It seems that we alla gree that in photo it is ok ... but in reality: WOW! 
Is there somebody that did not like it "live"?
Is there somebody that did not like it "live"?
Lamborghini Gallardo - THIS is the Next NSX
- Thread starter MAKO
- Start date
Seen and sat in
Seen and sat in one here in St.louis. Seems kinda small, but overall impressive. Kinda like the Zonda or the koenigsegg better. Just my 2. Prefer all the above over the gt40. Again my 2 cents
Seen and sat in one here in St.louis. Seems kinda small, but overall impressive. Kinda like the Zonda or the koenigsegg better. Just my 2. Prefer all the above over the gt40. Again my 2 cents
I have sat in the gallardo and to me the seat was a leather lined floor board.Also the windshield/dashboard intersection was miles away.My first impression was of a racecar where you are uneasy or uncomfortable controlling a powerful car from an awkward position,and I'm 5'10".but those brakes are huge!
A more appropo title might be: "This is MY Next NSX" ??? (!!)
This is a GREAT thread, and I'm with some of the folks (Mako, Gheba, etc) that a USED Gallardo will in the near future prove to be the entry-level supercar step-up for a number of folks.
Its a GREAT return to the "entry level supercar" stakes for Lambo IMO, and gives notice to the rest (Ferrari Modena, Lotus, etc)... just like a certain mid-engine aluminum bodied car we all love did in the early 1990s.
A few more questions/considerations on this:
- Price and Value Retention : Compared to other cars, interesting to see how the Gallardo holds value over time. For example, a NEW Gallardo is roughly comparable price-wise, to an "OK" condition Diablo 6.0, which some might argue is a more "ultimate exotic" (V12, scissor doors, CF bodywork, etc), albeit in a larger, less "daily-driveable" package. Or, for less money, you could get a 1998/99 Diablo SV (5.7) which is still "exotic" in every sense of the word. I won't get into the F-car offerings, as these are well documented elsewhere.
- Reliability: like all "new" cars, there will be some expected teething problems, such as the issues with their e-gear (auto-manual sequential paddle-shift tranny) setup. These will be fixed over time.
Think back to the early NSX owners when they first heard of the snap-ring failure issues. Looks like we as an owner community came out okay, 13+ years later.
- Track-ability: as Mako astutely points out, exotics will never become the all-out "track weapon" car, short of spending $$$$, both in mods and operating costs (tires/brakes/clutches/etc). And even there I would argue that there are more "rational" choices (e.g., get a Radical SR3 or some dedicated platform). Will it make a fun, occasional-use track car? I have no doubt... I've seen them in action, and got to coach a newbie owner recently on some medium-pace recon laps. Will some guy in a boosted EVO/Supra/etc blow your doors off once in awhile -- sure, but he probably can afford to.
There was a question about all-season driveability, particularly with AWD. Not sure this is realistically an option in some parts of the country, as the car will always be constrained to some respect due to low ground clearance, etc. Magazine reports have announced that Pirelli will soon offer a "smaller" (18/18) high-perf snow-tire fitment for this car, which will at least offer the potential to enjoy the car on clear, cold days. The percentage of owners who really want to do this is likely a minority, just like it is with NSXs. Like the track example above -- get a more appropriate vehicle -- a Subie AWD (or Audi Quattro to keep it in the family) or god forbid an SUV (!).
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BTW : Mako -- did you eventually get your Gallardo ? Which one did you end up with ?? Sounded like e-gear was a preference longer term, but the 6-speed is the way to go for now (?) I've been following your exploits on L-talk, but am sure folks here would also be interested.
Weighing in kinda late on this thread.cmhs75 said:
This is a GREAT thread, and I'm with some of the folks (Mako, Gheba, etc) that a USED Gallardo will in the near future prove to be the entry-level supercar step-up for a number of folks.
Its a GREAT return to the "entry level supercar" stakes for Lambo IMO, and gives notice to the rest (Ferrari Modena, Lotus, etc)... just like a certain mid-engine aluminum bodied car we all love did in the early 1990s.
