Used 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo

By far the most popular Lamborghini ever (nearly 13,000 made so far), the angular, mid-engine Gallardo is dramatic yet civilized: an Italian exotic you can truly drive to work during the week and at the track on weekends. Credit the influence of Audi, which acquired Lamborghini in 1998, for the impressive refinement. Decoding the Gallardo engine nomenclature, the LP550-2 gets a 542-horsepower V10, the LP560-4 upgrades tuning to 552 horsepower, and the LP570-4 tops out with 562 horsepower. All three are available in coupe or Spyder (convertible) versions. As the designations suggest, the LP550-2 has rear-drive but the stronger engines come only with all-wheel drive (AWD). The bodywork looks angry, the V10’s song is wickedly enchanting, and the driving experience is enthusiastically Italian.

Lightning-quick throttle response and intoxicating sounds from the engine bay are ever-present Lamborghini Gallardo characteristics, but the car has other sides to its personality. Around town, the driver must put up with a lumpy idle, rock-hard ride, the tires’ tendency to follow road grooves, and a turning radius that feels like a full-size pickup’s. Husky Americans, especially, will feel cramped in the cockpit. But on an open back road or high-speed track, the Gallardo finds its focus. The stiff space frame and taut chassis impart an organic stability and responsiveness. The AWD of the “-4” versions imparts a little more understeer and numbs the feedback a bit compared to the lively “-2” rear-drive cars, but the tradeoff in stability, security and sheer grip on any surface is worth it.

The interior of a Lamborghini Gallardo is nearly as striking as the exterior. But remember, this exotic Italian marque is part of the Audi corporate stable, so you know the cockpit will be sumptuous, accommodating and beautifully made. Leather is everywhere. On higher-level Gallardos it’s Alcantara suede. Carbon-fiber trim is also offered. The standard bucket seats offer good support, but the unyielding carbon-fiber chairs in the Superleggera are built for racing and jockey-sized occupants. Be sure to pack light because there is little trunk space (less than four cubic feet) and no back seat.

The low-slung 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo has sharply angled body work and prominent air intakes front, sides and back. This year, the LP560 models get a new face, with dividers creating strongly triangular intakes. Doors hinge conventionally on the Gallardo (not the famous but less practical scissors arrangement its Aventador stablemate still uses) and entrance and egress are easier than the belt-high roofline suggests. The short-nosed cab-forward design contributes to the Gallardo’s overall wedge shape. Spyder models have a power-operated insulated cloth top that can be raised or lowered in 20 seconds.

MATTE-FINISH EXTERIOR PAINT
The flat planes and sharp creases of a modern Lamborghini body look especially cool in a matte finish, and it only costs $26,600 extra to get a Gallardo in matte black, brown or white.

FRONT LIFTING SYSTEM
The Gallardo’s low, protruding nose looks sleek, but would grind against steep driveways without the front lifting system, which raises the front end an inch and a half with the push of a button.

Most of the expected premium-car trappings are here, such as dual-zone A/C, a power tilt/telescope steering wheel, a power adjustable driver’s seat, power heated side mirrors that tilt in, keyless remote entry, and so on. Likewise for safety hardware like ABS, traction control, stability control, dual front airbags, dual side airbags and pop-up rollbars for the convertibles. But a power passenger seat, heated seats, and even front cupholders cost extra. Cruise control isn’t available at all, probably because you’re expected to be attentive and involved with your Gallardo at all times.

Every paint color but gloss black is listed as an extra-cost option on the Gallardo, the $26K matte-finish paints being the most extreme examples. Other popular options include a navigation system, back-up camera and rear park-assist system (highly recommended), ceramic disc brakes, and an alarm system. The E-gear automated "manual" transmission – essentially an automatic – is a $10,000 option on the LP550 Coupe and Spyder models, and the only offering on the LP 560s and LP570s. The 2013 Gallardo is available with lots of accessory and trim packages for you to customize to your personal taste.

The 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo’s V10 engine creates a soundtrack worthy of the car’s breathtaking appearance. Acceleration is as effortless as it is addictive, any Gallardo model capable of cracking 60 mph from rest in less than four seconds and topping out just shy of 200 mph. The slick-shifting 6-speed manual transmission is still standard on the rear-drive LP550-2 models but it’s being phased out (and rumor has it there will be no manual at all next year) in favor of the automated manual E-gear transmission. The paddle-operated 6-speed E-gear has driver-selectable modes, "A" for lazy shifts and laid-back cruising, "Sport" for quicker shifts and "Corsa" for a day at the track with tire-chirping, wide-open-throttle upshifts.

Gallardo LP550-2
5.2-liter V10
542 horsepower @ 8,000 rpm
398 lb-ft of torque @ 6,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 12/20 mpg (manual), 13/20 mpg (automatic)

Gallardo LP560-4
5.2-liter V10
552 horsepower @ 8,000 rpm
398 lb-ft of torque @ 6,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 13/20 mpg (automatic)

Gallardo LP570-4
5.2-liter V10
562 horsepower @ 8,000 rpm
398 lb-ft of torque @ 6,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 13/20 mpg (automatic)