We love the Gallardo, you love the Gallardo, and everyone
loves the Gallardo. But surely, after 10 years, it's time for some new blood
2013 Lamborghini Gallardo |
The Lamborghini Gallardo celebrates its 10th birthday this
year. A decade old. A year for each cylinder. Quite old, when there are newer,
more shiny things around, such as the McLaren 12 c and Ferrari 458. Alongside
them, Lambo's bread-and-butter supercar looks a bit, well, bread-and butter. An
old bruiser, no longer to be taken seriously, A battle-scarred veteran of the
supercar wars. And that's precisely why you shouldn’t underestimate it.
Lamborghini knows how to make an existing sports car, always has done, and
hopefully always will do. But, yes, in essence, the latest Gallardo hasn't
progressed forward so mush as sideways. No engine or chassis upgrades, the
interior is entirely familiar, all that's new is a pair of bumpers fore and aft
and some even more spangly 19-inch 'Apollo-polished' alloys. These look similar
to the ones on our TG Garage Citroen Ds5
2013 Lamborghini Gallardo |
These mods, it will not surprise you to learn, do not
fundamentally change the way the Gallardo drives. It does look a sight more
aggressive at the front, and the way the trapezoidal shapes splay out does add
visual width to the car. However, it is now almost completely outclassed in
most quantifiable areas, having neither the technology nor the outright speed
of its closest rivals. But since when exactly did anybody judge a Lamborghini
along quantifiable lines? You can't - it would be like picking Sports
Personality of the Year based on the neatness and precision of their haircut.
Wiggins would never have won. What the Gallardo has massively in its favor is
not ability or speed or technology, but passion, heart and sheer malevolent
intent. Where the McLaren is a sensible sophisticate and the Ferrari a little
bit pranky, the Lambo bellows and charges about. I'm not suggesting I'd have it
over either of them, because unfortunately I wouldn't, but I am suggesting that
it still has a place, arole, And, being 4WD, it's pretty tremendous at this
time of year, blessed with supreme traction and good natural balance. It hurls
itself out of corners without a seeming care for self-preservation, but has
such good feedback that you're always clued in to what's going on. And the old
5.2-litreV10 is still a proper bobby-dazzler, so crisply responsive and
heartily potent. Masses of thrust there. It’s only available with the E-gear
six speed sequential manual transmissions these days, which is clunky unless
you remember to back off the throttle between shifts, but otherwise this is a
prowerpack you can really engage with and deploy regularly to might affect.
Overall, then it's a fun car that knows how to show its driver as whale of a
time, and for this we should be thankful. But I'm not sure that's enough anymore.
A new Gallardo is needed, Lamborghini. Just make sure it doesn't lose the
essence of this one
2013 Lamborghini Gallardo |
Lamborghini Gallardo Specs
The numbers: 5204cc, v10, 4WD, 552bhp, 397lb ft, n/a mpg,
330g/km CO2, 0-62mph in 4.0 secs, 201mph, 1550kg
Lamborghini Gallardo Price: 147,038 Euro
The Verdict: Outclassed in almost every way nowadays, but
this is still a bill that knows how to rage. Angry car, fun car