2009 Lamborghini Gallardo
Lamborghini started in 1963. That same year, the very first Lamborghini, the 350GT, made its debut at the Turin Motor Show. The car’s name came from its engine size, a 3.5-liter four-cam V12. Then came the 400GT, which was produced until 1968. But it was the stunning midengine Miura, produced from 1966-’73, that catapulted Lamborghini to worldwide acclaim.
Lamborghini has released models such as the four-seat Espada and various V8 sports cars, but it is the midengine supercars that identify the marque. Models like the wild Countach and the Diablo of the 1990s are instantly recognizable as Lamborghini cars, with their sinister styling by Marcello Gandini promising equally outlandish performance. Though some may question the current German/Italian marriage, the products of this merger, the 200-mph Murcielago (the Diablo’s successor) and the equally breathtaking Gallardo, leave no doubt as to its benefit.
Now the all new 2009 Gallardo is a 2-door, 2-passenger luxury sports car, available in one trim only, the LP560-4 Coupe.
Upon introduction, the Gallardo is equipped with a standard 5.2-liter, V10, 552-horsepower engine that achieves 11-mpg in the city and 23-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional.
Lamborghini Company is also proud of the LP560-4’s improved environmental friendliness. It’s not only faster than last year’s car, it emits about 18% less carbon dioxide (327 g/km compared with 400). With that improvement comes a similar reduction in fuel consumption: on the European combined cycle, the LP560-4 achieves just over 17 mpg - last year’s car guzzled fuel at a rate of 14 mpg.
