Supercar Seat Time in Land Where Lambos Are Born

[BMWDave]

Link with Movie

Supercar Seat Time in the Land Where Lambos Are Born
By Basem Wasef
Date posted: 07-18-2005

In 1985, the Lamborghini Countach was the object of my preadolescent obsession. More than just the ultimate sports car, its ridiculous alien styling, tempestuous V12, and unfriendly ergonomics made it the quintessential exotic. To a car-crazed 13-year-old, what could be sexier than a car that unhinged heads, went like stink, and cost more than a house?

Today's 13-year-olds have it even better. Now there are two Lamborghinis to drool over. The top-of-the-line Lamborghini Murcielago is a couple of generations down the line from the Countach, but every bit as worthy of worship. Then there's the new Lamborghini Gallardo. It's smaller, has a V10 and costs just $175,000. You can call it the entry-level Lambo, but you still can't afford it.

I don't have that kind of cash either, but I did manage to talk my way into a tour of the factory followed by a test-drive. In contrast to the newly constructed company headquarters (replete with Lambos of yore, including several versions of the aforementioned Countach), the assembly line in Sant'Agata is surprisingly old school. Sophisticated hoists cradle bundles of aluminum and carbon fiber, and everything is assembled by hand. If there is an automotive equivalent of haute couture, this is it.

The Gallardo is assembled in 22 stations. The Murcielago and Murcielago Roadster are built in just 10. At the early stages of assembly, the differences between the two models are dramatic; the Murcielago starts life as an alloy shell interconnected with black carbon-fiber beams. The Gallardo's skeleton, by contrast, is a 600-pound aluminum space frame manufactured in Germany, and arrives in Sant'Agata preassembled and painted.

As the cars pass each assembly step, differentials, electrical systems and various mechanical entrails are pulled from bins and hand-assembled onto the structural frames. Simultaneously, interior and leatherwork pieces are hand-built for the Murcielago and eventually merged with the body, while Gallardo interiors are sourced externally. Though both engines are hand-assembled at the Sant'Agata plant, the Gallardo's V10 block is manufactured off-site and shipped to Hungary for finishing before it reaches Italy.

As Gallardos and Murcielagos form, glass and body panels are affixed and tolerances checked before final inspection underneath the ruthless glare of a lighting tunnel, a quality control technique borrowed from Audi. At their current rate of production, the factory builds one to two Murcielagos per day, and six to seven Gallardos.

Much to the curiosity and occasional terror of local residents, the plant's lack of private proving grounds means each newly minted Lamborghini is tested on local roads. If it's good enough for their test-drivers it's good enough for me, I thought as I was handed the keys to a Gallardo with a six-speed manual. Although populated with trucks, scooters and erratic Italian drivers, my playground also includes tight hillside roads, scenic highways and stretches of autostrade perfect for triple-digit bursts of speed.

Entering the angular Gallardo is easy. It has traditional doors unlike the Murcielago's "scissor door" design. It may be pedestrian for a Lamborghini, but conventional doors are a small concession when purchasing an entry-level car that's $100,000 cheaper than the next model up.

The Gallardo's cockpit is a surprisingly comfortable and discreet space, despite a cramped footwell. Familiar Audi switchgear triggers my A4 sense memory, but the Gallardo's luxuriously spare interior is even more refined. Interior panels fit together tightly, and while rear visibility is somewhat limited, it is head-and-shoulders above that of the bulkier and more claustrophobic Murcielago. A buttery-soft Alcantara headliner adds a sense of opulence, though this cockpit's austere German influence seems to overshadow its flamboyant Italian genes.

Fire up the 500-hp V10, however, and its guttural notes suck you back into the land that spawned Puccini faster than you can say "aural aria." The engine block may be machined abroad, but its soul is pure Italian opera, authoritative and serious at low rpm, and satisfyingly untamed at high rpm.

