Green Hotel : Bangkok Thailand | www.greenbkk.com reservation@greenbkk.com: GreenBkk.com Auto | 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante

2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante

By: Amy Skogstrom, Eric Tingwall, Phil Floraday / Photos by Matt Tierney

Lamborghini is an interesting brand. It's a bit too ostentatious and aggressive to earn a place in my fantasy garage, but those same traits are certainly important to the people who buy Lamborghinis.

Although I'm not the biggest fan of Lamborghini's angular design language, the Gallardo is instantly recognizable as an exotic car. Not everyone who saw the car knew what it was, but they did know it was something special and lots of camera phones were pointed in my direction during my time behind the wheel. Celebrities looking to bring the spotlight wherever they go will be thrilled with a Gallardo. It is not the best choice for an executive looking to discreetly reward himself with a bonus.

The weather was pretty miserable during my evening with the Spyder Performante, which was especially bad because you can't see much with the top up. I really have to hunch over the wheel to watch for a light to change and bumpy roads mean hitting my head on the cloth top. As soon as the rain stopped, I dropped the top and cranked the heater. The cabin was surprisingly hospitable in 45-degree weather, and I found the wind noise to be a bigger issue than cold air swirling around me.

I know all-wheel drive is a signature Lamborghini trait, but why does the system have to bind up during parking maneuvers and even some regular turns on the road? I've spent a lot of time behind the wheel of various Audi R8s and none of them exhibited this level of driveline binding. That's reason enough to skip the Lambo, save a boatload of cash, and enjoy a very similar Audi. Sure, it won't have the same cachet, but it's just as much fun to drive.

Phil Floraday, Senior Web Editor

Perhaps I've just been spoiled by the privilege of employment at Automobile Magazine, but like Phil, I wouldn't be looking to park this Lamborghini Gallardo in my garage even if I won the lottery this weekend. It may sound jaded and snobbish, but it's the truth. Compared to peers like the Ferrari 458 Italia and the Audi R8, the Gallardo is just too compromised. The ride is ultra stiff; the interior is dated; and the secondary controls feel plasticky, imprecise, and cheap.

You won't hear any apologies from Sant'Agata, though. Frivolities like ergonomics -- the window switches are pushed up to lower the window and down to raise the window -- are an unashamed afterthought with a Lamborghini. It's all about the roguish 562-hp V-10 in this Gallardo. The mid-mounted engine creates incomprehensible power in an awesome way and produces a fantastic noise to trumpet your arrival. The e-gear single-clutch transmission is jerky and uncivilized around town, but it still exceeds my low expectations. As a visual statement and as a visceral thrill, I love the Gallardo. But there's a way to do raw and unbridled that doesn't come off as cheap and unfinished.

This particular Performante Spyder introduces an imperceptible performance improvement with a 143-pound weight reduction thanks to carbon fiber inside and out. You will be aware of the clatter and rattle of the composite panels. Personally, I can't wrap my head around the idea that a convertible buyer could be chasing performance so fervently. Want a faster, sharper car? Buy the coupe.

Eric Tingwall, Associate Editor

I was thrilled that I got a chance to drive the Gallardo, seeing as we only had it in for a few days. I wasn't so thrilled that I got to drive it in a pouring rainstorm -- at night. The first problem I encountered was finding the headlight switch. There's a stalk on the steering column that appeared to operate the lights, but that didn't seem to work. I searched for what seemed like several minutes before realizing that there was a rocker switch on the center console that turned on the headlights, after which you can use the column stalk to turn the brights on and off. Eric is right - ergonomics are not this car's strong suit.

It rained again on my way to work the next morning, so I didn't get to explore much - if any - of this car's performance potential. The transmission around town is not good. Shifts are balky, no matter whether you have it set in automatic or if you try shifting for yourself. The heavily pockmarked roads I drive every day do this car no favors, either, as the suspension is too stiff to absorb the bumps and craters.

It's been about five years since I last drove a Gallardo. Here's hoping that the next time I get a chance, the weather cooperates.

Amy Skogstrom, Managing Editor