Lamborghini’s first car to come with the Gallardo name plate was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in 2003, 20 years ago. This was also the first Lamborghini to come with a naturally aspirated V10 engine and was designed to be a compact sports car, hence the name “baby Lambo”.
Development of the compact Lamborghini began way back in 1987 as the L140 Project and over years, a large number of prototypes were developed with different technologies and engine blocks. They also tried using a V8 before swapping it with a V10.
After almost two decades, Lamborghini decided to restart their project from the ground level, with only a concept of basic dimensions and a ten-cylinder engine idea. This was a completely new feature that would be seen on road-spec Lamborghini makes.
The newly developed engine was all because of an engineer named Massimo Ceccarani and Maurizio Reggiani who was in charge of engine development and design. The first Lamborghini Gallardo came with a 5-litre, 10-cylinder V90 DOHC with a 4-valve setup which could produce up to 495bhp.
A 90-degree engine setup was preferred over a 72-degree setup as the height of the engine could be limited which would result in a better layout of the car and a lower centre of gravity which would result in better handling and control.
In 2005, Lamborghini revealed the Gallardo Spyder to the world at the Frankfurt Motor SHow. It had a new feature which was a soft top which could open and close and involve the engine’s hood. The Spyder also had a new engine and transmission which resulted in improved performance.
The Lamborghini Spyder came with a 4.9-litre 10-cylinder engine that had revised power figures. The engine could produce 514.8bhp, almost a 20bhp increase. The transmission had shorter gear ratios which resulted in quicker acceleration and even better handling.
Next, in 2007, Lamborghini reached a milestone, having produced over 5000 units since its first unveil, and in the same year, showcased the Gallardo Superleggera. The Superleggera had almost a 10bhp bump in power and a 100kg reduction in weight which even further improved the vehicle dynamics of the car and gave it a power-to-weight ratio of just 2.5kg/hp.
The Lamborghini Superleggera came with a standard robotized mechanical gearbox which was then seen on all the versions to come. The body also featured carbon fibre parts which played a massive role in reducing the overall weight of the car.
In 2009, Lamborghini had produced over 9000 units of the Gallardo, and showcased the Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni. This was a limited edition version with only 250 units produced and had a feature which wasn’t seen on any of the Gallardos before – rear wheel drive with 544.5bhp. This car was then manufactured as a production model in 2010 and then in a Spyder version in 2011.
The following year, in March 2010, the Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera was showcased in Geneva. This Gallardo was 70kgs lighter, had 564bhp, and a power-to-weight ratio of 2.35kg/hp. All the exterior changes were solely focused on improving the aero of the car.
After that, two more cars were unveiled in 2010, the LP 570-4 Spyder Performante, a more lighter and agile car, and the Gallardo LP 570-4 Blancpain Edition, which incorporated the track features of the performance-oriented Super Trofeo with top-of-the-line road performance.
Coming to 2012 – Lamborghini again unveiled two more models of the new Gallardo: the Gallardo LP 560-4 and the Gallardo LP 570-4 Edizione Tecnica, which showcased a futuristic style which also resembled the first V10 Lamborghini.
Following that, in 2013, Lamborghini began the development of a new GT3 program which was based on the Gallardo MY13. Later on in the year, the Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse was showcased at the Frankfurt Motor Show and was another limited edition model and the most extreme of the lineup.
Finally, in November 2013, the final Lamborghini Gallardo rolled out of the historic Sant’Agata Bolognese plant and was a Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante painted in the Rosso Mars colour.
The Lamborghini Gallardo is one of the most historic cars with a very popular name tag. It is amongst the highest respected super sports cars and is an icon of Italian Design and Automotive Engineering.