Though the free-revving 5.0-liter V10 begs to be slammed off the line, dropping the clutch from a standstill is unwise; its viscous-coupled four-wheel-drive system absorbs the shock of 376 pound-feet of peak torque, while sticky Pirelli PZero rubber eliminates any remaining possibility of wheelspin, even with traction control disabled.

Off-the-line launches require strict hand/foot discipline, but any driveline drag from the all-wheel-drive system is countered by the V10's tremendous torque. Working the aluminum shifter through the metal gates offers a satisfying clunk of metal against metal, and the manual labor produces adrenaline rushes that are modulated with a progressive clutch pedal.

Though it offers decent pull below 4,000 rpm, the Gallardo's V10 truly screams at higher rpm thanks to continuously variable intake and exhaust valve timing. According to Lamborghini, the Gallardo's power plant pushes it to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, and to a top speed of 192 mph, the latter of which I sadly did not experience due to omnipresent autostrade traffic.

Handling is impressively stable and crisp, combining aggressively tuned springs, stabilizer bars and Koni self-adjusting dampers with good old-fashioned four-wheel drive. The Gallardo also provides a safety net with stability management (ESP), traction control (ASR) and an automatic brake differential (ABD). Though the Gallardo further errs in the direction of safety by initially favoring understeer, reaching those handling limits on public roads would require reckless levels of bravado which few drivers will exhibit in the real world. In spite of assertive input, this baby Lambo insists on remaining firmly planted to the pavement. When adhesion limits are crossed, the Gallardo reacts by providing feedback, rather than snapping completely out of control.

Unnatural steering feedback has been eliminated by sending 70 percent of the engine's power to the rear wheels under normal conditions. The ride is firm and sometimes jarring, though never punishing in an excessively crude way. Backing up the superlative suspension are eight-piston Brembo front calipers and four-piston rears that produce up to 1.1 Gs of reverse thrust, according to Lamborghini.

Pitching the Gallardo around intimate, rolling hillsides, it wasn't the car's outrageous handling limits or even the all-wheel-drive traction that surprised me. It was the fact that this Lamborghini offered dual-zone climate control, a navigation system and excellent ergonomics ? a level of civility usually disdained by high-end exotics, particularly Italian ones.

To return the Gallardo, I park in front of the classic Lamborghini gallery where the notoriously temperamental Countach happens to be poised behind plate-glass windows. Does the 20-year-old wild child recapture my imagination? Sure it does. But suddenly, the evolved Gallardo with refinement, polish and build quality has become a more intriguing dream. I've probably matured since my days of my unbridled Countach lust, but then again, so has Lamborghini. It has built a covetable car that maintains its trademark spacecraft styling, without compromising speed or comfort.

Who said the term "everyday exotic" had to be an oxymoron?

[Raza]

The Gallardo's a good GT, and it's bloody quick.  Not a better car than the Ford GT, but I'd take it over an F430, probably.

[BMWDave]

The Gallardo's a good GT, and it's bloody quick.  Not a better car than the Ford GT, but I'd take it over an F430, probably.

Is the F430 a GT by your definition?

[Raza]

The Gallardo's a good GT, and it's bloody quick.  Not a better car than the Ford GT, but I'd take it over an F430, probably.

Is the F430 a GT by your definition?

Yes, it is.

[Raghavan]

i don't think the gallardo should have 4wd.

[Raza]

i don't think the gallardo should have 4wd.

I doubt Lamborghini has the money (nor will VW supply it) to develop a rear drive chassis.  

[SJ_GTI]

Its an amazing car, and the AWD is okay for me, especially since they give it a hefty RWD bias. Its system is similar to quattro from my understanding in that it will re-distribute power to the wheels with grip when needed, and obviously I think quattro is plenty fun.    

[giant_mtb]

I didn't read the article, but I don't like the way Lambo's look.  I mean if I had one that'd be sweet, and if I saw one in person, sweet too, but I still think they're quite ugly.

[BMWDave]

I didn't read the article, but I don't like the way Lambo's look.  I mean if I had one that'd be sweet, and if I saw one in person, sweet too, but I still think they're quite ugly.

I thought that too...I originally thought I liked the Murceilago (sp?) more, but then I saw the Gallardo and it in person, and the Gallardo is truly a nice car.  

The later generation Diablos are also quite nice as well.

But the countach has to be one of the ugliest cars I ever set eyes on.

[giant_mtb]

I didn't read the article, but I don't like the way Lambo's look.  I mean if I had one that'd be sweet, and if I saw one in person, sweet too, but I still think they're quite ugly.

I thought that too...I originally thought I liked the Murceilago (sp?) more, but then I saw the Gallardo and it in person, and the Gallardo is truly a nice car.  

The later generation Diablos are also quite nice as well.

But the countach has to be one of the ugliest cars I ever set eyes on.

Yuck.  Lambo's are disproportional, boxy, and look like the designers are trying to have an all-time futuristic look on them.  They're ugly.

[Raza]

I didn't read the article, but I don't like the way Lambo's look.  I mean if I had one that'd be sweet, and if I saw one in person, sweet too, but I still think they're quite ugly.

I thought that too...I originally thought I liked the Murceilago (sp?) more, but then I saw the Gallardo and it in person, and the Gallardo is truly a nice car.  

The later generation Diablos are also quite nice as well.

But the countach has to be one of the ugliest cars I ever set eyes on.

What blaspheme!

Miura was the best looking Lambo, though.

[BMWDave]

I didn't read the article, but I don't like the way Lambo's look.? I mean if I had one that'd be sweet, and if I saw one in person, sweet too, but I still think they're quite ugly.

I thought that too...I originally thought I liked the Murceilago (sp?) more, but then I saw the Gallardo and it in person, and the Gallardo is truly a nice car.  

The later generation Diablos are also quite nice as well.

But the countach has to be one of the ugliest cars I ever set eyes on.

What blaspheme!

Miura was the best looking Lambo, though.

How can you like the Countach!??  



I think that that car looks quite nice :)

[Raza]

The Countach was the supercar of my dreams...back when I had dreams (pause for dramatic bad boy brooding).  When I was a kid.

[TBR]

The Miura SV is the only really attractive Lamborghini ever produced imho:

[BMWDave]

The Miura SV is the only really attractive Lamborghini ever produced imho:

Thats a really, really nice car :)  

[Raza]

How can you not like the Countach?  The styling is so incoherent and over the top, you have to love it.

[BMWDave]

How can you not like the Countach?  The styling is so incoherent and over the top, you have to love it.

Its too over the top, its too garish to be beautiful, IMO.

[Raza]

How can you not like the Countach?  The styling is so incoherent and over the top, you have to love it.

Its too over the top, its too garish to be beautiful, IMO.

No way.  I love the car's styling like I love the Gelandewagen's styling.  Unconditionally.  Because there's a message in it.

[BMWDave]

How can you not like the Countach?? The styling is so incoherent and over the top, you have to love it.

Its too over the top, its too garish to be beautiful, IMO.

No way.  I love the car's styling like I love the Gelandewagen's styling.  Unconditionally.  Because there's a message in it.

I'm not doubting there is a message, I just dont like the car :)

[Raza]

How can you not like the Countach?  The styling is so incoherent and over the top, you have to love it.

Its too over the top, its too garish to be beautiful, IMO.

No way.  I love the car's styling like I love the Gelandewagen's styling.  Unconditionally.  Because there's a message in it.

I'm not doubting there is a message, I just dont like the car :)

If you don't like the car, you're not an enthusiast.  

And before you ask who gets to decide, I do.  I get to decide.

:o

:D  

[BMWDave]

How can you not like the Countach?? The styling is so incoherent and over the top, you have to love it.

Its too over the top, its too garish to be beautiful, IMO.

No way.  I love the car's styling like I love the Gelandewagen's styling.  Unconditionally.  Because there's a message in it.

I'm not doubting there is a message, I just dont like the car :)

If you don't like the car, you're not an enthusiast.  

And before you ask who gets to decide, I do.  I get to decide.

:o

:D

:D