A few more questions/considerations on this:
- Price and Value Retention : Compared to other cars, interesting to see how the Gallardo holds value over time. For example, a NEW Gallardo is roughly comparable price-wise, to an "OK" condition Diablo 6.0, which some might argue is a more "ultimate exotic" (V12, scissor doors, CF bodywork, etc), albeit in a larger, less "daily-driveable" package. Or, for less money, you could get a 1998/99 Diablo SV (5.7) which is still "exotic" in every sense of the word. I won't get into the F-car offerings, as these are well documented elsewhere.
- Reliability: like all "new" cars, there will be some expected teething problems, such as the issues with their e-gear (auto-manual sequential paddle-shift tranny) setup. These will be fixed over time.
Think back to the early NSX owners when they first heard of the snap-ring failure issues. Looks like we as an owner community came out okay, 13+ years later.
- Track-ability: as Mako astutely points out, exotics will never become the all-out "track weapon" car, short of spending $$$$, both in mods and operating costs (tires/brakes/clutches/etc). And even there I would argue that there are more "rational" choices (e.g., get a Radical SR3 or some dedicated platform). Will it make a fun, occasional-use track car? I have no doubt... I've seen them in action, and got to coach a newbie owner recently on some medium-pace recon laps. Will some guy in a boosted EVO/Supra/etc blow your doors off once in awhile -- sure, but he probably can afford to.
There was a question about all-season driveability, particularly with AWD. Not sure this is realistically an option in some parts of the country, as the car will always be constrained to some respect due to low ground clearance, etc. Magazine reports have announced that Pirelli will soon offer a "smaller" (18/18) high-perf snow-tire fitment for this car, which will at least offer the potential to enjoy the car on clear, cold days. The percentage of owners who really want to do this is likely a minority, just like it is with NSXs. Like the track example above -- get a more appropriate vehicle -- a Subie AWD (or Audi Quattro to keep it in the family) or god forbid an SUV (!).
################
BTW : Mako -- did you eventually get your Gallardo ? Which one did you end up with ?? Sounded like e-gear was a preference longer term, but the 6-speed is the way to go for now (?) I've been following your exploits on L-talk, but am sure folks here would also be interested.
Tom Larkins said:
Your logic has some major flaws, just because your dealer is asking for 240K doesn't mean this is the normal price. I am on the list to buy one at MSRP and a lot of other dealerships I know of are selling them at the same price. As Mako stated they are producing 1,500 car per year so they should satisfy the demand pretty quickly. If you remember some of the early NSX's were going for over DOUBLE sticker price, but in a few months you could buy the same car at MSRP.
There are always a certain number of people that want to have the first cars and they are willing to pay almost any amount over sticker. Just because these people pay so much for the first cars doens't mean they will stay anywhere near that high.
Manuel, I've noticed you're posting more on L-talk, which is a good thing 
so I think it's worthwhile to write a followup piece to the one I originally wrote here regarding the Gallardo. Perhaps others are in the same boat.
Where to begin...Let's start with the G and whether or not I bought one.
I have a hard rule on all of my toy purchases. That rule is that income from my investments must pay for 100% of the things in my life that will experience depreciation. I try to live by it as much as possible, including when it comes to cars. With the stock market stuttering a bit over the summer as it struggles to come out of a recession, my investment portfolio didn't move enough to the upside to afford a full-ticket retail Gallardo by the end of this year. I'd say it will be there in six more months at the current rate of appreciation.
I will admit that it's been tough to hold back when so many Gallardos are available at dealers, but I don't deviate from my "golden rule". So for now, my Kaiser '99 Targa soldiers on in the exotic car portion of the garage.
With that out of the way, let's address some of the things you talked about in your post.
