Lamborghini LP560
When Lamborghini decided to build a car to compete with the Ferrari F430 Scuderia, the Gallardo was coming towards the end of its shelf life. The LP560-4 was already well on the way and it seemed like a good farewell model for the old Gallardo.
The new car’s name follows Lamborghini tradition and is in a similar format to that of its big brother, the Murcielago LP640. LP stands for Longitudinale Posteriore, the position of the engine – longitudinally mid-mounted. 560 is its metric horsepower count, and Lamborghini chose to insert the “-4” as a reminder that the Gallardo is a full-time four-wheel-drive machine.
Lamborghini LP560
Completely new engine is responsible for making the Gallardo a true 200-mph supercar. it’s a 90-degree, aluminum V-10, just like the old unit, but with bigger bore spacing. It displaces 5.2 liters and, with the help of FSI direct injection, produces 560 metric hp at 8000 rpm – up from 520 in the 2008 model. Torque is also up, from 376 lb-ft at 4250 rpm to 398 lb-ft at 6500 rpm.
Lamborghini LP560
Lamborghini 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. The new front bumper now comes to a point in the center of the car, resembling the front-end treatment of the Gallardo’s big brothers, the Murcielago and the Reventon. Larger air intakes improve engine-cooling efficiency, and a new hood helps the LP560-4 meet pedestrian-crash-test standards.
Lamborghini LP560
The 2009 Gallardo LP560-4 also has a new rear end. Its new taillights (each with triple Y-shaped flux-capacitor-looking elements) no longer wrap up and onto the horizontal plane in the rear. A single strip of black aluminum mesh under the taillights serves as an air outlet, and four absolutely gorgeous chrome exhaust tips are incorporated in the rear diffuser.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 come with a price over $200,000.
