Lamborghini Countach Reviews

Filming of the Australian series has turned into a demolition derby with a repair bill close to $200,000.

No.. but we are closer than we have ever been.Even more than architecture, fashion and aircraft, cars are the most visually represented statement of our possible future. From Rust Heinz’ 1938 Phantom Corsair to Syd Mead's Spinner in Blade Runner, the car has been central to our dreams and the imaginations for our potential.The 1950's saw the emergence of a style of design exemplified by Nuccio Bertone, Virgil Exner and Harley Earl, that while it may be considered visually naive now still has profound influence on our perception of future possibilities. GMs Motorama of 1956 was the major showcase for this style of design that lasted into the early seventies, the over-riding feature being the human interpretation of function as driven by form.. The last truly great examples of this period; the Coke bottle Corvette of 67-73, the Ferrari Dino, Lamborghini Muira and E-Type Jag are now revered as works of art by car cognoscenti and their prices reflect their stature in the motoring world.. All of these cars display a human’s perception of the flow of air over metal; the mind as a virtual wind tunnel. Post these cars we saw a period of design that was quite - well...., square.The second coming of car design emerged around ten years ago and has been going from strength to strength. While the Futuristic period of the 50's set the visual benchmarks and boundaries for current designers, the designers of the period did not have the shackles of the oil, financial or environmental crisis to deal with. They also did not have the technology available that allowed them to add the function to the form efficiently. At the very heart of the current design period is the evolution of human possibilities that advancing technology and social dreams and responsibilities allow and dictate.. What we are seeing is art meeting and merging with technology to create form with function. If the 50’s were the golden era of car design we have now reached platinum. The Veyron, the 599, the DBS, 997, Murcielago and yes, still the Corvette – all are incredibly beautiful and also capable of 200 mph in relative safety.As exciting as car design presently is the Futurama period is hard to let go of, hence the number of Retro-future cars we continue to see. From the Mini to the Mustang good design should be celebrated, honored and mimicked. The re-interpretation of a classic design when made relevant to the current situation is not something to scorn as it just adds another variety, another choice - and there is nothing wrong with that.For a lot of current designers the benchmark for futuristic design was set in the 70's by Syd Mead  ...Visually we are there. Technologically we are close.We are at the dawn of the alternate propulsion era. We have broken through the political and financial barriers of the oil era. In many ways we can thank the current financial crisis for that. Electric is on the way, which will be an enthusiasts dream with its full size slot car performance and environmental friendliness.Let’s just not get to the point we ban petrol cars from our roads, let them naturally evolve out.With the future - we are almost there, but our past is continuing to remain with us longer. - Thankfully.The last turn of a V12 on a public road should be put off for as long as possible.Rod Halligan

What should have been the main attraction in the car world was reduced to a sideshow as the heads of America's Big Three sat down in Detroit on the same day to beg for the billions they need to stay in business.There was plenty of shiny new stuff but all the talk was doom and gloom, even from car chiefs who do not have the same live-or-die pressures as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler."I think it is fair to say this is the worst we have seen," the head of the world's fifth-largest carmaker, Carlos Ghosn of the Nissan- Renault alliance, says as he delivers the keynote speech at the opening of LA '08."And we are not certain. Is this the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning?", Ghosn says of the critical cash crisis which is affecting nearly everyone in the car world.Still, there is plenty of new stuff and news on the strangely subdued stands in downtown LA.The latest Ford Mustang, for a start.And then the world debut of the latest Mazda3 and Lexus RX, the great looking new Nissan 370Z, the updated Porsche Cayman and Boxster, and even a droptop Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4.It's no surprise, either, that some of the special impact in LA is reserved for cars which are chasing the elusive path to a future beyond petrol that satisfies American lawmakers' deepening desire for transport without emissions.The Mini E is the obvious champion, but LA also has the electric Mitsubishi i-MIEV which is likely to become Australia's first plug-and- go volt car, and all sorts of new-and-old battery-powered concept cars from the Big Three and a growing number of hybrid production cars including the Mondeo-sized Ford Fusion.As well as the radical looking Honda FC Sport Concept, which was done to prove that a hydrogen-powered future car does not have to look as boring or family as the company's upcoming Insight or the benchmark Toyota Prius.The show is a mis-hit for General Motors, which canned its concepts and parties, although Ford stays totally committed with a Mustang which makes the running for an event which typically draws around one million visitors in a city which is the car capital of the USA and, by extension, the world."I think there is a mixed emotion at the show," says J Mays (SUBS: CORRECT), the design director of Ford Motor Company."You still have to try and tug hard enough on the heart strings that people forget about the purse strings. It's a yin-and-yang situation."Looking over at his Mustang, and across to the Honda FC, Mays expresses what many people are thinking. Even at a time when it is more politically correct to attack the car chiefs, and their private- jet flights to Washington, than to talk about a show which takes another important step towards the world beyond petrol."Automobiles are escapism. It's not just transport," says Mays."People ask if it's appropriate to launch the Mustang at his time. Damn right it is. It puts a smile on your face and enhances your quality of life."That is definitely true of the Mustang, which still looks muscular and fresh despite a chassis which trails well behind the Ford Falcon, and the open-air Gallardo and even the second-generation Nissan Cube, which could just make it to Australia one day.And the 370Z looks tauter than today's 350, with the promise of more go and much better cabin quality, and the Mazda3 is fresh and happy.The Mini E looks just like the regular petrol-power car but is a milestone car which has the power and range to win people to electric."It's an important time in the history of the global car industry," says Carlos Ghosn.He worries about the impact of the global recession, and the money pressures on carmakers trying to evolve faster than ever before, and the challenges of safety and emission regulations.But, just like the cars on the LA Show stands, and the regular car people who flood in once the doors are open, he is bottom-line upbeat and bright."The one thing that is certain, absolutely certain, is that people will continue driving cars. Cars have no substitute. We have convergence on the issues, but divergence on the solutions," Ghosn says.And that is pretty much the way things looked in LA. 

