Lamborghini Gallardo: The most sold Lamborghini model of all times

When an exclusive sports car has been sold in so many examples, you can be sure that it is indeed an incredible machine, revolutionary in so many ways that defined its class and changed the sports car world forever. The 2004 to 2014 Lamborghini Gallardo is such a car, and this is its story.

The Origin

Lamborghini was a company defined by over-the-top supercars like Miura, Countach, and Diablo. However, slotted between those legends, a couple of smaller, more affordable, mid-engine sports cars were designed to appeal to a broader range of customers. Vehicles like the Urraco (1972 to 1979), Silhouette (1976 to 1979), or Jalpa (1981 to 1989) never managed to sell in significant numbers or attract the attention of sports car connoisseurs. The problem was the fact that during the engineering of those models, too many compromises were made, and the finished product just wasn’t up to the standards of the class. During the ’90s, Lamborghini completely abandoned the two-car strategy and concentrated solely on Diablo.

In 1995, the company presented the Cala, a fully operational prototype of small Lamborghini, which was finally a sports car worthy of its name. A 4.0-liter V10 engine powered it, and it looked stunning. Unfortunately, during the mid-’90s, Lamborghini wasn’t able to finance the production, so the project was shelved, although the reception from the public was very positive. Finally, in 1998, Volkswagen bought the Lamborghini, ended a long financial instability period, and announced significant investments in the company. One of the first projects was designing a small, mid-engine, and more affordable Lamborghini, using Cala as an inspiration. Volkswagen wanted the car that could beat Ferrari and Porsche 911 Turbo, not just in terms of performance but also in terms of technology and appearance, and wanted the new model to be an actual 21st-century world-class machine.

The First Generation (2003 to 2008)

The Lamborghini Gallardo debuted on Geneve Motor Show in the Spring of 2003, immediately becoming one of the hottest cars of the year. The motoring world was amazed by recognizable but still very modern, a wedge-shaped design that resembled all previous Lamborghini models, compact dimensions, and aggressive stance. However, the best was hidden under the sculpted bodywork.

An all-new chassis, suspension architecture, fantastic 5.0-liter V10 engine, and choice of six-speed manual or six-speed, electronically controlled automatic. The real treat was a unique all-wheel-drive system that promised exceptional road holding, impressive acceleration, and ultimate safety regardless of the road conditions.

The initial performance numbers were excellent, and standard 2003 Gallardo delivered 500 hp and 510 Nm of torque which translated to 0 to 100 km/h times of just over 4 seconds and 309 km/h top speed. Back in the early 2000s, there weren’t many cars on the market that could outrun the newest bull from Santa Agata. Although the performance and the looks were fantastic, the biggest surprise was Gallardo’s road manners and just how docile and easy to drive it was. Since it was designed to be daily driven and usable, Lamborghini invested a lot into making it comfortable and maneuverable. However, we are sure that some Lamborghini customers were a bit disappointed by Gallardo never got a typical “Lambo” style doors. Instead, it had conventional-opening doors most people are accustom to.

In 2006, Lamborghini introduced an upgrade and a new model to complete the Gallardo range. First, all cars now delivered 520 hp, which slightly improved the performance. Then, for the first time, fans of open-air driving had a choice of Gallardo Spyder, a convertible model which looked even better and appealed to an even more comprehensive range of customers. Year later, in 2007, Lamborghini Gallardo got its first, amongst many, performance variant – Gallardo Superleggera. A very tasteful nod to classic Lamborghini 350 GT, Superleggera was significantly lighter than the standard model, ten hp more powerful, and quite a bit quicker. Superleggera was a proper supercar with 0 to 100 km/h time of just 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 315 km/h. But, of course, it was more expensive and much rarer than the regular model, featured unique design details and trim, and was produced in only 615 examples.

