You can tell a lot from a name. Take the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, for instance. Ignoring the tired prejudices surrounding Italian cars, we can concentrate on the latter part of the name, the LP560-4. LP stands for the deliciously elegant Longitudinale Posteriore, indicating a longitudinally mid-mounted engine. Good news. 560 hints at the power delivered from the 2009 version's larger 5.2-liter V10 engine - 560 cavallinos - an Italian unit of measurement that translates to 552 horsepower here in the States. The final 4, as it were, means this supercar sends that incredible amount of power to all four wheels.
Maybe it got jealous of the scissor doors all its brothers sport, or maybe it got tired of getting less press, despite selling more than any Lamborghini, but the Gallardo puts up some big numbers this year. So far, test numbers have actually beaten Lamborghini’s estimates, shooting the Gallardo to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and to the quarter-mile in 11.4, 0.3 and 0.4 seconds better than Lambo had guessed, respectively. This is due to several factors: an increase in displacement, a new direct injection system, enlarged and redesigned cooling intakes, and a redesigned automated e-gear transmission, which makes gear changes 40% quicker than in 2008 due to a rotational system of gear selection. All this, and CO2 output is down by 18%, with mileage estimated at 14/20 mpg.
The four-wheel-drive system has also been redesigned, the suspension has been improved with new mounts and bushings, the braking system receives better ventilation, the weight has been dropped 44 pounds, and the car's aerodynamics have even gotten a bit of the “How’s your father?”
Transmission choices are a six-speed manual or automatic, and you further have the choice of one of three wheel designs, all 19 inches. The interior receives a shot of fresh as well, with redesigned gauge faces and aluminum switches on the center console.
Drivers may choose between five modes from the e-gear transmission - Automatic, Normal, Thrust, Sport, and Corsa - depending on whether you want a great launch, faster shifts in the twisties, or something more relaxed (as much as you can relax in a 200-mph supercar). Of course, if speed makes you nervous, just choose the optional carbon/ceramic disc braking system with its eight-piston Brembo calipers biting down on 14.4-inch rotors up front and four-piston calipers squeezing 14-inch rotors out back.
