The luxury ride
For as long as we can remember, the Automobili Lamborghini corporation, nestled in the northern Italian countryside of Bologna, has always represented the highest echelon of hyper cars, breeding track-worthy performance vehicles with outrageously appealing aesthetic design. Substantiated by last year’s sales figures and another annual sales record, there has been a growth of 30.4% in cars manufactured and a 37% increase in units moved in North America, led by the critically acclaimed, entry-level Gallardo. Making its market debut in 2003, the Gallardo, which derives its name from a pedigree of prize fighting bulls, has seen variants in the Spyder, SE and Nera. But Lambo hopes to have its most prominent success of the bunch with the '08 Superleggera. With the quickest acceleration time in its class, trouncing native competitor Ferrari’s Scuderia in its sights, Lamborghini has indeed done their homework.
The engineers at Lamborghini know that weight is the sworn rival of speed and shaved as many pounds off as possible when compared to the standard Gallardo coupe -- after all it is the Superleggera, which was first used on the 350GT and loosely translates to “super light” in Italian. It utilizes the same aluminum space frame construction, except several body panels, the front hood, rear engine cover, side skirts, rear air diffuser housed below the twin exhaust outlets, underbody tray, and even the door-mirror housing were substituted for carbon-fiber clones. All of this effort manifests itself in a hair under the 3,000-pound curb weight, a 150-pound slimming from the base model. The rear wing can be repositioned and is subtly reshaped as the engine cover boasts a fresh plastic porthole.
And while these numbers may seem impressive to you, if you actually calculate the difference between a standard Gallardo and the Superleggera, there is a 0.02 power-to-weight ratio difference between the two, in favor of the lighter model. So, can you really justify spending over $100,000 more for a car with very few differences to its predecessor? If you can, you'll want to keep reading to find out the minute differences between this Superleggera model and the standard Gallardo.
Currently governed by the chiefs at Audi and praised for earlier triumphs in the famed Murcielago, Diablo and base-trim Gallardo, Lambo’s engineers understand the validation of a supercar through speed better than anyone. The Superleggera is motioned by an all-aluminum, naturally aspirated, 5.0-liter, 40-valve (four valves per cylinder), DOHC, mid-longitudinal, V10 propeller. The mill is the most updated version of the reworked 10-cylinder block, and now achieves a maximum 530 horsepower @ 8,000 rpm and 391 lb-ft of torque. This power is made possible through improved volumetric efficiency, reduced intake load losses, exhaust back pressures, and a well-configured electronic control. The standard six-speed stick or robotized “e-gear” sequential transmission (offered at no additional cost) do the cog swapping as the Superleggera races from 0-60 in a minimal 3.8 ticks, with a top speed of 196 mph.
Above cruising speeds, this AWD cannonball still maintains its Velcro-like grip on the blacktop. Venture beyond 6,200 rpm and the car seems to catch its second wind as the pilot reaches the redline shortly thereafter. Two light taps of the left paddle shifter and you’ll be returned to optimum motoring speed with an extended pull in fourth gear. The handling seems to have a noticeable drag when the car is lulled in neutral and lower revs, and the Lambo gradually loses its rigidity considerably when the speedometer reads triple digits, but steering remains responsive to input without becoming jittery. The multi-spoke, Scorpius forged alloy wheels, draped in 19-inch Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires, give the reduced bounce suspension an assist as do the ventilated, Brembo disc brakes, when you finally meet a red light.
The newest Gallardo model is relatively all business, as it has been depleted of any storage compartments and the audio system is now optional. The sport-fitted cockpit cradles the operator in fixed, one piece, bolstered, carbon-fiber sport seats that exhibit prodigious lateral firmness in deep-pocket cornering. Carbon fiber blankets the center tunnel and door panels and all that was formerly cowhide has been converted to Alcantra. Matching color stitching was incorporated to give a uniformed effect, just as the seats, dashboard and the airy headlining over each occupants brow flows with the color and design of the vehicle. The HUD wields a novel set of gauges, and the only drawback is the at-times small, illegible, balloon-letter like text.
With so many reasons to purchase your very own Gallardo Superleggera, the selling point on which to place an asterisk next to may very well be the vainest of them all: the crowd reaction -- as extras and major differences from the Gallardo are slim to none. It’s no secret that just the mention of the Lamborghini namesake comes complete with an excitement all its own, and piloting this Italian muscle car, even at crawling speeds, is an adventure.
The verdict
The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera focuses on making advancements on an already superb machine and while the result really puts the clamp on Ferrari, we also can't quite grasp how Lambo can justify hiking the price on the Superleggera when there's actually less on and in the car than previous Gallardo editions. This is not a car built for luxury or long cruises. And while it is an absolute pleasure to drive, the 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera falls a bit short.