The Second Generation (2008 to 2013)

Even though the sales and popularity of Gallardo were outstanding, the company felt that it needed to enhance the model further to keep up with competitors, mainly from Ferrari but also from Mercedes, Porsche, and later McLaren. So, in 2008, a new, second-generation Gallardo was debuted with a new extension to the name, a more powerful engine, and a lot of new and exciting versions. The design was still the same, but the front end got a new treatment and looked more like Murcielago with bigger front intakes. The taillights were different, as well, and unique color choices were introduced.

The biggest news was the introduction of a 5.2-liter V10 engine with 560 hp and 540 Nm of torque. If you think that this was just an upgrade over the existing 5.0-liter V10, you are mistaken; this was a completely new engine, improved in just about every way. With the new engine came the new model designations, and now it was called Gallardo LP 560-4 with “4,” meaning the four-wheel-drive. With slightly less weight than the outgoing model, faster shifting automatic transmission (manual was still offered), the LP 560-4 was faster than Gallardo Superleggera. It could reach 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds and accelerate all the way to a remarkable 324 km/h. Of course, along with the closed top model came the Spyder, which continued to deliver elegant lines and convertible charms.

Lamborghini knew that Gallardo’s platform and drive train had even more potential and continued to develop the car for maximum performance and driving dynamics. That is why in 2010, a new Superleggera LP 570-4 was introduced along with the LP 570-4 Spyder Performante (convertible version). Those cars had ten hp more than the regular models but significantly quicker 0 to 100 km/h times of 3.4 seconds for coupes and 3.9 seconds for Spyder.

In 2011, Lamborghini presented a very interesting pair of Gallardos – LP 550-2 Coupe and Spyder. Slightly less powerful at 550 hp, lighter, and with only rear-wheel-drive, those entry-level models were even cheaper and designed for sports car purists. The magazine testers loved these variants since they offered more agility, composed driving feel, although the performance figures were slightly lower than the standard AWD model.

Unique Models And Limited-Production Versions

During the second generation period (2008 to 2013), Lamborghini produced an incredible number of unique versions, limited edition or commemorative models. There were about 20 different versions available for limited periods of time or in other parts of the world. Almost all of them had just special color choices, trim packages, exterior details, and cool-sounding names like Super Trofeo Stradale, for example. However, amongst all those special models, one stands out, and it is Valentino Balboni LP 550-2 which was limited to only 250 units and personally developed by Lamborghini’s legendary test driver. To make the car special, it featured a rear-wheel-drive and unique suspension setup along with exterior treatment.

Back in 2006, Gallardo made the news when Lamborghini delivered a couple of examples to Italian and British Police Determents. It was one of the rare occasions when supercars were used for police work for high-speed pursuits and emergency deliveries. As a result, the Italian Police Gallardo was regularly used, and soon few other police departments all over the world contacted Lamborghini and bought similar cars. The combination of perfect road-holding, high-performance engine, as well as dependability, and everyday usability made Gallardo the ideal law enforcement sports car.

Lamborghini Gallardo in Racing

Lamborghini was a sports car company that was always pretty opposed to racing. So it is quite strange if we know that Ferrari or Porsche built its reputation on the race tracks worldwide. Until the Gallardo racing program, very few Lamborghinis were ever entered in racing with no real factory racing effort. However, pretty soon after the introduction, Gallardo got its GT3 racing version which marked the start of a successful racing career. The racing model was later known as Super Trofeo, and Lamborghini even launched its own single-model racing series for professional teams and amateur racers.

Conclusion

With precisely 14,022 examples built between 2003 and 2013, Gallardo had easily set the record as the most sold Lamborghini model of all times. It was introduced at the right time and offered discriminating buyers a perfect balance between flamboyant Lamborghini style, lush drive train with superior all-wheel-drive, and high-quality production standards with everyday usability. So, it is easy to understand why it was so popular with the customers and why it still one of the best driver’s cars from the early 2000s.

Would you like to experience the pure power of a Lamborghini? At Edel & Stark you can rent a Lamborghini in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France or Dubai. We have a very large selection of different current models of Lamborghini for rent. Contact us via info@edelstark.com or give us a call.