Do you find that the standard Lamborghini Gallardo LP-560-4 has too short a name? Or too many driven wheels? Is it too common? Does it not have enough Balboni?
Well friend, has your ship ever come in! Lamborghini just announced a special-edition Gallardo, called the LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni. Let's break that down for you.
The "550" stands for the horsepower output of the 'boni's 5.2-liter V10 engine. Yes, that's 10 fewer than the Gallardo LP 560-4.
The "2" means that unlike other Gallardos, this Balboni edition has but two driven wheels (that would be the rear ones, if you were wondering). Lamborghini says, "...controlled oversteer is no problem." Indeed, it's typically the other variety of oversteer that concerns us.
The "Valentino Balboni" stands for Valentino Balboni. Balboni is the legendary Lamborghini test driver that's been with the company since old man Lamborghini hired him in 1967. (He's the one on the left in the picture above.)
What else do you want to know? The suspension was modified for duty in the Balboni. There will be only 250 constructed. The suggested retail price in the U.S. is $219,800. All Balboni's come with the white-and-gold stripes as seen here, regardless of which of the eight body colors one chooses. The interior has more leather than a standard Gallardo and with the white stripes in the seats looks a bit like a 2010 Mustang GT. We presume that was unintentional.
If you have never driven on a race track, you should. If your skills are weak, track time will make them better. And if you think you're an undiscovered Tony Stewart, well then, get out there and prove it. The list that follows after the jump gives some ideas where you might try your luck both on the road and in the dirt.
With rumors flying that the Estoque was DOA, Lamborghini issued a press release to clarify the situation.
Turns out, no official decision has been made as the car is still being studied for production. Inside Line correspondent Matt Davis was with Lamborghini officials at the launch of LP560-4 Gallardo Spyder and got the inside scoop on the story behind the Estoque.
Does this car look familiar? Grainy photos of it appeared prior to the Geneva Auto Show, but these are the first official pics of the Lamborghini Mucielago LP 650-4 Roadster.
Like virtually every Lamborghini these days, this is a limited edition (50) model. Only 50 will be built, and given its questionable grey and orange paintjob, 50 suddenly seems excessive.
Its 6.5-liter V12 produces 650-horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque, enough to propel it from 0-to-62mph in 3.4 seconds according to Lamborghini.
At tonight's Volkswagen Group event, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann took all of about 3 minutes to introduce the new Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce. Maybe he's getting tired of telling the same story about every new model.
Yes, this is a limited edition (350). And yes, it has more power than the LP 640: 670 horsepower to be exact. It also weighs 220 fewer pounds and can go from zero to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. Top speed is 212 mph.
Where will Lamborghini go from here? Who knows, but after seeing a couple Seat and Skoda intros, this was a welcome change of pace. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line
Looks like Lamborghini has been taking notes at the Ford School of Model Proliferation as every auto show seems to usher in a "new" Gallarado or Murcielago. Trouble is, every time we go to see it, there's nothing but the same old Gallardo or Murcielago sitting there with a new paint job and a handful of extra horsepower.
If the rumors on Dutch site Autoblog.nl are true, we're in for another massaged Murcielago at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show. It will be called the Lamborghini Murcielago LP650-4 and it will use the same V12 engine as the ultra-exclusive, never-to-be-seen again Reventon version of the Murcielago. Only 20 examples of that car were built, but Lamborghini will reportedly crank out 50 examples of the LP650-4. In exchange for the reduction in exclusivity, the LP650-4 will cost just $375,000. Hopefully that doesn't include this horrid paintjob. We'll see in a couple weeks.
#DAS09 After yesterday's hair toss, Lamborghini's fashion show this afternoon at Cobo was a bit of a letdown. Well, for some of us, anyway. Lambo's models were all done up in winterwear from the automaker's catalog; and cargo pants and coats will never be, um, uh, as scintillating as a Matt Blue Gallardo. Also, the models at Lambo's Paris fashion show had better hair.
Fortunately, a few of the coats came off toward the end of the show. Pants remained fully secure. All photos are enlargeable. -- Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor
Lamborghini, a former tractor maker from Southern Europe, seems to have this whole style thing down cold. We dig the shiny black wheel thing they've been doing lately, particularly in combination with the matte-white paint the company has been using on its cars at recent auto shows.
At Detroit, Lambo wanted to introduce you to someone they like to call "Matt Blue," which is matte-blue paint. And it is stunning. The color will be available as part of the company's Ad Personam personalization program. So, you should totally get one. -- Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
You already know that the Lambo Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder has a 560-hp V10 and all-wheel drive. But what you didn't know is that this car has matte paint. And it's not a showcar -- this paint finish will be available in production.
