make shifts much faster than a manual transmission would, however with this option one sacrifices a certain measure of control that the manual transmission would offer. The driver shifts up and down via paddles behind the steering wheel, and does not need to manually actuate the clutch.
The Audi R8 sports car, launched in early 2007, is based loosely on the Gallardo, and uses a 4.2 litre V8 in place of the Gallardo's V10 to avoid competing directly with the Gallardo.
For the 2008 model year, the Gallardo will be adding an onboard computer, iPod connectivity with USB, heated mirrors, Q-citura stitching that originally could only be found on the Nera model as well as a beige soft-top on the Spyder.[3]
The production spyder model of the Gallardo was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January 2006. It is considered by the company to be an entirely new model, with 520 hp (388 kW) and a lower-ratio six-speed manual transmission. The soft top is fully retractable.
Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer was the first person in North America to take delivery of the Gallardo Spyder.
Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson announced on 18 February 2007 that he had bought a Gallardo Spyder, replacing his Ford GT.
In late 2005, the Gallardo SE (for Special Edition) was introduced. The SE is distinguished from the regular Gallardo externally by having a black-roofed two-tone color scheme as well as specially designed "Callisto" rims shod with Pirelli tires. Mechanically, the SE addresses many of the criticisms of the original Gallardo; the steering is quicker and more responsive, the transmission gear ratios have been adjusted to better suit the V10, and the E-gear now has a "thrust mode" to optimize acceleration, and the car's power has been increased to 520 hp (388 kW). The SE has a higher top speed of 315 km/h or 196 MPH (just 4 mph off the supercar holy grail of 200 MPH), and it accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. Only 250 units of the Gallardo SE were built. All the mechanical upgrades of the SE, however, will be included in all 2006+ Gallardos (excluding the two-tone bodywork).
The Gallardo SE comes with a two-tone interior. All piping and stitching on the ultra-quality leather are executed in the same color as the bodywork of the car. The mid sections of the seats are finished in color-coded upholstery and even the black floormats have a color coded borders.
A rear-view camera is also standard issue on the Gallardo SE, as is a multimedia system and a navigation system. The sport suspension and an exclusive cover also came with the car but there are still several other options available, like the E-gear, which featured a 'thrust' mode to offer even more impressive acceleration by improving the gearchange through the different gears.
This "thrust" mode actually automatically revs the car to 5,000 rpm, drops the clutch engaging all four wheels in a controlled burnout, and ensures the car performs maximum acceleration. This "launch" only requires the driver to engage the "thrust" mode and step on the gas pedal, similar to the launch technology in Formula 1 race cars.
The Gallardo Nera (Special Edition) was introduced at Paris Motor Show. The Nera has a top speed of 314 km/h (195 mph), and it accelerates to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds, as the engine and drivetrain are identical to the standard Gallardo. The car is meant to showcase the customization options available to the customer. The Nera features special matte black body panels, and is only available in two colours -- Serapis and Noctis. Brake calipers are painted a special silver, and the taillights are smoked to match the darker paint scheme. The interior is stiched from high-contrast black and white leather. Only 185 units of the Gallardo Nera will be produced and 60 are for the American market.
A special version of the Gallardo, dubbed the Superleggera will be launched at the 2007 Geneva Auto Show supposedly in preparation for the next Ferrari 430 Scuderia. The Superleggera is lighter than the base Gallardo by around 70 kg (154 lb) - down to approximately 1,360 kg (3,000 lb) - thanks to the use of carbon fibre panels for the rear diffuser, undertray, the rearview-mirror housings, the interior door panels, the central tunnel, and the engine cover. Even the wheel nuts are made of titanium instead of steel to save even more unsprung weight at each corner of the car.
