Murcielago: The Gas-guzzler?

With rising petrol prices, some consumers are taking a step back and taking a good look at their situations at the outside. Who wouldn’t? Rising prices of oil means spending more for gas, while reducing the budget for other expenses. Owners of fuel efficient cars need not worry but for the owners of the so-called gas-guzzlers on the road this issue is sure to worry them a bit. One such car that is often labeled as a gas-guzzler is the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640 roadster. A gallon of gas on this roadster can get you to only 8 miles in the city! The Murcielago post 13 miles per gallon on highways. Based on estimates, a driver of the Murcielago is expected to pay $5,025 a year in fuel costs.

The roadster version of the Murcielago. If enthusiasts can shell out more than $300,000 for this roadster, then perhaps the cost of fuel for a year that can help sustain the Murcielago won’t worry the enthusiasts too much?

The LP640 of Lamborghini was initially introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2006, and this model is modified for the coupe version. Performance and power is centered on the 6.5 Liter engine that can produce 472 kW. As with the base Murcielago, engine is mounted backwards. The body of the car is crafted from steel and carbon fiber. The vehicle also features a new 18 inch Herrera alloy wheels and the vehicle also retains the original car’s scissor-opening doors. When it was initially offered in the market, the LP640 coupe has a sticker price of $318,800. The term ‘LP’ actually stands for Longitudinale Posteriore that actually refers to the longitudinally-mounted engine.

The car above is the roadster. The new Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster was unveiled at the 2006 Los Angeles Autoshow. The car retains the same engine and the only design modification were the oil cooling vents behind the air intakes, interior changes and a reinforced body.

Filed under: Lamborghini, Lamborghini Murcielago , Lamborghini LP640 Murcielago roadster

Top Cars at the Geneva Motor Show: Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4

 Gallardo Nera*

Extra muscle and a whole lot of style and attitude. That’s the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 for you, guys! The sleek ultra-sporty looks of the Lamborghini plus the muscle power do come at a steep sticker price though. When this sporty car goes on sale across Europe in June, each Lamborghini will cost you around $222,000!

What makes this new-edition Lamborghini a bit special as compared to the other Lamborghini that was introduced in the market in 2003?

The Gallardo by Lamborghini is the brand’s most produced model and it has been said that almost 5,000 units have been manufatcured on its first three years. This model was initially designed to compete head-on with the Ferrari 360, but now competes directly with Ferrari’s F430. This sports car is the only one that uses the Lamborghini V10 engine and every Gallardo is offered in two transmissions- you can get the conventional six-speed manual transmission and the advanced six-speed electro-hydraulically controlled semi-automatic single clutch sequentila manual or the E-gear as Lamborghini wanted it to be called.

The Gallardo was offered in a number of variants as well. One variant is the Gallardo Spyder. This variant was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2006. This ride features 520 hp and a lower-ratio six-speed transmission. The Gallardo SE, where SE stands for Special Edition features a black-roofed two-tone color scheme with ‘Callisto’ rims shod with Pirelli tires. The Nera is another variant and was introduced at the Paris Motor Show. There’s the Superleggera that was shown at Geneva for the 2007 edition of the motor show. And now, we have the Gallardo LP 560-4, one of the stars of the 2008 Geneva Motor Show.

The new Gallardo boasts of a powerful engine courtesy of the new direct-injection 5.2 liter V10. This engine can make 552 horsepower. It was mentioned that with the addition of 40hp and reduction in weight, the Lamborghini can reach 60 miles per hour in a matter of 3.7 seconds. At its peak, the Gallardo can max at 202 miles per hour. With all these great things going for the Gallardo, you will think that this comes complete and ready to strike on the road. Not quite though. There is one weakness on the side of the Gallardo, and that’s the V10’s lack of torque at midrange rpm. But this ‘chink’ in the armour of the sports car is readily solved with the addition of 22 lb-ft.

Aside from the fabled performance and muscle, style also matters for the Lamborghini Gallardo. Interior styling can be either leather or the Alcantara upholstery and trim, with carbon-fiber accents. Throw in a multi-media system and what you get is an muscle car and an eye-candy! 

* Photo shows the Gallardo Nera. Sorry for the slip. Thank you dear reader.

Filed under: Lamborghini, News, Uncategorized , Gallardo SE, Gallardo Spyder, Geneva motor show 2008, Lamborghini Gallardo, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, Nera