1. Gallardo Depreciation - Audi flooded the US market with Gallardos over the past year, in an attempt to jump start sales to the point where they'd eventually hit their preset production goals. Right now they're selling approximately 60 Gallardos a month in the US. That's below their pre-launch target. I'm not going to break down why the Gallardo isn't selling as well as Audi predicted, I've done it too many times already. However, I will say it has nothing to do with the car whatsoever. It's a state of the market. Many buyers in that segment still don't even know that there's a "baby" Lambo available! Surprising I know, but 99% of L-car buyers are wealthy, and not exactly sitting online on car boards or waiting for their issue of Car and Driver to come in, lol.
SO, the depreciation on the Gallardo is a welcome event to me, because I love to buy cars about two years used in order to avoid paying full retail. Right now there are several used Gallardos already on the market in the $160k range. By this time next year those same cars will have fallen below $150k, particularly after the more-sought-after Gallardo convertible arrives. And when the warranties on the original coupes expire, roughly 18 months from today, they'll likely fall into the low 140s, even with just 5 - 8k miles on them. Sounds good to me. Sold.
2. Gallardo vs. Recent Diablo - Since they're about the same in terms of price, this comparison is easy to do if you're looking at an L-car. To me, I prioritize e-Gear above all else, because I live in SoCal and have frequent unexpected traffic problems. I've been heel/toeing for years driving only manuals, and I feel there are no manual-tranny challenges I have yet to overcome. In short, I'm over it. I have no qualms about going to robotically-controlled clutches the rest of my life and enjoying learning how to left foot brake. So for me, I have to look at the Gallardo/Murci.
For those that specifically WANT a manual tranny in their exotic, then the question is harder to answer. Frankly, coming from the "luxury" of an NSX cockpit, you may find that once you first drive a Diablo that it's going to be disappointing in several areas. A step down from your current car. For me, I felt there were a few areas that were clearly different than what I was used to in the NSX. First, the weight is monstrous. You can feel the pendulum of 3,700lbs+ every time you turn the wheel. Second, visibility. Our cars are minivans in terms of outbound view from the driver's seat. Want to go in reverse in the Diablo? Well the only way I truly felt comfortable doing it was by popping up the driver's door and eyeballing it. I've backed up towed trailers and felt more confident, lol. But I assume you get used to it, as many L-talkers seem to have no problems in this area. Third, the offset pedals are shifted far to the right for the driver because of the wheel well. I've owned mid-engined cars exclusively for over a decade, and none of them had as much pedal offset as the Diablo I drove did.
On the positive side, the power is insane. My god the power. A 6.0 is a legitimate 12-second-flat car if the owner is willing to abuse the clutch, and that power is available every time you depress the accelerator. Torque everywhere, boundless. It's unreal, completely different than the NSX of course. I don't care that on so-and-so BestMotoring so-and-so driver managed to keep a Type-R competitive with a Murci on the track. Makes no differance to me because the Lambo V12's level of power is so hands down superior in how it makes you FEEL emotionally that the NSX felt like getting back into a Civic after my Diablo drive. Insane power. The Gallardo does not feel like the 6.0 in terms of power, but it does feel dramatically faster than a stock NSX. It feels like the differance between a stock 3.2L NSX, and a well tuned and sorted out Comptech NSX to be precise. Big jump in other words.
But the V12 Lambos are true rocketships. Drive both before you decide of course. For me the Gallardo's weight advantage versus the Murci made it my pick. It's a more balanced car in terms of handling, and every NSX owner wants his/her next car to handle well with no excuses. We're used to good handling in other words.
3. Gallardo vs. Ford GT - Assuming that you'll be able to actually buy a Ford GT at MSRP late next year as volume ramps up, this comparison really isn't one. I haven't driven a Ford GT myself, but I've seen enough performance figures on it to say that it delivers Lambo V12 levels of acceleration along with the Gallardo's weight and price tag. What could be better?
I'd get one if it had some sort of semi-auto tranny myself. Which means that anyone considering a 6-speed Gallardo, who can wait for Ford to accelerate production of the GT, should likely go in that direction instead. That's the advice of several unbiased Gallardo/Murci owners on L-talk, who also feel that the Ford is the real deal and are actively trying to add one to their stable. Sure it's retro, and some people have a problem with that, but when you can throw down a 0-150MPH time of around 19 seconds for $150k, it starts to look REAL good.
