Lamborghini Gallardo 2012 News

You'd be brave to pick the star of Geneva before the show is over. But you'd be blind to overlook the lead set by the Giugiaro Brivido.Styled by design maestro Giorgetto Giugiaro, and built at his Italdesign Giugiaro studio in Turin, the sleek hybrid supercar doesn't have a bad angle. A lanky streamlined carbon-fibre and aluminium body of close to 5 metres, set off with panorama roof, bisected gullwing doors and talons of LED lights. It's pure Italian supermodel.The hybrid system comprises a Volkswagen-sourced,  front-mounted 265kW/460Nm 3.0-litre V6 engine matched with an electric motor to give a total of 300kW/600Nm, delivered to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.The press kit says the car will get from 0-100km/h in 5.8 seconds - no match for most Italian supercars - but can reach a top speed of 275km/h.It's something of a technology showcase, with cameras (instead of side mirrors) feeding into steering wheel-mounted monitors, touchscreens for the instrument cluster and airconditioning controls - which descend from the headliner - and the almost mandatory iPad docking station.

A rear-drive Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder has just arrived for Australia, joining the similar 550-2 Coupe that already opens the action for the Italian brand. The new roadster comes in at $50,000 than the existing 550-4 Spyder a price point that's already winning interest from supercar shoppers. "When you consider thje price difference it makes it quite interesting. We're expecting to get it in the first quarter of the new year," says Martin Roller, one of the Lamborghini agents for Australia. "There will be around 10 cars for Australia for next year." But Roller, from Brisbane, says the Gallardo Spyder is more than just another low-volume Italian exotic. "It's the beginning of a new age for Lamborghini in Australia. In the past the brand perhaps hasn't had the justice it has deserved," he says. "There are lots of positive signs. The Aventador is hot and the Gallardo is going well." Lamborghini has recently changed its distributors in Sydney and Brisbane and is about to crank up the involvement from its Asia-Pacific headquarters in China. It has even shipped cars to Australia for test programs with potential buyers. The Spyder is too new for a widespread push but it has the right combination of price and position for success, with total worldwide sales of the Gallardo closing on 12,000 cars. Lamborghini focussed on driving enjoyment in the new Spyder, claiming extensive modifications in concentrating on the rear-wheel drive. There is a new suspension package and even the aerodynamics were tweaked for the new weight and power distribution. The car has a locking rear differential, with a Corsa program to give larger drift angles, although it is not available with a manual gearbox, just the E-Gear system. The car's 5.2-litre V10 engine makes 405 kiloWatts and, with a weight of 1520 kilograms, that means a top speed of 319km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint in 4.2 seconds.

The car used for the world's fastest one-make production car race series has been tuned for the street with the launch of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Stradale. The 5.2-litre V10 is a 420kW/540Nm missle that hits 100km/h just 2.8 seconds after launch. Company CEO Stephan Winkelmann calls the combination of lightweight construction, edgy styling  and outright power "performance art". Exclusivity is guaranteed with only 150 examples to be built. If that's too common for you, the Sesto Elemento concept car has been confirmed as a low-volume production model. Low volume for Lamborghini is 20 cars ... with an estimated price of around $2.8 million each and a 0-100km/h time of 2.5 seconds. The Sesto Elemento (Italian for sixth element) uses the same engine as the Super Trofeo Stradale but extensive use of carbon firbe and kevlar trims weight by around 280kg.

First unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the successor to the hugely successful Murcielago, redefines super sports car parameters. The Aventador boasts brutal power, outstanding lightweight engineering, and phenomenal handling precision to deliver an unparalleled driving experience. Named after a particularly courageous Spanish Bull, this beast boasts a 6.5-litre V12 engine and produces a phenomenal 515kW of power and 690Nm of torque. The spectacular looking coupe, complete with the Lamborghini scissor doors, has been described as an avant-garde work of art with its extreme razor sharp lines and taut surfaces. Inspiration from modern aeronautics is evident from the front spoiler to the rear diffuser on the exterior while the interior boasts a next generation TFT-LCD instrument display. The carbon fibre monocoque chassis ensures extreme rigidity and outstanding driving precision and safety. The exceptional lightweight engineering of the monocoque ensures that the kerb weight is kept to just 1575kg resulting in some mind blowing performance figures. Through its permanent four wheel drive system the 7-speed Aventador accelerates at 0-100km/h in 2.9 seconds and has a top speed of 350km/h. “The Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 is two generations ahead in terms of design and technology.” Andrew Smith, managing director of Lamborghini Melbourne said after driving the car recently on the Vallelunga circuit near Rome. “The Aventador is a truly exceptional package of design, style and technical perfection. Its performance is simply astonishing and is unrivalled in the super sports car arena.” Mr Smith said. “The Aventador looks amazing in photographs, but this is nothing to seeing it in person. I’m sure the visitors to the Australian International Motor Show are going to love it.” Australian International Motor Show event director Russ Tyrie says that the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 is the sort of vehicle that motor shows are traditionally about. “There is no greater drawcard for a motor show than a spectacular, brand new, never-seen-in-Australia super sports car” Mr Tyrie said. “To have such an important and impressive supercar unveiled locally so soon after its global unveiling is very exciting for the Australian International Motor Show.” The Australian International Motor Show opens at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre at 6pm on Friday 1 July, and runs until Sunday 10 July.

The replacement for the Gallardo has been spotted several times and now speculation in Europe is shifting to the name. Jota - a name from the past - is widely tipped but Lamborghini is always looking to the future these days, so the car could easily wear different badges once the camouflage in this Carparazzi picture is stripped away.

It's 15kg lighter than a Porsche Boxster and, at a mind-altering 419kW, is almost twice as powerful into the bargain.  The weight? It’s just 1343kg – about the same as a Mercedes-Benz B Class. And four times the power. It’s the kind of car that puts nearly all other cars – even the desirable ones – nicely in perspective, don’t you think?  Superleggera is Italian for ‘super lightweight’ which, in concert with the staggering performance from the familiar – albeit tweaked – 5.2-litre V10 engine, gives the newest, lightest and baddest Lambo in the shed absolutely unassailable performance credentials. That makes it 90kg lighter than the previous jaw-droppingly impressive LP560-4 Superleggera. And 28kW more powerful.  Most of the lost weight is attributable to an even greater investment in carbon fibre, although some has been trimmed by making the aluminium wheels even lighter. A real highlight with this car is the massive-worked front air intakes, obviously inspired by another incomprehensibly dramatic Lambo – the fighter jet-inspired Reventon.  If that’s not enough to ensure standing room only around the Lamborghini stand for the duration of the Motor Show, Lamborghini will also showcase the new Gallardo 560-4 Spyder and the 550-2 (2WD) supercars, the latter of which, with a stupendous 405kW driving just two wheels, was inspired by Valentino Balboni, Lamborghini’s legendary test driver. Balboni served the company for 40 years in perhaps the world’s most enviable job, before retiring in October 2008. He started his career at Lamborghini in 1968 as a mechanic before a personal request by the founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini, saw him test driving the cars for a living. He reportedly drove 80 per cent of all Lamborghinis ever made. He continues to work for the company today, as a consultant.