The intake, exhaust and ECU have been upgraded to release an extra 10 hp for a total of 530 hp (395 kW). The lightening and extra power result in a 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than the base Gallardo. The 6-speed e-gear transmission, usually a US$ 10,000 option, now comes as a standard. The full price for a Superleggera with everything on it runs for over $200,000. Lamborghini will begin offering the Gallardo Superleggera in June 2007.[4]
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Top speed: | 309 km/h (192 mph)/327 km/h (204 mph) (Gallardo SE and 2006+) |
| 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph): | 4.0 s / 3.8 s (Gallardo SE and 2006+) |
| 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph): | 14.5 s |
| Standing km: | 22.5 s |
| 1/4 mile: | 12.2 s at 118 mph (some SEs have run confirmed high 11s) |
| Engine | |
| Type: | V10 |
| Displacement: | 5.0 L |
| Power: | 373 kW (500 bhp)/388 kW (520 bhp) Base |
| Torque: | 510 N·m (376 ft·lbf) |
In December 2004, several Gallardos were donated by Lamborghini to the Italian police in honor of the force's 152nd anniversary. The Gallardo Police Cars are used by the traffic police (Polizia Stradale) during emergencies and alarm situations on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway, also under the powers of the special safety operative which is already being employed along that tract of highway and above all, for the transport of body organs destined for transplantation.
Yellow Gallardos have been "temporary" police cars for the Metropolitan Police in London, one in 2005 and one in 2006, for specific publicity events. The 2006 vehicle was seen at the start of the 2006 Gumball Rally. Both vehicles were lent by Lamborghini London and were fitted with yellow and blue Battenburg markings, police logos and a small blue lightbar.
 Italian State Police Gallardo |
- The Gallardo coupe was road tested on the British TV show Top Gear. While co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson highly praised it for its power, agility and ease of use, he criticised parent company Audi AG for making it too civilized for a Lamborghini. In his words, the Gallardo lacked the "lunacy" or "idiocy" (namely outrageous looks and heavy reliability issues, among others) that defined a Lamborghini. However, in a subsequent episode, he announced during a cool wall session that he has replaced his Ford GT with a Gallardo Spyder.
- In 2004, a stock yellow Gallardo coupe was piloted to 200 mph on a highway as part of the Super Speeders "1 Lap of NYC" street/drag racing video, exceeding the manufacturer's top speed estimate.
- One of the most highly modified Gallardo's (aesthetically) is the IMSA Gallardo created by German designer Holger Mohr. Featured on the January/February 2007 cover of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine the widebody kit is made up of 18-pieces. A high-performance power package is in the works.[5]
- Possibly the most powerful Gallardo in existence belongs to Wayne Skiles. The twin turbo V10 built by Florida tuner shop Heffner Performance makes 679 hp (506 kW) and 475 ft·lbf (644 N·m) of torque. It was featured in the July 2006 issue of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine.[6] Wayne Skiles' Twin Turbo Lamborghini Gallardo Videos can be found on YouTube.[7]
- ^ "Automobili Lamborghini starts the year with production record of five thousandth Gallardo". lambocars.com (January 22, 2007).
- ^ Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Car & Driver: 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera - Auto Shows
- ^ Modified Luxury & Exotics ISA Gallardo GTV, Redefining Widebody PP. 40 to 46, By Colum Wood. Photos by Joost Demuynck. Jan/Feb 2007
- ^ Modified Luxury & Exotics Flying Bull Fighter PP. 40 to 46, By Shaun Kenan. Photos by Carl Edwards. July 2006
- ^ Video
8. Video of the Gallardo Superleggera
- Official website including specs, pictures and videos about the Gallardo and Gallardo Spyder
- Gallardo line-up
- Gallardo GT3
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| Current models | Murciélago · Gallardo (Spyder) · Reventón |
| Latin America models | Coatl · Eros |
| Historic models | Miura · Countach · Diablo · Espada · Silhouette · Jalpa · 350GT · 400GT · Islero · Jarama · LM002 · Urraco |
| Concept models | Athon · Bravo · Cala · Cheetah · Concept S · Flying Star II · Bertone Genesis · LM001 · LM003 · LM004 · LMA002 · Marco Polo · Marzal · Miura concept · Portofino · Zagato Raptor |