Enjoying a Sports Car in the Open Air

Two years after the debut of the "baby Lambo," the Gallardo, its open-top version, the Gallardo Spyder, made a stylish appearance at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show. Retaining the Gallardo's sharp styling, the Spyder, now equipped with a soft top, radiates sports car allure whether the roof is up or down.

The fully automatic soft top is ingeniously housed beneath the engine cover behind the seats. The engine cover itself is a lightweight carbon fiber structure, and the top can be raised or lowered in a remarkably short 20 seconds.
Uniquely, the rear window serves as a wind deflector when the top is down; raising it helps to minimize wind buffeting.

The rest of the car inherits the Gallardo's signature features, with no compromise to its sports car performance. For instance, behind the seats lies a 5-liter V10 engine, delivering the same specifications as the 2006 model year Gallardo: a maximum output of 520 ps and peak torque of 510 Nm.

Power is transmitted through a viscous coupling all-wheel-drive system, typically distributing torque in a 30:70 front-to-rear ratio. By employing lower gear ratios than the coupe, it achieves acceleration comparable to its fixed-roof counterpart.

Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder

Body | Length 4300 x Width 1900 x Height 1184 mm
Engine | 5.0-liter V10
Max Output | 382kW [520ps] / 8000rpm
Max Torque | 510Nm [52.0kgm] / 4250rpm
Drivetrain | 4WD
Transmission | 6-speed manual, e-gear system
Price | ¥23,042,500 (manual), ¥24,892,500 (e-gear)
(As of May 26, 2008)

BRAND HISTORY
As Italy's preeminent sports car manufacturer, Lamborghini is perpetually compared to Ferrari. This is entirely natural, as Lamborghini's very origin story is rooted in surpassing Ferrari.

Ferruccio Lamborghini founded Automobili Lamborghini in 1963, at the age of 47. Having amassed wealth through his tractor and air conditioning businesses after World War II, he had owned numerous sports cars, none of which satisfied him. Ferrari was no exception. The famous anecdote recounts how, after Ferruccio complained to Enzo Ferrari, he was dismissively told to "go back to driving tractors," which spurred him to launch his own brand with the explicit goal of defeating Ferrari.

Lamborghini wasted no time, unveiling the advanced "350GTV" with its V12 engine and beautiful body at the 1963 Turin Motor Show, followed by the production version, the "350GT," the next year. Subsequent iconic models like the "Miura" and "Countach" followed. However, due to setbacks in the tractor business and the impact of the oil crisis, the sports car maker bearing his name eventually changed hands.

Despite several changes in ownership over the years, Lamborghini has experienced steady growth since coming under the Audi umbrella in 1998. The current lineup features the V12-powered "Murciélago" and the V10 "Gallardo."