Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, Supercars, Lamborghini

Click above to view the Gallardo LP560-4 in hi-res

Take it from your friendly neighborhood Autoblog, writing about cars is great. But building a car is something else entirely, especially when the car in question is an Italian exotic. That’s what Automobile magazine’s West Coast editor Jason Cammisa found out when he was invited to Sant’Agata to lend a hand with the assembly of the first production example of the new Gallardo LP560-4, which Lamborghini unveiled at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.

The story is featured in the magazine’s May issue, and its website is featuring a four-part video series documenting Cammisa’s experience. View part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4 by clicking on the links, and check out our high-resolution gallery of LP560-4 images by clicking on the thumbnails below.

%Gallery-17411%
[Source: Automobile via The Car Connection]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Supercars, Lamborghini

First there were pictures of a Murcielago with black doors and a giant wing doing laps at the ‘Ring. It was immediately called out as the next evolution of the LP640, a superleggera sibling for the the Gallardo. Then Lamborghini said no, it wasn’t — it was just a mule with unpainted doors. Lamborghini President Stephan Winklemann even dismissed the idea, saying “The LP640 is wild enough.” Whether or not he believed what he was saying, the new reality is this: there is no such thing as wild enough. And according to Car magazine, that wilder LP640 will probably be called “Superveloce” — the sorely missed SV moniker not heard in these parts in far too long.

The SV will lose 100 kg, the same amount shed by the lightweight Gallardo, ending up with 409 bhp per ton. It will also get shorter gearing that keeps it near the 8,000 rpm mark when driven in anger. Even though it will remain an all-wheel-driver, the 0-60 time should drop to 3.0 seconds. Car also says that that walk-the-plank rear wing is supposedly provided by Boeing.

The SV is expected to hit the runway at Frankfurt this September. Oh, and it could be joined by a Gallardo SV, an even harder baby-Lambo meant to take the fight to the F430 Stradale. The good news from Sant’ Agata just keeps on coming.

[Source: Car magazine]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Etc., Euro, Government/Legal, Supercars, Lamborghini

The Italian Post Office is honoring one of the country’s most well-known brands, Lamborghini, by offering a commemorative stamp in its honor.

The 85-euro-cent stamp will hit post offices first in Lamborghini’s hometown, Sant’Agata Bolognese, before it is offered at offices throughout the country. The campaign is part of Italy’s recent efforts to pay homage to the country’s greatest moments and products.

The stamp features Lamborghini’s golden bull against a black shield background, which looks very similar to the badge affixed to the much-celebrated Lamborghini Miura, built between 1966 and 1973. Any tribute to that masterpiece would surely find a spot in our stamp collection — if we had one.

[Source: Italy magazine via German Car Blog]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Spy Photos, Supercars, Lamborghini

Our mates across the pond at PistonHeads say they’ve got it on good authority that Lamborghini is indeed producing a Superleggera version of the too-hot-to-handle Murcielago.

Eyebrows were raised when spy photogs snapped a Murcielago test mule running test laps around the Nurburgring’s venerable Nordschleiff in Germany, sporting a big ol’ wing on the back and what looks like carbon fiber body panels. If the reports are correct - and we hope they are - the Murcielago Superleggera will get the same treatment as its little brother, the Gallardo Superleggera, which was unveiled at the Geneva show. That means carbon fiber and composite components will help bring the weight down, while some tweaks to the engine will bring power up, resulting in a delicious increase to the supercar’s power-to-weight ratio. It’s too early to tell how much extra juice the stripped-down Lambo will get, but it should be a daunting task considering that the engine’s output was already augmented for the LP640. Could we be seeing a 700 horsepower figure?

The report suggests an official unveiling of the Murcielago Superleggera in March 2008, but with Lamborghini’s pledge to have a new attraction at every major auto show, we wouldn’t be surprised - delighted, mind you, but not surprised - to see it take its first bow earlier than that.

[Source: PistonHeads]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Aftermarket, Supercars, Lamborghini

Some of you are still registering some retinal activity after viewing the Alar. For you, the horn of plenty continues to spill forth its fruit: the official brochure for the Alar has been released. It’s difficult to tell from Argentina Auto Blog if the brochure is more than two pages — but what more do you really need to know?

Joan Fercí’s creation, with a Klingon’s visage and the backside of a Starship Trooper bug, goes on sale in March, 2008. As if the car weren’t eye-watering enough, the price — $750,000 large — is enough to make anyone reach for the Kleenex. However, for that, you get a top speed of 410 kph (254.2 mph), which either puts it right at the Bugatti Veyron’s top speed or a hair above it. Either way, it’s nice to know that you’ll be able to go fast enough that no one else can see you and hurt themselves.

If it makes you feel any better, know that the Alar didn’t spring whole from Ferci’s pen like Athena from Zeus’ head. Rather, as you can see from the other models (Coatl and Eros GT-1), he has been working up to it, honing his craft, like Michelangelo releasing Moses from the granite slab. Or something like that.

[Source: Argent]

Related Posts:

• Lamborghini Alar 777 puts the bull under the knife
• Yikes! Lamborghini Alar official pics
• Lamborghini Alar debut postponed, unfortunately not forever
• Our eyes! Lamborghini Alar Concept revealed

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Lamborghini

Valentino Balboni has one of the best jobs in the world. When at Maranello, the Ferrari F1 drivers lend a hand in ringing out the latest Italian stallions. Over in Sant’Agata the job belongs to Balboni. He’s been with the company since 1968, working his way up from mechanic’s apprentice to his current role as chief test driver. The guy gets to drive Lamborghinis day in, day out…what more could you ask for?