It is long, low and very nasty; right down to the 5.3-litre V-10 engine ripped from the Gallardo supercar and slammed into the nose of the new Italian four-seater.

Where other high performance cars tend to make many aggro, a Lambo turns them meek and mild, yielding out of their lane or giving way at cross roads as the sleek Italian supercar burbles by. If only they really knew what it is like to drive a car like the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, they would totally lose it.We have and we nearly did.It's everything you might imagine and more.The experience is almost mystical for the mechanically inclined, certainly a sensory overload and possibly the best ego massager money can buy apart from a private jet or multi- million dollar yacht which not many people can see you in anyway.They sure do in the Lambo Spyder _ the convertible version of Lamborghini's V10 Gallardo supercar.Essentially the same as the mid-engine tin-top the Spyder has an electrically folding soft top and no engine window through which to view the “crown jewels.” You can't have everything.It costs a pretty penny (around $460,000rrp) for the stunning mica orange car we drove that was kitted out with extra goodies like robotised sequential paddle gear shift called e-gear and other luxuries.Competitors are from that other Italian supercar company whose name starts with F and to a lesser extent, Porsche though they are a cut below the two Italians in prestige if not performance.The name Lamborghini rolls off your tongue like a delicious feast and that's what the Gallardo Spyder is like _ delicious. It is sensational to drive at any speed.An aggressive looking beast, the Spyder is all angles and air vents, low slung with a big rump and short front that is totally in keeping with its performance potential and the incredible sound blasting out those twin big-bore exhaust pipes.If you have been to an F1 race and heard what a highly developed V10 on-song sounds like then you will appreciate the Gallardo's auditory assault. Funny enough, it only bellows, nay blasts when the throttle is pushed hard otherwise it could be your average unassuming sports car with a handsome baritone ringing from the engine. But moving to Metallica mode doesn't take long.Built around an aluminium space frame a-la Audi (owner of Lamborghini), and various polycarbonate and aluminium panels, the two seater Gallardo Spyder tips the scales at a respectable 1570kg which means its going to have plenty of get up with 382kW and 510Nm spinning from the highly developed 5.0-litre V10 engine. It will put away a 0-100kmh sprint in 4.3 seconds and according to company literature, will run right through 300kmh given access to a handy airfield.Better yet is the Gallardo Spyder's handling and ride _ aided by all-wheel-drive and sophisticated electronics that help keep everything in check regardless of speed (well, within reason).The suspension is based around aluminium components and is double wishbone front and rear. Lambo has added a really handy lift mode to the front suspension for negotiating speed humps and dish gutters. Works a treat.It rolls on gumball 19-inch Pirellis of large proportion fitted to some of the best looking composite alloy wheels we have ever seen.Handling is controlled, quick to response, neutral at high speed, well damped and surprisingly supple, even in `sport' mode. Power is delivered with a greater bias towards the rear axle and a partial limited slip rear diff.The optional e-gear system takes a bit of getting used to and isn't as rapid changing as some other systems but does the job well and is fun to use, even selecting reverse with a push button.It has a large turning circle which is sometimes annoying and likes a drink of high octane premium but with 80 litres in the tank, touring range is pretty good. The pedal box is tight so it's left foot braking.There is plenty of luxury kit inside the cabin including electrically adjustable and heated seats, premium audio, climate control aircon and power assisted ancillaries. The seats are upholstered in a soft leather with contrast piping and all controls are easy to use and stylishly laid out.Its a surprisingly comfortable car to drive relatively roomy in the cockpit and offering reasonably good visibility but minimal boot space. Access is easy, egress a little more difficult due to wide rocker panels under the doors.The Gallardo is a work of art for the mechanically attuned to behold. The massive disc brakes, superb build quality, lustrous paint, clockwork engine that has a serious sting in the tail and possibly the best exhaust note of any road car we have driven. How does it get past ADRs? Who cares, we drove around all the time roofless even in inclement weather just to savour the sound. Plenty of people had their phones out filming and recording the awesome sound track.We just worried about it all the time, a problem when you have responsibility for something as valuable and revered as the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. 

