2004 Lamborghini Gallardo - Basically a Lot of Bull
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| No one will mistake the new Gallardo for anything but a Lamborghini. (Photo: Lamborghini) |
Gallardo, pronounced 'ga:yàrdo', the official name for Lamborghini's previously codenamed L140, is once again a lot of bull. What? Like the Diablo and Murciélago, named after fierce fighting bulls, the Gallardo pays its respects to one of the five main breeds, itself named for Francisco Gallardo, an 18th century breeder.
Not since the Jalpa, which was killed by then owner Chrysler in July of 1988, has Lamborghini dabbled in 'entry-level' exotic territory. But unlike the previous 3.5-L V8 powered supercar, the new Gallardo sports an additional two cylinders resulting in a much more raucous 5.0-L V10. Its 500-hp hits in at a screaming 7,800 rpm while 376 lb-ft (510 Nm) of rear wheel torque arrives at a more tractable 4,500 rpm, with variable valve timing added to even out the peaks and valleys. Such power should be ample to scoot it to illegal speeds with Ferrari dominating alacrity, especially being that all four wheels, via the Lamborghini Viscous Traction system, grip the tarmac simultaneously - biased with 30% up front and 70% out the rear.
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| The 3.5-L V8 Lamborghini Jalpa was pulled from the market in 1988 due to slow sales. (Photo: Lamborghini) |
Speaking of Ferrari the new Lamborghini incorporates a 6-speed 'paddle' shift actuated sequential gearbox, the right stuff for this hyper-tech league, putting it on par with the 360 Modena F1 and F575M for that matter. Power goes down to both axles relying on the electronic stability program's (ESP) automatic brake differential (ABD) up front and a limited slip differential (LSD) out back for traction.
What about braking? In the dry the Gallardo's 8-piston front and 4-piston rear caliper Brembo brakes will pull 1.1 g stops over and over again with imperceptible fade, thanks also to 365 mm (14.4 in) front and 335 mm (13.2 in) rear rotors. Of course, electronic ABS is part of the package.