Once in a while some lucky “civilian” gets the chance to ride shotgun with Balboni in the latest fire-snorting bull. This video was recorded from inside the cockpit of a Murcielago LP640 as Balboni gave his passenger what was certainly the ride of his life - tail out, foot to the floor as the Lambo drifted from corner to corner around the Bahrain race circuit. Hold on tight and follow the jump to catch the action.

Note: Due to the passenger/videographer repeatedly screaming obscenities during the lap, we wouldn’t recommend watching as your boss looks over your shoulder.

[Source: YouTube]

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Sports/GTs, Euro, Supercars, Lamborghini

Big gallery of pics from the party available by clicking the images.

Lamborghini of Orange County (LOC), which accounted for 15% of Lamborghini sales in the U.S. last year, has a little clout. While the rest of the automotive world was looking to Geneva and New York to see the new Superleggera, LOC had one of its own to display. Well, for one night at least. It was unveiled during a VIP reception so that the dealership’s customers could see it for themselves. While it looked pretty hot in its searing Aranco Borealis finish, the new Lambo seemed to be missing something. When one customer asked where the window sticker was, another said, “It doesn’t really matter anymore, they’re all gone. The lucky bastards.” This limited edition, track-friendly Gallardo is limited to 350 units for 2007, all of which are already spoken for.

Weighing about 200 pounds less than the regular Gallardo, the carbon fiber diet is readily apparent. Just like Ferrari did with the CS version of their 360, the carbon fiber mirrors are the easiest tipoff that this is the sportiest variant. Lamborghini goes one better with an unpainted carbon fiber rear decklid as well, though, and carries that theme through with an oddly proportioned, but functional, optional rear spoiler. We might pass on that bit if we were doing the buying. The black side strip is a bit odd-looking, too, but we have no complaints about the Alcantara interior with racing seats and harnesses.

With a slight bump in power and a modest reduction in weight for a whole lot more cash, some might see this as much ado about nothing. But the devil is in the details, as they say. A not-insignificant 12 pounds has been shaved from each corner resulting in less unsprung weight and sharper reflexes for this somewhat hefty awd machine. That, coupled with a switch to Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber, means sharper turn-in and overall quicker responses to inputs. The powerband is said to have been remapped for more immediate reaction to stabs at the loud pedal. We begged and pleaded to get one for our garage, but this Superleggera was headed out for another stop the next morning.
%Gallery-2481%

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Sports/GTs, Geneva Motor Show, Euro, Videos, Supercars, Lamborghini

Less is more when it comes to exotic sportscars. Less weight, that is. Enthusiasts know that taking extra weight out of a sportscar makes it go faster. No wonder, then, that the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera that was unveiled last month at the Geneva show was such a hit.

Although Lamborghinis are decidedly built for the road, the results of the Gallardo’s high-perfomance diet can best be seen (and heard) on the race track. This video comes courtesy of the Swedish Auto Motor & Sport, who took the new Superleggera out for a spin at the Phoenix International Raceway in Arizona. Follow the jump and turn up your speakers, ’cause this is one raging bull with a sweet sound.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Car Buying, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Aston Martin, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Driving

The East Coast premium rental car company, Gotham Dream Cars, has just launched its own “Exotic Car Club” program called DreamShare. The program is offered through the firm’s NY and Miami locations, and offers drivers a chance to sample supercars and exotics without the hassles of ownership like depreciation, storage concerns, maintenance costs and the like. And really, for $300-$450 a day, who wouldn’t love to have a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin or Bentley available for a weekend trip to the Vineyard? Feeling a bit more patriotic? You can choose the Ford GT or Corvette Z06 then.

Like other programs of its type, members pay a membership fee and get a certain number of points they can use to rent vehicles in the rotation. They’ll even deliver the car to you. DreamShare has three tiers of service: Platinum, Titanium and Elite. Each gives you more days of rentals (20, 45, 90 days) for a higher price tag ($9,000, $18,000, $27,000). It’s actually quite reasonable when you break it down, especially for cars of this level. The current active fleet consists of a pair of Aston Martin Vanquishes, a brace of Murcielagos, a couple of Gallardo Spyders, a 360 Spider duo, an F430, Bentley GTC, Ford GT, and Chevy Corvette Z06, among others. The cars generally move to NY in Summer and Florida in Winter, but they promise cars in each city year-round. More details about the plans and Gotham’s regular rental program are available by following the read link. Sadly we didn’t see a gift registry anywhere on the site.

[Source: Gotham Dream Cars]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Motorsports, Lamborghini

While its sister ship struggled a bit, the #7 All-Inkl Racing Lamborghini Murcièlago R-GT ran strong all race, and managed to grab Lamborghini’s first international racing trophy in its maiden outing. Drivers Christophe Bouchut and Stefan Mücke held off a pair of hard-charging Z06 Corvettes at Zhuhai International Circuit, with all three finishing within four seconds of each other.

The race not only marked the debut of the R-GT, but also of the FIA’s new GT race format. For the 2007 season, GT races follow a new two-hour format that appears to have given organizers what they had hoped for - some really close racing. A late safety car deployment meant that pit strategy ended up being pretty important in this one, but that shouldn’t take anything away from Lamborghini’s impressive debut. After the final restart they rattled off a string of fastest laps to stay ahead for good. Kudos to Lambo. Check out the cool gallery available at Supercars.net by following the links.

[Source: Lamborghini via Supercars.net]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments