MT & More First Drives: 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera
Mar 25, 2010 | 10:36 AM
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MT & More First Drives: 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera 
"These two great brands have been duking it out ever since Ferrucio Lamborghini's Ferrari 250s proved so fragile and crude he vowed to build a better car. Ever since the tractor-manufacturer started making Grand Touring cars, the companies -- separated by only 20 miles or so -- have been competitors, but today their personalities couldn't be more different. Ferrari design and engineering is informed first and foremost by the scuderia's motorsport heritage and experience, and its latest offering, the 458 Italia, bristles with Formula 1 tech, from its movable aero flaps to its switch-encrusted steering wheel. Lamborghini, by contrast, has focused primarily on road cars, endowing them with extreme performance and styling. Lamborghini's response to the new Ferrari is a slightly more aggressive-looking Gallardo that's been lightened significantly and fortified slightly to match the Ferrari's output figures.
Like its 2007 predecessor, this Superleggera model derives most of its performance enhancement the Lotus way, by "adding lightness" -- 158 pounds of it to be exact. Most of the savings came by replacing metal or heavier plastic parts with carbon-fiber ones, the most notable of which include the engine cover, rear wing, sill panels, rear diffuser, mirror housings, some underbody paneling, and the interior tunnel and door panels. In all, these panels account for 88 pounds of newfound lightness. (Lamborghini conducts composite-structures research in partnership with Boeing and the University of Washington at Seattle and claims its research is rapidly lowering the cost of parts like these to the point that they may soon be affordable on vehicles produced by the thousands or even tens of thousands.)
Feathery but car-wash-proof polycarbonate replaces all glass behind the B-pillars, including the huge engine viewport. Forged aluminum wheels attached by titanium bolts shave another 29 pounds -- and that weight is unsprung rotational-inertia mass, so it earns triple dividends on the performance-enhancement ledger. Ascetic enthusiasts can save a few more pounds by deleting the radio, but air conditioning and power windows remain standard. Production will not be limited, and the sticker price of $242,695 represents a $34,700 premium over the base 560-4."
my gut instincts say they'll magically appear after 458's #'s are out 
