Ok guys, this is a review that I have written. As you can see from my signiture I want to become an automotive journalist and this is an article I have began to type up for a competition to win an iPad. Here is the link for those of you who are interested Write for Us | High Gear Media. So anyway it is difficult to write a story comparing the two without driving either so I am basing it upon facts and figures. I am also going to read various other reviews to get an idea which car is best. Please send me all the constructive criticism you want, because I need to learn. Please send me some advice because I know that my structure is not 100% correct. So anyway here it is. Feel free to correct any of my mistakes. Thanks for any help guys




Supercars. If you hear someone say 'supercar' you instantly know what they are talking about. A stripped down hardcore road car, with a monstrous engine powering it at the rear wheels or all the wheels to help make them go as fast as possible. But what qualities are needed for a car to be give the supercar status? As we all know there are a few core ingredients that go into making any supercar. First off the car has to have the crazy, outlandish exterior which can be spotted from miles away. Take the Pagani Zonda for instance. This machine is the epitome of what a supercar should be. You just need to take one look at it to see what I am talking about. Every line, every curve flowing around the car has an aerodynamic purpose to help make the car as fast as physics will allow. Cast your mind back to the Lamborghini Miura if you will. This was the world's 'first' supercar, and starring at one in person, taking in every little detail you can understand why. Every single piece has a purpose, everything needs to be in your face to create a supercar. If you chuck a V10 engine into a Mazda MX-5 that will not make it a supercar. Why? It only has one of the qualities that a supercar needs that being the engine. While on the topic of engines, this brings me to the second ingredient a supercar needs. It needs the massive, powerful and loud engine. This engine needs to a many-cylindered engine, placed very low in the car to improve the cars centre of gravity. When Ferrucio Lamborghini decided to start building cars to prove a point to Ferrari Enzo he insisted on using the now legendary V12 engine. This very first 3.5 litre engine that Lamborghini produced was placed into the first Lamborghini the 350 GT. And at the time produced a ‘measly’ 350bhp, but at the time that was ground breaking. The new Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera (Boy, that is a mouthful!) pumps out 570bhp in comparison. Once you have the engine taken care of there is one other stipulation to enter the supercar club. This being price. A supercar, unfortunately, should be in the category filled with wealthy businessmen and people who have been lucky enough to win the lottery. The Nissan GT-R is the only relatively cheap ‘supercar’ but if you want something more up market like a Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche you better get to work! These I believe are the three core ingredients that every supercar should have. Ferrari is arguably the world’s most renowned supercar manufacturer with Lamborghini not too far behind.

The Ferrari 458 Italia and the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera are these two companies’ latest entries into the supercar market. Let’s start with the Ferrari shall we. This brand new offering from Ferrari was released at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and has a base price of $230,675 in the US. The 458 Italia is the spiritual successor to the old F430 but Ferrari insists it is a completely new car. And it certainly is. Ferrari claims that the Ferrari 458 Italia is the fastest car around its Fiorano test rack and it would not surprise me if it was. Just have a look at the spec sheet. The 4.5 litre Italian V8 engine smashes out 562 horsepower to be exact with 540Nm of torque coming from the rear wheels. This is an incredible 87bhp and 55Nm of torque over its predecessor the F430. This engine launches the 458 for 0-100km/h in just 3.35 seconds and onto a top speed of over 325km/h. The peak power is reached at a screaming 9000 rpm and 80% of the torque available at 3,250 rpm. This engine features Ferrari’s first ever direct-injection mid mounted engine in the company’s history. As for the transmission it features a similar transmission to that found in the Ferrari California which is a Getrag dual-clutch 7-speed transmission which unfortunately for the hardcore enthusiasts is not available in a traditional manual option. The car weighs in at only 1,380kg will extensive use of aluminum, with the styling being done by Pininfarina. There is no doubt that the 458 Italia is bite the back of your beautiful. Every curve is sexy and every line is gorgeous. The front is aerodynamically designed to reduce drag at high speeds with the front grille featuring deformable winglets that lower at high speeds, to help reduce drag. At 200km/h the 458 produces 140kg of downforce, and from the rear it has the famous 3 exhaust pipes which were first seen on the F40. As for the interior it was designed in part by Formula 1 driving ace Michael Schumacher with all the controls and dials focused in on the driver. Gone are the standard stalks on the steering wheel with all the controls being now placed on the face of the wheel for easy and quick reach. Incredibly the 458 features steering that is only 2 turns lock-to-lock which is the least amount of turns in Ferrari’s history. Now those are the key specs of the 458 so let’s move onto the Lamborghini.

The Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera is a stripped-down, hardcore version of the ‘standard’ LP560-4. The new Superleggera also has the lowest C02 Emissions rating in the current Lamborghini lineup, which for the tree huggers out there is very important. This new Gallardo weighs around 70kg less than the LP560-4 with comprehensive use of carbon- fiber around the car. Carbon-fiber is ideal for supercars as it reduces weight and improved strength. Lamborghini claims that the car weighs ‘no more’ than 1340kg making it the lightest road-going Lamborghini in the range and it is also 40kg lighter than the Ferrari. Lamborghini engineers also reduced weight by swaping out the standard glass side windows and rear windshield and have replaced them with super strong and resistant polycarbonate. Lamborghini is at the for front of carbon-fiber technology after recently opening the ‘Automobili Lamborghini Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory’ at the University of Washington in Seattle. The Superleggera uses the same engine found in the LP560-4 which has now been tuned to produce 570 PS in the old language or 562bhp, which is the exact same as that of the Ferrari. These two beasts are turning out to be very very close. With similar weights and the same power the Lamborghini just edges ahead with approximately 426bhp/tonne where the Ferrari has to make do with ‘only’ 413bhp/tonne. As a result the Lamborghini will rocket from 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds (which will have Murcielago owners worried) and doesn’t stop until it hits 202mph or 325km/h. The Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera is a damn good looker, just edging out the Ferrari in the looks department. Lamborghini has completely redesigned the front bumper giving it the styling reminiscent of that found in Lamborghini’s top model the Murcielago SV. This new design reduces drag and increases the supply of cooling air and also improves downforce at the front to reduce the chances of understeer. Other styling modifications include a new carbon-fiber rear diffuser to increase downforce at the back of the car to improve grip and to help the car launch from one apex into another. The interior of the Superleggera is similar to the one found in the LP560-4 except again with extensive use of carbon-fiber. The center tunnel cover, door panels among other elements are made from carbon-fiber. The Superleggera also features new seat for both passenger and driver with the shells being made out of carbon-fiber which make a significant contribution to the weight saving of the car. However, saying this you may think that the interior is bare and stripped out with very little features. You would be wrong. The interior is draped in ‘luxurious’ alcantara with a GPS unit available as an option. The LP570-4 is offered in six standard exterior colours these being Verde Ithaca, Giallo Midas, Arancio Borealis, Grigio Telesto, Nero Noctis and Bianco Monocerus. As for the brakes the Gallardo is fitted with aluminum eight-piston calipers at the front, with four-piston units at the rear. As an optional extra Lamborghini will fit the Superleggera with extremely fade-resistant carbon-fiber ceramic discs.

So who is the winner? Well that is a difficult question. Being only 15 and not being able to drive either, you would bet your money on the Lamborghini. It certainly as the whole supercar thing down to a tee, and it also has the better specifications. However the general consensus seems to be that the Ferrari edges ahead everywhere else. Its dual-clutch system is faster and more fluid than the transmission on the Lamborghini. From what I have heard it seems to be the better car just about everywhere when you are driving it. The Lamborghini is a more hardcore boy-racer which would be an incredible beast on the track. The Ferrari however would be the easiest of the two to live with, and because of this I think the Ferrari is the winner. I am a true Lamborghini enthusiast at heart, but have to hand it to Ferrari for what they have done with the 458. Do you remember the famous quote by Frank Sinatra? ‘If you want to be somebody buy a Ferrari, if you are somebody own a Lamborghini’ I couldn’t put it better myself.

 

Nice writeup.

 

very cool for 15

 

My review has been published on a website Here is the link...

Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera Versus Ferrari 458 Italia - All Exotic Cars

 

Good review, not bad

 

Nice job Brad but as you know it's hard to really review these accurately with no seat time mate.

 

And with no drive time as well

Nice review for the start though.

 

very good writeup. great job. one thing i don't get is why everybody compares the lp-570 to the 458 when we should be comparing the lp-560 and 458. the lp-560 is the 458 real competitor.

 

Yeah I know it is hard to do it without driving them. I am going to do more overview's of newly released cars from now without actually reviewing them.

 

I did a Ford Focus RS overview which is a lot shorter

2011 Ford Focus RS500 Overview - Euro Car Reviews