Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 2010 Review

Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2

Quick Spin

Price guide: (recommended price before dealer and statutory charges): $399,000.
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): None.
Crash rating: Not tested.
Fuel: 98 RON premium unleaded.
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 13.3L/100km.
CO2 emissions (g/km): 315.
Also consider: A Ferrari, a Porsche or a Corvette.

Overall: 3.5/5.0
Engines and Drivetrain: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 2.5/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 5.0/5.0

Looking for a cheap car? Lamborghini may have something for you. While Korean-made cars are thrashing it out at $12,990 driveaway in the bargain basement end of the new-car market, Lamborghini has taken a knife to supercar prices. Its new Gallardo LP550-2 costs 'just' $399,000 -- about $150,000 less than a Gallardo with the lot. That's a discount of 33 per cent, in case you need any further justification.

The last time a Lamborghini was this cheap was in 2004.

The LP550-2 is basically the mainstream version of the limited edition Gallardo that Lamborghini made for its star test driver, Valentino Balboni. After clocking up 40 years behind the wheel, his retirement present was a rear-drive version of his favourite car, the Gallardo. Lamborghini built 250 of them, and they sold out quick as a flash.

The demand took Lamborghini so much by surprise that it decided to make it a regular model and use it to limbo well under Ferrari's starting price -- and perhaps lure a few customers who may be considering a top-end Porsche. Four-hundred grand puts you smack bang in the middle of Porsche 911 Turbo territory...

So, while Balboni ended up with a limited edition retirement present, the supercar world has ended up being the beneficiary.

The LP550-2 label means in Lamborghini shorthand it has 550 horsepower and only sends power to the two wheels at the rear. Other versions are exclusively all-wheel drive. They have so much grip they're virtually idiot proof.

To create a gap between this Lamborghini and the dearer versions, the company says it nobbled the power ever so slightly -- from 560 to 550hp, or 412 to 405kW. Torque is apparently unchanged at 540Nm.

But having just scared myself senseless I have a sneaking suspicion that the claim that there is 10 horsepower missing from the glorious-sounding 5.2-litre V10 might be a bit of a fib. There is nothing 'de-tuned' about this car, even though the official 0-100km/h claim for the LP550-2 is 3.9 seconds compared to the LP560-4 time of 3.7 seconds.

In fact, on the contrary, once on the move the LP550-2 feels quicker than the regular all-wheel-drive Gallardo because it's about 30kg lighter and the engine spins up quicker as there's less drivetrain friction. From 60km/h to 110km/h it feels just brutal.

Unfortunately my drive coincided with a two-day downpour. At about that time I was wishing that Balboni wanted an all-wheel drive as a retirement gift.

But the weather just proved the LP550-2 can be incredibly docile and tractable -- providing your right foot doesn't get too heavy. And, to be frank, all is forgiven as soon as the V10 starts to roar.

At least there's not a lot inside the cabin to distract you from the driving experience. And that's a good thing as you really need your wits about you. You see, while you wouldn't call the LP550-2 a poverty pack, it does have a long options list.

Lamborghini has managed to limbo under the $400,000 mark by stripping the LP550-2 back to the bare essentials. You still get the usual fare: central locking, CD player, air-conditioning, leather steering wheel, leather dash -- and the Australian distributor is throwing into the deal, for a limited time, the E-gear robotised manual gearshift that is normally $27,000. But there is still plenty of other stuff that'll cost extra, such as special metallic paint ($10,000), F1-style carbon ceramic brakes ($40,000), and the lift kit that raises the suspension over kerbs ($9000).

The iPod connector kit, previously a $2200 option, is now standard because they've ditched the six-CD changer. But Bluetooth will set you back $2400. And a built-in navigation system is $7000.

Cruise control is not available at any price... But I don't care... You don't have time to look at the speedo any way.

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