After 10-year run, production of Lamborghini Gallardo ends

After 10 years of production and over 14,000 units sold, the final Lamborghini Gallardo has rolled out of the company's factory, destined for a private collector.
The last-ever Gallardo is a LP 570-4 Spyder Performante in Rosso Mars red, with a model number of 14022. The model is the most successful and popular Lamborghini in the company’s sometimes-checkered history.
But that almost wasn't the case. The first car to be built from the ground up following Audi's takeover, the car was regarded by many purists as too ‘German', too well-built, and lacking in passion and excitement.


The company listened to these early criticisms, and by 2005, the car's performance and handling characteristics had been overhauled. That year also saw the hardtop version of the Gallardo joined by a Spyder open-top version, which managed to recapture the Lamborghini madness of models past.
The result was a car that looked incredible parked in the driveway, that put a smile on the driver's face at any speed and that, despite lacking some of the technological gimmicks of some of its peers, could beat the refined Ferrari F430 around pretty much any track, thanks to its 520bhp V-10 engine and permanent four-wheel drive.
Before the Gallardo, Lamborghini was lucky if it could make and sell 200 cars a year and stay in business. Once the Gallardo found its audience, Lamborghini was able to increase production ten-fold. The company now produces and sells 2,000 cars a year.
Before the Gallardo, the company's most successful vehicle had been the Espada, the four-seat tourer built between 1986 and 1978, with about 1,200 units made.
The company has only managed to sell 30,000 cars in its history, meaning that nearly half of all Lamborghinis are Gallardos.
But times change and despite a couple of facelifts and specification tweaks, the Gallardo is starting to look its age, especially under the hood. And while it can still lap the Ferrari F430, the Ferrari replacement -- and therefore the Gallardo's most direct competitor -- the Ferrari 458 Italia, has taken supercar performance to a whole new level.
And that's a good thing: it means that the Gallardo's replacement, which could be unveiled as soon as the Geneva motor show in March, already has a benchmark to beat.


source

2014 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse

2014 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse

With the new Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse, Automobili Lamborghini brings race track emotion directly to the road. It delivers high performance and brings the fascination of motor racing to the street-legal world. This new and most extreme model in the Gallardo line-up is based on the Gallardo Super Trofeo, the successful race car from the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo, the world’s fastest one-make series. The car will have its world premiere at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The name Squadra Corse refers to the recently-founded department within Automobili Lamborghini, which manages all motorsport activities from GT3 to the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo championships in Europe, Asia and America where gentlemen drivers battle face-to-face in fierce contests on the most challenging racetracks.

The new Gallardo Squadra Corse is very close to the race cars. Both share the same V10 engine, which is used in the racing version with no modifications. Likewise, the Squadra Corse has the same rear wing for greater aerodynamic load – achieving, under the best aerodynamic conditions, three times the load of the Gallardo LP 560-4 – for increased dynamic stability during tight, high-speed driving. Another element taken directly from the racing version is the removable engine hood with quick-release system. Both the rear wing and the hood are made from carbon composite material, as are a host of other components on the Squadra Corse.

Lightweight construction through consistent use of carbon fiber


Together with aluminum, carbon fiber is the basis behind the extremely lightweight construction of the new Gallardo new top model. The Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse boasts a dry weight of 1340 kilograms, 70 less than the already lean Gallardo LP 560-4, which gives the Squadra Corse a stunning power-to-weight ratio of 2.35 kilograms per hp for breathtaking performance. It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 3.4 seconds and reaches 200 km/h in just 10.4 seconds. Its forward thrust finally tops out at 320 Km/h. The production-standard carbon-ceramic brake system guarantees unmatched stopping power.

The technology and the powertrain

Like the Super Trofeo competition version, the new Squadra Corse is based on the technical underpinnings of the Gallardo Superleggera. The V10 engine generates 570 hp, equivalent to 419 kW, which is fully available at 8,000 rpm. The V10’s unique firing order delivers the striking sound you hear in motor racing. Like the race car, the Gallardo Squadra Corse comes as standard with the robotized e-gear six-speed transmission operated by steering wheel paddles. This electronically controlled system shifts through its six gears smoothly and much faster than any pro driver could. Every kilometer in the Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse is packed with sheer excitement, in part due to its unrelenting grip in virtually all situations thanks to its all-wheel drive concept.

The Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo is the only single-brand racing series in the world that features all-wheel drive race cars. The Gallardo Squadra Corse is a highly concentrated driving machine offering a truly stunning driving experience with breathtaking cornering speeds and fast, immediate response. Its road manners are always precise, stable and completely safe.

Respresenting Italian racing

The Gallardo Squadra Corse shows its ultimate racing performance even in its exterior design – clearly attesting its committment to its Italian homeland. A decal strip along the flank displays green, white and red, the colors of the Italian flag. The Squadra Corse is available in Giallo Midas (yellow), Bianco Monocerus (white), Grigio Thalasso (grey) and in Rosso Mars (red). The exterior look of the Gallardo Squadra Corse is perfectly accented with a matte black finish on the large rear wing with contrasts in body color. The hood, front air intakes, rear diffuser and 19-inch forged wheels are painted in high-gloss black, while the mighty brakes callipers are available in red, black or yellow.

Minimalist sporty interior

Extremely lightweight carbon fiber and Alcantara®, the perfect combination of sporty minimalism, are the dominant materials inside the Squadra Corse. Alcantara graces the underside of the dashboard, the central panel of the seat cushion and the backrest. The door panels, the racing seats and the center console cover are made from carbon fiber, a technology in which Lamborghini has achieved world-leading expertise. Carbon is also used for the handbrake frame, the middle of the center console, the lower rim of the steering wheel, the trim around the main and secondary instrument panels, the door handles, and the handle for opening the glove box. Comfort seats can be ordered in place of racing bucket seats.

Squadra Corse offers a new series of driving events “Esperienza” events by the Squadra Corse deparment provide enthusiasts and prospects with the opportunity of a first test-drive and a glimpse inside the world of Lamborghini. The Lamborghini Academies, on both track and ice, provide driver training and the initial steps toward real-life racing. The Super Trofeo series offers the perfect first race experience for young and gentlemen drivers, with the Lamborghini GT3 for more seasoned racers wishing to compete with the Lamborghini marque worldwide.


Read more: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/lamborghini/2014-lamborghini-gallardo-lp-570-4-squadra-corse-ar159886.html#ixzz2c9nHKaK4