Lamborghini Gallardo News

Lamborghini has the answer with its Gallardo Spyder LP560-4, which makes its show debut along with the coupe version and Murcielago LP640 coupe.The Gallardo LP560-4 coupe and Spyder arrive mid-year. They share a 5.2-litre V10 engine, bolted into an aluminium spaceframe chassis with aluminium and thermoplastic body panels.The V10 develops 412kW at 8000 revs and 540Nm at 6500 revs, which in the Spyder gives it a top speed of 324km/h and a zero-100km sprint time of 3.7 seconds.The Spyder puts all this power to the ground through a six-speed robotic sequential gearbox and all-wheel drive.The Murcielago LP640 pumps out 471kW and 660Nm from its 6.5-litre V12 engine.Not surprisingly, the Murcielago is quick too, reaching 100km/h in 3.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 340km/h. The 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show... 

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. 

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. 

Europeans tore themselves away from exotic supercars to catch a close-up glimpse of the Nano, a tiny, basic and extremely cheap runabout which promises to turn the motoring world on its head.

You can have them all for a fraction of the price.P1 is a multi-million dollar version of a car-rental company but you need to be quick if you want to be a part of the action.Less than a year after launching its Melbourne office, memberships in the exclusive and expensive rental company are running out.More than 135 Australians have signed up and the company will limit its membership to 200 to make sure there are enough cars to go around.“We'll never go above 200 members,” says James Ward, general manager of P1 in Victoria, “basically to maintain a ratio of five new members for each new car.”Though only 29 vehicles are spread across the company's three Australian locations — in Richmond, Sydney and the Gold Coast — the quality of the cars and motorbikes has seen the company lay out $29 million on equipment.Set up by former Formula One world champion Damon Hill in 2000 in Britain, the club came to Australia in December 2006. The Richmond branch opened last March.Members can join for $4550 and pay annual charges ranging from $27,000 to $36,500 to have access to a dream garage.P1's roster includes three examples of the Lamborghini Gallardo, a Lamborghini Murcielago, Ferrari 430, Ferrari 575M, Aston Martin DB9, Bentley GT Continental, Porsche 997 GT3, Porsche Cayman S, Audi RS4 Avant, Lotus Exige, Hummer H2, and a Ducati 1098 and BMW K1200 for bikers.Packages give customers a bank of points to use through the year.As is befitting the cost, the company offers a range of services. They drop off the cars anywhere they are required and can store and wash the customer's personal car.“It's as much about the car as it is about the service,” Ward says . “It's whatever suits our customers.” 

A worldwide crackdown on emissions and economy will not hurt Lamborghini, according to the chief executive of the Italian brand.Stephan Winkelmann, who heads Lamborghini for the Audi group in Europe, says this year is already a sellout and Australian sales will probably be up almost 50 per cent on the 45 cars delivered last year.He says his company is booming and he is not worried about future emission standards.“Apart from the question of what is environmentally acceptable now and in five years, there is the question of social acceptability,” Winkelmann says.“Lamborghini means power and power means emissions".“But our cars are not driven regularly from point A to point B. Realistically, our emissions impact is zero.”During a brief trip to Sydney on a visit to the Asia-Pacific region— including the booming Chinese and Indian markets — Winkelmann says support for Lamborghini has never been better.He reports a record result for last year, with more than 2400 sales, dominated by a 75 per cent share for the Gallardo.But Lamborghini will never fight Ferrari for sales supremacy in the supercar class.“If you do that you destroy the dream; no one wants to buy your cars,” he says.“We are a two-model brand. Worldwide the average waiting time for delivery is 12 months, no longer than 18.”That, he says, ensures anticipation without causing frustration.It also guarantees the brand's elite status, which in turn should favour Lamborghini when the European Union's new emission standards come into effect in 2010.Because Lamborghini is a subsidiary of a subsidiary — owned by Audi, which is part of the giant Volkswagen Group — the parent companies will absorb the emission targets with their more mundane and fuel-efficient models.This will leave Lamborghini free to produce its immensely powerful V10 Gallardos and V12 Murcielagos.Winkelmann says Lamborghini has no interest in copying Audi's decision to fit a V12 diesel engine into its R8 supercar in addition to the existing V8 petrol powerplant, or to move into petrol-electric hybrids, despite Porsche's commitment to a hybrid in its forthcoming Panamera flagship.Indeed, Lamborghini's current elderly V12 — which is several decades old — may be produced beyond the current model cycle after some refinements in efficiency.Winkelmann says Lamborghini is a motoring icon, which ensures public goodwill and should help in the negotiations over emissions.“My own car is a Gallardo Superleggera and as I drive this much more often than a typical owner, I have a feeling of how people think of it,” he says.When driving around, he gets a lot of feedback.“With this car it is always this,” he says, giving a thumbs-up sign.“And never this”, giving the thumbs-down. 

Stephan Winkelmann spoke to carsguide during the Sydney stopover of his meet and greet tour of Asia-Pacific, which also takes in the burgeoning Chinese and Indian markets; the region Lamborghini has identified as its biggest potential market.Locally, 2007's 46 Australian Lamborghini sales figure is likely to increase by almost 50 per cent this year. Local dealers would sell more if they could get them, but the worldwide production for 2008 is already spoken for.Despite a record 2007 which saw more than 2400 sales, some 75 per cent of which were Gallardos, Winkelmann is adamant the marque will never pursue Ferrari figures.“If you do that you destroy the dream, no one is wishing to buy your cars,” he says. “We are a two model brand. Worldwide the average waiting time for delivery is 12 months, no longer than 18.”That, Winkelmann says, is about the right amount to guarantee anticipation without frustration. It also guarantees the brand's elite status, which in turn should favour Lamborghini when the European Union's new emission standards come into effect in 2010.“Lamborghini means power and power means emissions,” Winkelmann says. “But our cars are not those that are driven regularly from point A to point B. Realistically our emissions impact is zero.”Because Lamborghini is a subsidiary of a subsidiary (it's owned by the Volkswagen Group-controlled Audi marque) the parent companies would absorb the emission targets leaving Lamborghini free to produce its immensely powerful V10 Gallardos and V12 Murcielagos. There is no interest in emulating the V12 diesel version of Audi's R8, nor it seems, much acknowledgement of the hybrids recently vaunted by Porsche.Indeed, the current V12, a venerable device that traces it origins back several decades, will continue possibly beyond the current model cycle, albeit with some refinements in terms of efficiency. Surety is further provided by Lamborghini's status as a heritage icon, something Winkelmann is satisfied that not only European Union commissioners comprehend, but which translates to public goodwill.“Apart from the question of what is environmentally acceptable now and in five years, there is also the question of social acceptability,” he says.“My own car is a Gallardo Superleggera and as I drive this much more often than a typical owner, I have a feeling of how people think of it."“With this car it is always this,” Winkelmann says giving a thumbs up, “and never this,” giving the thumbs down. 

About 20 car enthusiasts have already done just that.

This 92-year-old NSW No.6 plate is expected to fetch between $1 million and $1.5 at this year's Shannon's auction on the last day of the Australian International Motor Show.