Now that we're talking about Gallardos...

Just pick an old thread.This has been discussed so many times.

 

I don't know about "no marketing". Every magazine I could find last year when I was in the market had a yellow Gallardo on its front cover with a road test inside. That's because Lamborghini invited every motoring journalist that matters to Italy last July for the release. It sold me. Maybe the marketing didn't work at retail level. Certainly it doesn't seem right to have too much stock sitting on showroom floors. Of course, we owners don't care - we are too busy enjoying the car!

BTW, I somewhat agree with you about the interior. I think it is a mild disappointment given the brilliant shape of the exterior. Better than a Porsche maybe but not as good as a Ferrari. It is comfortable and works fine, but it doesn't have any wow factor.

 

"Has anyone driven one? What did you think?"

I have and at the same dealer visit, drove a Mercielago.

"One thing struck me about the car: the engine. It is an absolute powerhouse. The car is a rocketship--much faster than my Dad's 360. And that engine has the most wonderful sound--kind of sounds like an airplane at takeoff."

I don't agree totally. It is a powerhouse but I found it NOT MUCH faster than my 360 but faster with great sound.

"I would say they did a pretty good job of copying the wonders of the 360. The steering felt the same. The 6-speed gearbox is identical--I think Lambo gets it from the same company."

The steering on the Gallardo felt a little heavier and slower than my 360. You move the steering wheel a small bit and the 360 takes off in that direction. I find the Ferrari 6 speed very easy to shift and light in feel whereas the Gallardo seemed slightly heavier.

"Overall, the car is a beast in terms of speed. The interior, of course, was garbage. Nothing Italian about it. They even used the same buttons as one finds in an Audi. The interior looks like a Dodge Viper interior."

I didn't have those thoughts.

"The car hasn't succeeded. I suppose a substantial reason for that is the fall in the US dollar. The car was supposed to be $130-$150K, but now its priced around $170K with no options. The car is just a little overpriced in my opinion. Also, Lambo flooded the market to make up for delayed introduction and now the cars are sitting everywhere. Lambo had some bad luck. But overall they did a terrible job at introducing the model. No marketing whatsoever."

I only spent 45 minutes but feel the car is priced right and you get alot for your money.

 

This might be because of the AWD drivetrain: AWD's seem to feel "heavier" because of that, even if they're not a heavy car. Especially when off-throttle decelerating, I know my WRX feels like it weighs 4200lbs, but when you push the gas it feels like 3000 again.

 

I'm sure it was the AWD, for the heavier feeling.

 

I agree, Dave, it feels *a little* faster, not a lot, I think much of the lack of feel has to do with the tall gears. The sound...well, I like my Capristo-equipped 360 better than the G.

Gary

 

In fairness I am driving a 360 with Tubi. I found the sounds of the Gallardo, Murcielago and Diablo very excitable at full go power. The 360 with the higher red line seems to climb faster but not by much. V-10 and V-12 torque is awsome. There's nothing like tubi at 8.5k RPM. Not wothstanding the addition of test pipes!

 

My thoughts on the Gallardo:

- Noticeably faster than the 360 (especially the torque)
- Exhaust note was a little weak, but so is the stock 360 below 4500rpm
- Adding a Tubi (when they are released in a month) will solve that problem
- Handling is almost as nimble as the 360, 4WD being the culprit
- The 4WD is very confidence inspiring & neutral
- I would take the 4WD over 2WD if I had to choose
- Car is very agile
- Interior I liked, and wasn't really bothered by the Audi influences

As far as saying "the car hasn't succeeded", I don't know how to comment on that. Succeeded at what? It performs better than the 360, has a V10 instead of a V8, has actual torque that you can feel (my biggest complaint about the 360), has a fresh shape, and I believe has better quality of construction than the 360. The reason there aren't 2 year waiting lists has a lot to do with the fact that some customers are still buying into the idea that a company needs to have F1 racing heritage to matter. The last I checked, the Gallardo and 360 are being driven by customers on city streets, so frankly I could care less about how many races Schumacher wins. Besides, if racing really matters to a customer, they should remember that the Gallardo will outperform a 360 on the track without any trouble.

In summary, I think the Gallardo is a success. After having driven a Gallardo on the race track, and having previously owned a 360, I can say that I would take the Gallardo hands-down. Hopefully Ferrari comes up with something special for the 420 that will change my mind back in the F-Car direction.