The next generation of Lamborghini road rockets could use turbocharged or supercharged engines to maintain their supercar edge.Force-fed powerplants are now clearly on the drawing board as the Italian company searches for the best way to maintain the power-to-weight potential of its Gallardo and flagship Murcielago.But there is still a conflict in the company.Lamborghini director of research and development Maurizio Reggiani dead-pans the idea, but chief executive Stephan Winkelmann says it is under investigation.Reggiani says naturally aspirated engines that fire the right numbers in key speed measurements are core to Lamborghini's composition, and introducing boosted powerplants is in direct conflict with that core DNA.However, Winkelmann admits turbo or supercharged units are “something we are working on”.“Mr Reggiani is right, but on the other hand we are working on the future,” Winkelmann admits.So it is not out of the question for Lamborghini to wedge an awesome V12 turbo-diesel engine into the Gallardo down the track.“Not only the near future, but the far future and there are no limits in terms of whatever contingencies you might have. It's the same as we have.”The new Gallardo V10 engine now comes with what the Italians call Iniezione Diretta Stratificata, which in Audi-speak is FSI or direct fuel injection.It comes as Lamborghini adopts a more responsible role in the world community, saying it is important to reduce noxious exhaust emissions.The just-launched and heavily revised Gallardo LP560-4 super coupe has made a massive leap in CO2 emissions, even though it has increased engine capacity and output. 

