OUR CAR
Splash brings you yet another stunning supercar. Only around 600 Gallardo Spyders were made by Lamborghini, and after Audi got involved they made a useable yet incredibly brutal supercar in the Gallardo. With the fascinating roof mechanism in the lowered position, the driver gets up close and personal with the awesome sound of the V10 power plant. Not a sound that will ever tire those that want the sound as well as looks with their supercar. This car has been perfectly maintained, and cherished. The previous owner is one of Splash's best and most loyal clients and his passion for this car shines through, a passion which is shortly to be diverted to a new Huracan. The car is looked after by Lamborghini Sevenoaks, and in their words "is one of the finest Gallardo Spyders in the country" a fine testament to such a beautiful car.
Lamborghini Gallardo V10 Spyder
Gallardo Spyder in the UK? Does that mean leaky roof and just too damn unwieldy for our streets...You're way off target. A lot of cars simply don't translate to the UK. You drive them on (smooth, sunny) foreign roads and they make perfect sense, only to fail spectacularly when they arrive on our not so sunny and not very smooth shores. So it's a pleasant surprise that the Gallardo Spyder - £131,000, 520bhp and 197mph - works so brilliantly in the UK.
How so?
For a start the new roof is a work of art. To raise it, you press a button beside the gearknob and it sounds like a stairlift has sprung to life behind you. The entire rear deck lifts up to allow a brief glimpse of the engine, as the roof is unfurled from a tiny cubby behind the seats. It then folds down and clicks perfectly in place to create a solid (and watertight) seal with the windows. The movement takes a shade over 20sec which should just beat the traffic lights and save you from a soaking. With the roof up there's substantially more noise than in the coupe, but that's only to be expected. It may be snug, but the Spyder is by no means uncomfortable. The cabin borrows from the flagship SE version of the Gallardo, which means bright colours and carbon fibre trim. The major controls have been pinched from the Audi A8 which means they all work and the driving position is spot on. So it's comfy, leak-proof and semi-practical. Okay, but that's of little use if you're going to get stuck every time you enter an NCP…
It may have a mighty presence but the Gallardo is 169mm shorter than a Ford Mondeo and only 100mm wider, so it's easy to weave down our narrow roads. Parking is another matter. That wedge profile looks incredibly sexy but makes reversing an almost spiritual experience.
Come on, what's it like to drive?
Lamborghini has stengthened the Gallardo's spaceframe chassis around the windscreen pillars and rear bulkhead to boost ridgidity. As a result the Gallardo feels very stiff on all but the bumpiest roads, when the body starts flexing a little. It's an impressive feat of engineering, especially when you bear in mind the amount of power (520bhp and 376lb ft of torque) is being channelled through the chassis. The underpinnings are from the Gallardo SE. This means the Spyder benefits from sharper steering, revised damping, an extra 27bhp over the 'standard' Gallardo and revised gear ratios to sharpen performance. The result is an immensely quick and capable supercar that's easy to exploit on UK roads. The damping can be caught out over a series of bumps but generally it keeps the body firmly planted to the tarmac. The engine is epic, not just in its linear, relentless power delivery but in its soundtrack. When the butterfly opens in the exhaust nothing, absolutely nothing, comes close to the ferocity of its noise. It's shrill, angry and just a little bit scary. The weak link is the steering. It stops the Gallardo from really coming alive, due to the lack of feel. It doesn't meet the same high standards set by the Gallardo's chassis and engine.
Anything else?
The manual gearbox looks and feels the business but is a little cumbersome for quick changes. CAR Online recommends opting for the E-Gear semi-automatic gearbox over the manual. It's lightning quick and easy to use and allows you to devote your full attention to the rapidly approaching scenery.
Verdict
The Gallardo Spyder is not just one of the best looking cars in the UK, it's one of the most beautiful on this planet. Very few cars can match its enormous presence, or the desirable mix of German engineering and Italian style. And its soul – that howling, urgent V10 – is enough to make any man weak at the knees. The Gallardo Spyder is sensational.
CAR Review (2006)
VERDICT
This car is simply one of the most exciting, exhilarating super cars available today. The sound, the handling, the presence, nothing else tops this raging Italian Bull. Our car is stunning, perfect history, the right colour, pretty much perfection in our eyes. If you are looking for a Gallardo Spyder, it will be love at first sight without any doubt at all.
A truly stunning car, for the discerning driver.
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