However, unlike most of you, I actually prefer AWD in my sportscars because it allows me to be a jackass all over the place in any condition and not be bitten by swapping ends. 1st gear full acceleration left hand turn from a stop sign? No problem in the AWD car, just stomp it and crank the wheel. In a Ford GT, there is no way you're doing that and not invoking all kinds of traction controll and other nonsense. So realize that I do value the Gallardo's AWD system and that helps it outrank other cars for me.
4. Gallardo vs. FX500 NSX - Like the Ford GT, the FX500 kits seems to be the real deal. Some great work has gone into them by all accounts, and they deliver the power that was promised. For $25k, you can take my $50k NSX and have it delivering Lambo V12/Ford GT levels of acceleration on pump gas for a grand total of $75k. Fantastic bargain. But again for me I want to move to e-Gear, and I want AWD, so that leaves boost kits on the NSX out of the question. Also, I do believe it's the responsibility of everyone who loves exotics to own at LEAST one Italian rocketsled before they die. This includes NSXers.
5. Gallardo vs. F430 - Yes everyone is wetting their pants about the new Ferrari, oh gee golly so impressive, a washed over 360. Wow. Not. Now that the fake-artificially-lighted-and-touched-up F430 pics released by Ferrari have been out for a few weeks, go look at them hard again. The "new exotic" feeling has warn off and you can make a more critical analysis of it. When I do this I see a boring 360 with a body kit. No thanks.
I do like the interior on the F430 though, looks sharp. The active-diff control? Doesn't hold a draw for me. Why would I need an active-diff when I can just have AWD instead? I'm sure it's another great Ferrari, but there's no way I'm choosing it over an indentically-performing Gallardo. The Gallardo looks better to my eyes, and there's no bull$hit Ferrari dealer nonsense about a three year waiting list etc. By the time an F430 actually arrives in the "regular" guy's hands, I'll have been driving a 650HP EVO Gallardo TT for more than a year. Bye bye Ferrari.
That's about all I have for today, sorry if I left out a car that you would have liked to have seen compared to the Gallardo. If you have one, and if I have experience with it, private me and I'll shoot you an email. The bottom line is that sportscars are like women, one man's trash is another man's treasure. You have to get out and DRIVE each of the cars you're evaluating to really know if it's right for your needs. That's what I've tried to do, and to me, the Gallardo feels and looks the most like a next-generation NSX out of what's available, which is just right.
MAKO
so I think it's worthwhile to write a followup piece to the one I originally wrote here regarding the Gallardo. Perhaps others are in the same boat.Where to begin...Let's start with the G and whether or not I bought one.
I have a hard rule on all of my toy purchases. That rule is that income from my investments must pay for 100% of the things in my life that will experience depreciation. I try to live by it as much as possible, including when it comes to cars. With the stock market stuttering a bit over the summer as it struggles to come out of a recession, my investment portfolio didn't move enough to the upside to afford a full-ticket retail Gallardo by the end of this year. I'd say it will be there in six more months at the current rate of appreciation.
I will admit that it's been tough to hold back when so many Gallardos are available at dealers, but I don't deviate from my "golden rule". So for now, my Kaiser '99 Targa soldiers on in the exotic car portion of the garage.
With that out of the way, let's address some of the things you talked about in your post.
1. Gallardo Depreciation - Audi flooded the US market with Gallardos over the past year, in an attempt to jump start sales to the point where they'd eventually hit their preset production goals. Right now they're selling approximately 60 Gallardos a month in the US. That's below their pre-launch target. I'm not going to break down why the Gallardo isn't selling as well as Audi predicted, I've done it too many times already. However, I will say it has nothing to do with the car whatsoever. It's a state of the market. Many buyers in that segment still don't even know that there's a "baby" Lambo available! Surprising I know, but 99% of L-car buyers are wealthy, and not exactly sitting online on car boards or waiting for their issue of Car and Driver to come in, lol.
