Lamborghini Gallardo Lp560-4
Give me a Lambo and i’m like a teenage boy on a date with Cameron Diaz.
First off, let me say I am a huge Lamborghini fan. As a motoring journalist who’s driven pretty much everything on four wheels over the last twelve years, it’s rare for me to get excited about a car. The way they look, their shape, the noise, the way they drive. Noisy, fast, raw, no compromise. So I was a bit concerned when I read the fi rst reviews of the Gallardo LP560-4. It seems all cars these days, even if they cost more than 100k and have 500hp, are being designed to be more and more practical. The latest Lambo, it seemed, was no exception. Usable, easy to drive…had the raging bull gone soft? Well, no. From the moment I clapped eyes on it, it was obvious this was still a bona fi de Lambo – like a Gallardo on steroids. Murciélago-shaped air intakes have been fi tted in the nose, while the sharper Reventon-inspired front end, daytime running lights, wider rear grille and striking Reventon taillamps also feature. Bearing in mind the Reventon costs 1 million euros, the fact that the £147,300 LP560-4 bears such a s triking resemblance to it is reason enough to buy one. Under the bonnet, extensive changes have been made over the outgoing Gallardo, with the arrival of an all-new 5.2-litre V10 engine. It develops 560bhp, hence the newcomer’s name – the ‘4’ refers to the four-wheel-drive system. Replacing the 520bhp 5.0-litre, the unit produces 540Nm of torque – an increase of 30Nm over the outgoing powerplant – yet is 20kg lighter. 
On the road, the upgrades do produce a smoother, more refi ned drive. However, it’s still as raw as you want it to be. The acceleration is blistering (0-60mph is spat out in 3.7 seconds) but the best part about the engine is that heady, high-pitched wail it lets out when you hit the throttle. It sounds so fantastic that you fi nd yourself slowing down on empty roads just so you can hit the accelerator and hear it scream again and again. Turn into a corner you’ll discover well-weighted and direc t steering, while the four-wheel drive system manages to combine secure handling with plenty of driver involvement. My only criticism is the gearbox. My test car was fi tted with the £7,000 E-Gear semi-automatic transmission, the choice of 70% of buyers. Don’t get me wrong. Of its type it’s excellent and delivers savagely fast gear changes. However, as a purist, I’d always have a manual shift, for a number of reasons. Firstly, if I’m paying over £100k for a car, I want to be given freedom of choice. If I choose to downshift at the wrong time, that’s my prerogative! Second, these electronic ‘boxes’ are better than us. Cars with them don’t need you. But fi nally and most importantly, there’s nothing more satisfying than executing a wonderful shift quickly. You feel more involved with the car – it’s a bonding process. That ‘click, click, click’ when you get it right, especially in a supercar, is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world. Of course, what most paddle shifters try to do is make a car easier to drive on public roads. But with or without it, the LP560-4 is a doddle. Even in heavy traffi c, it’s no more threatening than a hot hatchback – not something which could be said of previous Lamborghini models. So, yes, the LP560-4 is without doubt the most usable Lambo to date. But is it still a serious supercar? Absolutely. 
And to achieve this – to make it as easy to drive as a Ford Fiesta yet as exciting as piloting a stealth bomber WITH Ms Diaz sitting by your side, is one of the most successful feats of engineering I’ve ever experienced.