I've been waiting for a manufacturer to production-ize matte-finish paint since Dave Coleman spray painted his Silvia flat black. -- Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor
No need for me to waste your time here with a bunch of contrived humor and unnecessary explanation. Earlier today was a Lamborghini Fashion Show at the Lamborghini stand right in front of the awesome Estoque supersedan. I was there. I took photos. Enjoy. -- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
Volkswagen unleashed 12 world debuts at its pre-Paris auto show extravaganza, but only one -- the Lamborghini Estoque concept -- generated much excitement. You can get all the details in our First Look on the Lamborghini Estoque, but seeing it up close added some additional perspective.
Yes, the very Reventon-like front end is as garish as it looks in the photos, with gaping intakes that look out of place on a four-passenger sedan. From the front wheels back, however, the Estoque is a well-proportioned four-seater thanks to its high beltline, low roof, bulging rear fenders and tightly cropped rear end. We couldn't get inside to see how much space there is in those rear seats, but from what we could see through the windows, it looks like it would be a tight fit for two adults. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line
Latest word on the replacement for the NSX is that it's going to target Ferrari and Lamborghini, likely the F430 and Gallardo. So we're talking somewhere well north of $150K.
The car will have a V10 and Acura's SH-AWD. 4WS was also considered, but that idea appears to have been shelved...
And now a little something for those Lamborghini fans out there...
From their press release: Lamborghini Video Content Now Available for Download via Podcast
SANT’AGATA BOLOGNESE, Italy – Today, Automobili Lamborghini, producer of the world’s most stylish super sports cars, announced that enthusiasts can now subscribe to “The World of Lamborghini” Podcast through the iTunes Store (here). This is Lamborghini’s latest outlet for delivering unique content to its loyal customers and fans.
All Lamborghini podcasts are available as a free download and are designed to ignite the world’s enthusiasm for the most amazing vehicles on the planet...
And now it can be revealed. The new black is, um, black.
Chrome wheels have been over for many years, if not forever. (Are you listening, GM?) Even sporty matte anthracite rims are looking a little dated these days. What you need, you man, are jet-black wheels -- glossy painted black wheels...
Lamborghini didn't have any new models to introduce. Instead, the company's "Ad Personam" customization program debuted. This program makes available the Reventon's sinister matte brown/black paint job shown here on the Gallardo Spyder, and the striking blue on the Murcielago behind it. There are also some fancy leather interior treatments you can choose from, too.
Ho hum. So the builder of some of the world's most exciting cars had very little on its stand to increase your pulse rate.
Lamborghini celebrates a Murciélago sales record, with a V12 Murciélago LP460 having the serial number of 3000 going to the United States. While this certainly wouldn't get Toyota executives all giggly, it's big news and a milestone for the Italian sports car maker.
As of January 1, 2008 VW is changing their name here to "Volkswagen Group of America." The reason for the name change is to give more attention to the Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini nameplates, which are under VW’s brand umbrella, as well as Volkswagen and Audi. Full story here.
Given its roughly $1.4 million price tag, you wouldn’t think the Lamborghini Reventon would travel much. Well, one made the trip to LA for today’s press conference, and there was a good reason according to Stefan Winkelmann, CEO of Lamborghini. California is the single biggest market in the U.S., and the U.S. is the single biggest market in the world...
The Lamborghini Reventon was back on display at the Lambo booth today, and everyone wanted a piece of it. Ten-year-olds with cameras elbowed their way through the throng, and grown men took pictures of each other posing in the driver seat. In short, dignity of any sort died as soon as the sheet came off the Reventon.
The rumors of a new super Lambo are true, but the most remarkable aspect of the new Lamborghini Reventon isn't its horsepower or torque, it's the price -- 1 million euros even. That's more than a 300 percent premium over the Murcielago upon which the Reventon is based.
Forking over an extra $700,000 gets you about 20 extra horsepower, loads of carbon-fiber trim and some questionable bodywork. So yeah, it's not much of a deal, but with only 20 slated for construction in 2008, the exclusivity of the Reventon is the real draw.
"It's the most powerful and expensive Lamborghini ever built," said Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of Lamborghini SpA at the reveal here in Frankfurt. Apparently a phrase like that is enough, as all 20 Reventons have already been sold. -- Ed Hellwig, Inside Line Lead Senior Editor
Some people just shouldn't be allowed to drive—or to procreate. One such is Ronald Tridico, who just hours after picking up a brand new $400,000 Lamborghini Murcielago, crashed it. Not only that, he was arrested for drunk driving.
Getting the most bang for its V12 buck, Lamborghini showed the 2007 Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 Roadster to the Detroit crowd, just as it did to LA onlookers at their show back in November.
But in Detroit the Italians were able to impress us with their 2006 sales figures as well. Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann proudly announced the small automaker sold 2,087 cars in 2006, 876 of those in the United States. In case you haven't been tracking Lambo's annual sales, only 1,600 cars were sold the year before...
This is the 40th anniversary of the Lamborghini Miura, and as so, the company saw fit to pay tribute to what many consider the most beautiful sports car of all time: The Lamborghini Miura concept. Frankly I think this is far better looking than original, which to my eyes, was just too fussy with details.