SO, the depreciation on the Gallardo is a welcome event to me, because I love to buy cars about two years used in order to avoid paying full retail. Right now there are several used Gallardos already on the market in the $160k range. By this time next year those same cars will have fallen below $150k, particularly after the more-sought-after Gallardo convertible arrives. And when the warranties on the original coupes expire, roughly 18 months from today, they'll likely fall into the low 140s, even with just 5 - 8k miles on them. Sounds good to me. Sold.
2. Gallardo vs. Recent Diablo - Since they're about the same in terms of price, this comparison is easy to do if you're looking at an L-car. To me, I prioritize e-Gear above all else, because I live in SoCal and have frequent unexpected traffic problems. I've been heel/toeing for years driving only manuals, and I feel there are no manual-tranny challenges I have yet to overcome. In short, I'm over it. I have no qualms about going to robotically-controlled clutches the rest of my life and enjoying learning how to left foot brake. So for me, I have to look at the Gallardo/Murci.
For those that specifically WANT a manual tranny in their exotic, then the question is harder to answer. Frankly, coming from the "luxury" of an NSX cockpit, you may find that once you first drive a Diablo that it's going to be disappointing in several areas. A step down from your current car. For me, I felt there were a few areas that were clearly different than what I was used to in the NSX. First, the weight is monstrous. You can feel the pendulum of 3,700lbs+ every time you turn the wheel. Second, visibility. Our cars are minivans in terms of outbound view from the driver's seat. Want to go in reverse in the Diablo? Well the only way I truly felt comfortable doing it was by popping up the driver's door and eyeballing it. I've backed up towed trailers and felt more confident, lol. But I assume you get used to it, as many L-talkers seem to have no problems in this area. Third, the offset pedals are shifted far to the right for the driver because of the wheel well. I've owned mid-engined cars exclusively for over a decade, and none of them had as much pedal offset as the Diablo I drove did.
On the positive side, the power is insane. My god the power. A 6.0 is a legitimate 12-second-flat car if the owner is willing to abuse the clutch, and that power is available every time you depress the accelerator. Torque everywhere, boundless. It's unreal, completely different than the NSX of course. I don't care that on so-and-so BestMotoring so-and-so driver managed to keep a Type-R competitive with a Murci on the track. Makes no differance to me because the Lambo V12's level of power is so hands down superior in how it makes you FEEL emotionally that the NSX felt like getting back into a Civic after my Diablo drive. Insane power. The Gallardo does not feel like the 6.0 in terms of power, but it does feel dramatically faster than a stock NSX. It feels like the differance between a stock 3.2L NSX, and a well tuned and sorted out Comptech NSX to be precise. Big jump in other words.
But the V12 Lambos are true rocketships. Drive both before you decide of course. For me the Gallardo's weight advantage versus the Murci made it my pick. It's a more balanced car in terms of handling, and every NSX owner wants his/her next car to handle well with no excuses. We're used to good handling in other words.
3. Gallardo vs. Ford GT - Assuming that you'll be able to actually buy a Ford GT at MSRP late next year as volume ramps up, this comparison really isn't one. I haven't driven a Ford GT myself, but I've seen enough performance figures on it to say that it delivers Lambo V12 levels of acceleration along with the Gallardo's weight and price tag. What could be better?
I'd get one if it had some sort of semi-auto tranny myself. Which means that anyone considering a 6-speed Gallardo, who can wait for Ford to accelerate production of the GT, should likely go in that direction instead. That's the advice of several unbiased Gallardo/Murci owners on L-talk, who also feel that the Ford is the real deal and are actively trying to add one to their stable. Sure it's retro, and some people have a problem with that, but when you can throw down a 0-150MPH time of around 19 seconds for $150k, it starts to look REAL good.
