GTSpirit Road Test: Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera

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04-19-2010, 10:21 AM

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GTSpirit Road Test: Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera

Kudos to our friends at Gtspirit.com for a fantastic review on the LP570-4 Superleggera.

"What do you get when you trim some weight of a standard Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, optimize the engine management and finish it with some racy bits and pieces? Right! The all new Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera. We spend two days with the second generation Gallardo Superleggera in and around the Italian city of Milan and are about to tell you all about it.

But since the original Superleggera is probably not something you see or hear about every day we will refresh your memory. In 2007 Lamborghini started production of a light-weight version of the Lamborghini Gallardo. The engineers at the Lamborghini factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese took the standard Gallardo and stripped away as much weight as possible. In total they saved 100 kg, hence the name superleggera that directly translated means superlight. The Superleggera was lighter and more powerful, resulting in faster acceleration and quicker laps on track. However this came at a price, the Superleggera was a lot more expensive and a lot less comfortable than the standard Gallardo. From it’s introduction in 2007 til the introduction of the next generation Gallardo a year later, Lamborghini produced and sold 618 pieces of the Superleggera.

But that was two years ago. Now, in april 2010, the new Lamborghini Superleggera LP570-4 is just over a month old, and we received a call from Italy that there was a brand new Bianco Monocerus (fancy Italian words for White) Superleggera waiting for us to check out at ADM in Milan. Last year we drove the Gallardo LP560 around the Emilia–Romagna province that is host to the Lamborghini factory in the worst conditions you can wish for when you have 560 hp under your right foot. This time however the skies were blue and the temperature at this early spring day in Milan felt like a summer day where I come from. In other words the ideal conditions for a road test and photo shoot with this raging bull.

GTspirit road test: Lamborghini LP570-4 Superleggera in Milano on Vimeo

In essence the new LP570-4 Superleggera is very much like the original Gallardo Superleggera. A Gallardo that’s geared towards ‘recreational’ track use. The weight has been reduced by the extensive use of carbon fibre and new polycarbonate rear and side windows. The engine’s electronic control unit has been slightly modified to deliver 10 hp more than the LP560 and further improve performance. Unlike it’s predecessor the LP570-4 Superleggera that was waiting for us was equipped with ‘luxury’ amenities like a multimedia navigation system, nose lift and rear view parking camera, that make driving the Superleggera around town just a tiny bit more comfortable. But we found out there’s more to it than a few more options and 10 hp more, to experience that we had to get inside the car.

From the outside the Superleggera has its own identity but its appearance is far less emotional and striking than the LP670 Superveloce. The first thing you will notice when you enter the Superleggera is the use of a lot of carbon and alcantara, the interior looks very much like the interior in the old Superleggera.The carbon sports seats are also finished in alcantara and have four-point seat belts. When you’re finally strapped in (this can be an annoying process) it’s time to fire up the 5.2 litre V10 engine. As soon as you do the 570 horses breathe out sharply through the four tailpipes. The sound of the Gallardo’s V10 is something that is close to addictive, even after a dozen revs and unnecessary gear changes I still couldn’t resist to do it again and again only to listen to the sound. The Superleggera tune is a bit rawer and louder than the normal Gallardo and even resembles the sound of an F1 car thanks to the unique crankshaft.

Full article, pics, and review -->> Road Test: Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera - GTSPIRIT.COM