Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera 2007 Review - International

Overall rating: 4.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 5.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 2.5/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.5/5.0
X-factor: 5.0/5.0

Having the word 'Super' as part of a car's name could be construed as a measure akin to stuffing socks down the front of your boxer shorts -- a crude, vain attempt to mask an inherent inadequacy... Every so often, though, there's an exception to the rule, which brings us to Exhibit A: the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera -- a ripped, stripped badass that requires no artificial aids in the trouser department.

For those who came in late, the Superleggera (quasi Italian for 'Superlight') is the ultimate embodiment of Lamborghini's V10-propelled tearaway, a car that's hardly the classroom dope even in standard guise.

The design brief was for the Superleggera was simple: rip out absolutely everything that doesn't involve going faster, harden the suspension to bone-jarring intensity and breathe on the engine to eke out a few extra horses. Not that the donor V10 was lacking these in the first place.

Numbers are all-important to most folk, so let's get these out of the way right from the outset. The key to the Superleggera's formula is what it hasn't got -- specifically, weight.

The base-model Gallardo tips the scales at a none-too-portly 1430kg, but for the lightweight stripper, Lamborghini's labcoats found a way to yank out 100kg to yield a kerb weight of 1330kg -- about the same as a Toyota Corolla (which has about a quarter of the power).

The resident 5.0-litre V10 is uprated (via a doctored ECU and free-flow exhaust) to produce 390kW at 8000rpm and 510Nm at 4250rpm. Do the maths and you'll deduce its power-to-weight ratio is a Herculean 3.4 kilograms per kilowatt. All this adds up to a 0-100kmh dash in 3.8sec and a top speed of just under 320km/h.

On-paper stats are illuminating, but they hardly paint a conclusive picture. In this case, what they don't reveal is the sheer intimidation factor of the Superleggera -- particularly the sinister black example we're here to evaluate (it's also available in Midas Yellow, Borealis Orange, and Telesto Grey).

Lurking in the shadows of the Lamborghini dealership's underground carpark, 'our' Gallardo positively oozes menace -- even more so once the V10 bursts into life with an eardrum-assaulting bark that reverberates around the confines of the car park.

Confession time: prior to this acquaintance, I was a Lamborghini virgin, never having previously come to grips with one of Ferruccio's offerings. This being the case, it takes a few minutes of fumbling, poking and prodding to glean that reverse gear is activated via a button on the dash and that neutral is selected by pulling back both gearshift paddles.

The next challenge presents itself minutes later as I approach the boom gate at the exit of the car park. Getting the gate to swing out of the way requires a security card, of which I have been provided with none. A quick sprint back to the showroom and a brief consult with the Lamborghini man provides the solution -- simply drive under the boom gate. At a vertically challenged 1165mm tall (less than four feet in the old scale), the barrier presents no obstacle to the super-squat Lambo.

Once underway, the sheer uncompromising nature of the Superleggera manifests itself. The four-point harness limits movement to such a degree that it's impossible to even reach out to pull the door shut once strapped in. And the ride quality is positively abominable.

The E-gear robotised manual transmission isn't the smoothest device in the cut and thrust of traffic either, with shift quality that doesn't quite fall into the seamless category. With familiarisation, one gleans that the trick to smooth upshifts is to back off the throttle momentarily at the shift point.

This is, after all, a mid-engined supercar, so it goes without saying that it offers as much rear visibility as a Panzer tank. Three cheers, then, for the large mirrors, which at least take the guesswork out of lane changes.

In true supercar fashion, the seat is positioned low, which means you haven't got a hope of seeing where the tapered nose actually finishes. The corollary of this is that you park in tight spaces with extreme caution.

However, the inner-city crawl is hardly what the car was made for -- it's a bit like asking Carl Lewis to exhibit his sprinting prowess inside your apartment. What the Superleggera really needs is fast, flowing roads where its uncompromising design becomes a forte, rather than an albatross around its neck.