However, unlike most of you, I actually prefer AWD in my sportscars because it allows me to be a jackass all over the place in any condition and not be bitten by swapping ends. 1st gear full acceleration left hand turn from a stop sign? No problem in the AWD car, just stomp it and crank the wheel. In a Ford GT, there is no way you're doing that and not invoking all kinds of traction controll and other nonsense. So realize that I do value the Gallardo's AWD system and that helps it outrank other cars for me.
4. Gallardo vs. FX500 NSX - Like the Ford GT, the FX500 kits seems to be the real deal. Some great work has gone into them by all accounts, and they deliver the power that was promised. For $25k, you can take my $50k NSX and have it delivering Lambo V12/Ford GT levels of acceleration on pump gas for a grand total of $75k. Fantastic bargain. But again for me I want to move to e-Gear, and I want AWD, so that leaves boost kits on the NSX out of the question. Also, I do believe it's the responsibility of everyone who loves exotics to own at LEAST one Italian rocketsled before they die. This includes NSXers.
5. Gallardo vs. F430 - Yes everyone is wetting their pants about the new Ferrari, oh gee golly so impressive, a washed over 360. Wow. Not. Now that the fake-artificially-lighted-and-touched-up F430 pics released by Ferrari have been out for a few weeks, go look at them hard again. The "new exotic" feeling has warn off and you can make a more critical analysis of it. When I do this I see a boring 360 with a body kit. No thanks.
I do like the interior on the F430 though, looks sharp. The active-diff control? Doesn't hold a draw for me. Why would I need an active-diff when I can just have AWD instead? I'm sure it's another great Ferrari, but there's no way I'm choosing it over an indentically-performing Gallardo. The Gallardo looks better to my eyes, and there's no bull$hit Ferrari dealer nonsense about a three year waiting list etc. By the time an F430 actually arrives in the "regular" guy's hands, I'll have been driving a 650HP EVO Gallardo TT for more than a year. Bye bye Ferrari.
That's about all I have for today, sorry if I left out a car that you would have liked to have seen compared to the Gallardo. If you have one, and if I have experience with it, private me and I'll shoot you an email. The bottom line is that sportscars are like women, one man's trash is another man's treasure. You have to get out and DRIVE each of the cars you're evaluating to really know if it's right for your needs. That's what I've tried to do, and to me, the Gallardo feels and looks the most like a next-generation NSX out of what's available, which is just right.
MAKO
Mako -- thanks for the comprehensive and thought-out discussion, including perspectives on potential "alternatives".
Given that paddle shift auto-manuals (e-Gear or its variants -- SMG, F1, DSG, etc) and AWD are among your specific preferences, then that narrows the field considerably. To each his own, I guess... for the proponents of "less is more" thinking there's always the Lotus Elise, right
As a bonus, the "theoretical" daily driver potential (day-to-day live-ability) of certain "exotics" like the Gallardo, NSX, P911TT, etc that some of the more "higher-end" models (Lambo/Ferrari V12 cars) clearly lack is plausibly a relevant factor as well, whereas it may not be for others... I'd argue that your typical Diablo buyer is NOT looking for a daily driver: the Audi RS6, BMW M5 or AMG E55 fills that role for them quite nicely.
Good luck in your search...
Given that paddle shift auto-manuals (e-Gear or its variants -- SMG, F1, DSG, etc) and AWD are among your specific preferences, then that narrows the field considerably. To each his own, I guess... for the proponents of "less is more" thinking there's always the Lotus Elise, right
As a bonus, the "theoretical" daily driver potential (day-to-day live-ability) of certain "exotics" like the Gallardo, NSX, P911TT, etc that some of the more "higher-end" models (Lambo/Ferrari V12 cars) clearly lack is plausibly a relevant factor as well, whereas it may not be for others... I'd argue that your typical Diablo buyer is NOT looking for a daily driver: the Audi RS6, BMW M5 or AMG E55 fills that role for them quite nicely.