The mission statement for the newest member of the Lamborghini family is simple.The Gallardo LP560-4 is tasked with making the Italian exotic maker the most desirable super sports brand in the world, a big job, because Lamborghini has always struggled to be as credible or as fashionable as near-neighbour Ferrari.Lamborghini's LP560-4 – the name stands for for Longitudinal Position, 560-horsepower, four-wheel-drive – is a heavily revised remake of the original `Little Bull' that has been around since 2003 and has become the most successful Lambo model in history with 7100 sold.The plan is to give the substance to support its neck-snapping extreme designs and to lift sales 5 per cent on the 2046 result of last year.“We want to become the most desirable super sports car brand in the world – the most profitable and, for our employees, the best place to work,” Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann says.“A Lamborghini is not something you need to have, it is something you want to have.”The new Gallardo has gone ahead in all the right places and is lighter, faster, kinder on the environment and more pedestrian-friendly.There are significant gains for a coupe, which will cost $455,000 in Australia, where 15-20 cars from next year's production batch of 1000 will be sold.The V10 engine has been redesigned by Lamborghini and it has increased capacity – up from 5.0-litres to 5.2-litres – and a higher compression ratio for a rise in power from 382kW to 422kW and a flatter torque curve that improves driveability across all engine speeds.Against the clock the new baby Lambo arrows to 100km/h in 3.7sec (.4sec quicker than the previous model), has a maximum velocity of 325km/h (up 10km/h) and has shed 20kg to sit at a 1410kg kerb weight.Countering all of this testosterone-driven performance is the huge 18 per cent reduction in emissions, with C02 at 327g/km, a figure for the E-gear transmission fitted to 90 per cent of cars.A lot of work has been done on optimising the updated engine with the Audi-issue all-wheel-drive layout, where a mechanical differential at the rear allows 45 per cent limited slip with a front electronic diff lock.The suspension front and rear has been redesigned. It has fresh springs, dampers and anti-roll bars. And an added tie-rod at the rear is said to help provide the fastest set-up.Body changes include a reshaped front-end, larger side air intake scoops, and a crisp, clean rear with new striking tail lights above a black-mesh air outlet with four tailpipes harnessed in a tough-looking rear diffuser.The newest Lamborghini is a flawed genius.There are few other ways to describe this exotic, two-seat, mid-engined monster with its deeper-breathing V10 engine.The press preview drive in Las Vegas revealed cars that got hot too easily and with a nervous feel in the rear end – not good for a car of this price and position.The new Gallardo is an exercise in controlled evolution, since the original “Baby Bull” helped fire the unprecedented Lamborghini sales spurt since joining the bigger, badder Murcielago.It was unleashed at the Las Vegas Speedway, first on the Nascar oval, then the twisting infield course, before a run on desert roads leading to monstrous Lake Mead.At the track you would think the LP560-4 would stick like a slotcar, but there at times it was a little hesitant in the rear.This was repeated on the highway when cornering at a gentle 80km/h.Lamborghini says its new rear suspension is the best way to get the car to turn, but the compromise is this little rear-end moment.If you lift off the throttle or brake or shift gears the rear-end feels like it wants to walk around.There is never any suggestion it wants to swap ends but it is a flaw that has been dictated by the stopwatch rather than ironing out a stability glitch that should not be there.On the overheating front, it took only five laps behind a Lamborghini test driver for some of the Gallardos to drop maximum revs from 8000 to 6000.The company says the cars ran too close to those in front and were not getting enough air circulating through the enlarged side scoops.Still, the cars were set for serious track time. They had sports suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes and 19-inch Pirelli P-Zero rubber, with a double compound and 10 per cent less rolling resistance up to 80km/h.The good news about Gallardo II is that steering is communicative, brake pedal feel is superbly modulated and the E-gear transmission is well hooked up to the engine.But judging by a right-hand drive display car, the cabin is compromised. The US driving was in left-hand drive cars, but the display unit showed a squared-off wheel arch that intrudes into available foot space. Pedals are offset to the left but the steering wheel remains in the right place.So you will constantly brush your right foot against the wheel arch intrusion when applying the throttle.Inside, the partnership with Audi is showing tangible signs of taking Lamborghini to new levels of quality. A blend of Audi and Bentley touches show in the gear and instruments.The Lamborghini is a slick weapon, but it will not out-run a Porsche 911 GT3 on any point-to-point run. It is also debatable if it is worth $200,000 more than the Audi R8 two-seater.  

The first sports car company to build a giant four-wheel-drive has no plans to do it again.And Lamborghini also rules out joining Porsche and Aston Martin in building a four-door luxury sedan.The Italian company has closed the door on anything outside its sports car portfolio, and company president Stephane Winkelmann has passed some sharp judgments on the future of the luxury car business.“SUV's have had their day. They are finished,” he says of luxury four-wheel-drives.“It's important that we not shy away from our two models, which are helping us to improve awareness of the brand. We want to continue the message of uncompromising and extreme,” is his take on anything four-door that would dilute the Gallardo and Murcielago impact.Winkelmann says there is no chance Lamborghini will return to making a large off-road vehicle because it would be lambasted by environmentalists.Lamborghini produced the LM002 off-roader with a 5.2-litre V12 engine from 1986-1992 at a time when the company was part of the Chrysler empire.“We were the first to come out with an SUV, and people forget we were the first to come out with a real two-plus-two (the Lamborghini 400GT),” Winkelmann says.“To say ‘let's do an SUV' is not possible. There is no such thing as luxury SUVs. They are premium cars. I believe if we do an SUV it would have to be the biggest and strongest, but by its nature it would be very polluting and we would be crucified if we did it.”It would also complicate Lamborghini's plans to reduce emissions by as much as 40 per cent.So Winkelmann says Lamborghini will stick with today's two-model line-up, though there will be some undisclosed derivatives.He has plenty of reasons to be happy. Lamborghini has raised pre-tax profits from $567 million in 2006 to $765 million last year, mainly through better efficiency and drawing on partnerships – mostly in the VW Group, which owns Lamborghini – for such things as parts purchasing and back-room development.Lamborghini is on the move worldwide and, in Australia, its success is reflected in a new Brisbane dealership. Another will open in Perth before the end of the year.They are among 10 new dealerships worldwide that will boost Lamborghini's global network to 107, a number that has already risen from 65 in 2005.“Sydney and Melbourne make up 60 to 70 per cent of the market, but Queensland and Western Australia are both growing,” Winkelmann says.“We are not quite at 100 cars yet in Australia, but we are getting there. Australia is one market in the Asia-Pacific region that is growing.”Lamborghini sold 46 cars in Australia last year (up from 38 in 2006) compared with Ferrari, which sold 145 (up from 101 in 2006).