So, where to go in the United Arab Emirates (which is where we evaluated the car) in a superfast Lambo that's straining against its leash? A no-brainer, really... The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road winds its way 11.7km up the tallest summit in the UAE, rising 1219m in the process. With 60 corners and three lanes (two climbing and one descending), this blacktop haven figures among the world's greatest driving roads. There is a caveat, though -- namely, an eager constabulary who are quite happy to relieve you of your keys and impound your chariot if they feel you're being a mite exuberant behind the wheel.

A few exploratory passes soon revealed the Superleggera was truly in its element.

The gearchange that had seemed clunky around town delights with its immediacy and brutal efficiency. Mind you, the paddle-shift levers seem far too small and spindly; apart from not rotating with the wheel, they also seem positioned a bit too far from the latter. It's not that difficult to get into a bit of a tangle with the indicator stalk and the downshift (left) paddle. But these minor gripes soon fade into insignificance.

What's particularly entertaining is the manner in which the onboard electronic brain rev-matches on downshifts -- in the case of the Superleggera, it doesn't just blip the throttle, it instigates the equivalent of a bootful of loud pedal. It's pure audio porn.

The 5.0-litre V10 -- visible through its transparent polycarbonate cover -- is a masterpiece. Smooth and torque-laden, it spins past 8000rpm with the sort of ease you'd normally associate with a purebred race engine. Docile and well-behaved at low revs, all hell breaks loose at 5000rpm...

However, the raw straight-line pace of the Superleggera wouldn't be of much value at Jebel Hafeet if the chassis lacked poise, or if the steering communicated its messages via snail mail. Happily, neither of these is the case, as the car's sublime balance and limpet-like grip serve to flatter the driver. Gradually upping the pace, one finds the slightest trace of initial understeer, which can be counteracted by easing off the gas a fraction before nailing it on the corner's exit.

The all-wheel-drive system is rear-biased, apportioning torque to front and rear axles in a 30:70 ratio, so the Lambo basically feels like a rear-driver that's adhered to the tarmac with superglue. It takes extreme provocation to even begin to unstick the rear end.

However, just as the Superleggera can make you look quite a competent steerer, it can just as easily make you appear distinctly amateurish. This becomes evident when attempting to gently move off from rest on an incline; a series of comical bunny hops is the result if you're tentative with the throttle. This is a car that needs to be driven decisively -- half-measures simply don't work.

The optional carbon ceramic brakes serve up staggering deceleration, but you'd certainly hope so, given that they alone cost almost the equivalent of a mid-spec Corolla. The brake pedal is on the firm side, but you soon attune to this and find yourself braking impossibly late for tight corners. The anchors are equal to the task, and they show little -- if any -- signs of fade even after sustained punishment.

The interior is best described as minimalist, with lashings of black carbonfibre and nothing more than a suede strap to pull the door shut. Our test car has the optional rollover bar, which suggests this would be the ideal vehicle with which to turn up at track days and embarrass most (if not all) other comers.

The one-piece bucket seats have zero adjustment -- apart from fore and aft -- and they're well suited to the task of holding your organs in place in thrash mode on the twisties. However, they're not the most comfortable items for long journeys and I extricated my weary body from the cabin like one of the geriatrics from Cocoon after a long day behind the wheel.

The closest thing to the Superleggera in terms of raw speed is perhaps the Porsche 911 Turbo, another all-wheel-drive stormer that makes mincemeat of distances. The Zuffenhausen-built coupe has supreme all-round capabilities, and it's been lauded by the motoring press globally.

However, as capable as the Porsche is, it lacks the sheer charisma of the Lambo. The raw, unadulterated nature of the Superleggera is unmatched by any mass-produced vehicle.

You wouldn't dream of driving it everyday, but the lightweight Lambo serves up a better adrenaline rush than any carnival ride could ever provide. What's more, just eight Superleggeras have been earmarked for Australia, so its collectable status is assured.

To comment on this article click here