Lamborghini celebrates 20 years of the iconic Gallardo sports car
It has been 20 years since Lamborghini revealed the Gallardo back at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show. It was the first production vehicle from Lamborghini to feature a naturally aspirated V10 powertrain. The Gallardo was specifically developed to be compact because of which it got the name “baby Lambo".
The development began back in 1987 as the L140 project. Over the years several prototypes were developed, and various technical solutions were explored, including a V8 in the first instance and then a V10 engine. In 1998, the development was restarted from scratch.
The engine was developed by Massimo Ceccarani and Maurizio Reggiani was in charge of the engine development. The engine installed on the first Gallardo was a 5-litre, 10-cylinder V90 DOHC with 4 valves, delivering max power of 493 bhp. Instead of the classic choice of a V72, a 90-degree angle was favoured to limit the height of the engine. This helped in the low-slung bonnet line that we see on every Lamborghini. Apart from this, it also helps in lowering the centre of gravity and improving rear visibility.
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It was 2005 when Lamborghini presented the Gallardo Spyder at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It came with a soft-top opening/closing system, also involving the vehicle’s engine hood. The power output was now boosted to 512 bhp which came at 8,000 rpm. The transmission was tweaked for shorter gear ratios.
In 2007, Lamborghini Gallardo exceeded 5,000 units in terms of sales figures. Then the manufacturer presented Gallardo Superleggera was presented in Geneva. The power was further boosted by 8 bhp and the weight was reduced by 100 kg. The weight reduction was possible because of the carbon fibre parts that the vehicle was now using.
At the Geneva Motor Show in March 2008, the LP 560-4 was presented, the revamped version of the Gallardo; 20 kg lighter, fitted with a 5.2-litre V10 engine with a maximum power output of 552 bhp, with a direct stratified injection system. Also in 2008, the production of the Gallardo reached 7100 units. The Los Angeles Motor Show in November of the same year saw the presentation of the open-top version, the LP 560-4 Spyder.
In 2009, the production reached 9,000 units having been produced, Automobili Lamborghini presented the “Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni". Only 250 units were produced and it had 542 bhp that was transferred to rear wheels only. Next year, there was the Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera. The weight was reduced by 70 kg and power was uprated to 562 bhp.
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On November 25, 2013, the last Lamborghini Gallardo left the production line at the historic Sant'Agata Bolognese plant. The last unit assembled was a Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante in Rosso Mars colour. Over ten years of production, the Gallardo was made in a large number of special editions, was sold in 45 countries and, counting the 32 variants, reached a total of 14,022 units produced.