Good luck in your search...
nsx1164 said:
Oh no question, that's absolutely ture. However, since this is the NSX board, and NSX owners are a bit more hardcore than the average L-car owner, the question of daily driveability is more relevant. So I tailored my response a bit for this specific crowd. Hell there are Prime members who don't even put the carn in the barn for winter, lol.
But you're absolutely right. For the normal person, not crazy as myself, all of these cars are "Sunday" cars at best. So the quirks are more tolerable, and manual trannies are actually desired. They tool around in Bentley CGTs or MB SLs during the week. An Aston DB9 would also be a good day to day car in that same vein. For me though, I can't give up on using exotics everytime it's possible. They're too much fun. So I also look for a "jack of all trades" as the NSX is, to satisfy that need, much as most Primers probably would.
I won't give in to the four-door crowd just yet, lol.
Great comparisons MAKO. I always enjoy your posts. I still think you need to at least slap a SC on your NSX though
Carguy! said:
Flawed, I suppose you could be right, but I did use the words "could" and "optimistic" in a few posts thereafter.
I have not really kept up on the GT to tell you the truth....what is it doing in the market place. As for the Gallardo, I was having some work done on a TT I just bought and happened to get a first hand look at one. The owner mentioned paying about $15k less than actual market yet was still bitching b/c it was an e-gear and having problems. It will be enteresting to see how the market is effected over the next 2 years with Ferrari,(430) Porsche in a few years (997tt) and how it will effect the others its replaced. Other than the Gallardo (convertible) is anything else in the works for the future?
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Did you buy one? If so do you mind sharing what you paid for it? and can you post any pics of the interior
thanks
thanks
I didn't like the gallardo when i first saw it, the rear end looks like a Toyota, its all wheel drive, and if its a Lambo....... it needs the Lambo doors!
Then I got a chance to drive one and my opin change, I now love that car.
Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, its the best exotic car on the market right now.
I am a big Ferrari lover, and I would buy this car over any 360 or 430.
Here is a few pic's.
Then I got a chance to drive one and my opin change, I now love that car.
Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, its the best exotic car on the market right now.
I am a big Ferrari lover, and I would buy this car over any 360 or 430.
Here is a few pic's.
Thanks for the great review ! Very informative
I have to agree, the interior of the Gallardo is almost exactly the same as the audi A4, which in my opinion is already a step up from the old interior.
One other thing I've experienced is how low the front end of the car is. This issue might not be a big one for all of you that's driving on nicely paved streets in California but there is actually another metal "guard" panel under the front bumper that comes down to about 2 inches off the ground, similar to our lower front bumper of the nsx. It will scrape if you have the slightest elevation coming out of your garage 
if you think the NSX sounds bad when the front bumper got rubbed on the floor... imagine a whole steel panel scraping on concrete !!!
I have to agree, the interior of the Gallardo is almost exactly the same as the audi A4, which in my opinion is already a step up from the old interior.
One other thing I've experienced is how low the front end of the car is. This issue might not be a big one for all of you that's driving on nicely paved streets in California
but there is actually another metal "guard" panel under the front bumper that comes down to about 2 inches off the ground, similar to our lower front bumper of the nsx. It will scrape if you have the slightest elevation coming out of your garage if you think the NSX sounds bad when the front bumper got rubbed on the floor... imagine a whole steel panel scraping on concrete !!!The low nose on the Gallardo is a pain in the a$$. Far worse than the NSX in this regard. Luckily, several dealers have reported in the last few weeks that the Gallardo is slated to get the Murcielago's nose-raising system for MY2005.
Also, the Gallardo's stock shock setup is a coil-over type, meaning that it sits on adjustable perches from the factory. An owner I met over the weekend figured this out and lowered his G a full inch with no problems using the standard tool.
The wheels are HRE 20s in back and 19s up front for reference.
Also, the Gallardo's stock shock setup is a coil-over type, meaning that it sits on adjustable perches from the factory. An owner I met over the weekend figured this out and lowered his G a full inch with no problems using the standard tool.
The wheels are HRE 20s in back and 19s up front for reference.
