Gallardo Test at Nurburgring and Hockenheim

Ferrari has their work cut out for them...I can't wait for the 360's successor...as we all know, competition improves the breed

 

I can't believe its actually quicker than a Murci to 100 mph. Wow 8.4?

 

well there is no doubt that the gallardo is a quick car in the same way a 996tt is a quick car.

All the roadtest in UK confirm this, but they also say, well its very very dull! all Audi inside, none of the magic a lambo should have.

Thats why I cancelled my order !

 

LOL, silly q.

 

F40's and F50's are 7.5s cars to 100 mph. Not 8.5s nor 8s .

 

Well alan! I have followed many of your posts in the past and found them to be very interesting and I agree with many of your points!

I do own a 355 yes! the fact that you find the 355 dull im afraid makes you a minority group! and so therefore your opinion of it does not change my mind!

As to the Gallardo, not one road tester in UK programmes thought that it was exciting- not one! they all said very capable but dull!!

 

Tony!
Allan
The French team DAMS (which ran the Vipers to victory at LeMans) may race the Murcie GTR. They are testing the car now. They are very capable. Should be interesting.

 

Thats true that all of the testers found the car to be very dull and not haveing any of the magic that the Lamborghini big dogs have had like the murci, Diablo. It may be quick but its styling isnt to hot in my opinion. Still a great car for the money

 

Funny,.... but when you get a car that is perfect...the car mag's call it dull.

Ferrari and Lambo have done such a good job in making people think that exotic equals pain-in-the-ass that every time a car that is well engineered comes out, it gets the "well its too perfect so its not fun" LOL

It happened with the NSX back in 1991 and now with the baby Lambo in 2004. To me... I see this kind of Drama good for selling magazines and sparking debate.


Last weekend I spent an hour looking at a Black Gallardo. I also watched on a busy Saturday what others did in the big car showroom. I like to watch people. Seems the 360, TR, 355, and Esprit just got passed by because the styling just didn't stand out anymore against the two new Lambo styles. I didn't see anyone take a second look at a 360.
The two 360 spyders in the showroom still got a great amount of attention.

Funny how car designs take a bit of time to grow on you. And then old designs slowly fade as we get use to new shapes.

I didn't want to like the Gallardo. But the longer I looked at it compaired to 360, TR, 355, Esprit.... the more it just out classed those older cars design. Nothing wrong with that. New always has an advantage.

Now I'm a kind of guy that thinks car design college has kept making cars more and more ugly (what are they teaching those kids?). But the Enzo and Gallardo grow on you if you look at them long enough.

 

Mark, you are missing the point. It has nothing to do with the car being a "pain in the ass." It has to do with the driving experience and how it makes the driver feel. On my last track day I let several people take a few laps on my 360, including owners of modified 911 Turbos, modified Impreza STIs, and modified Z06s. All of these cars much faster than my 360 around the track, yet each of them couldn't stop talking about the two or three laps they took in the 360. Although slower in many respects, the feeling behind the wheel was almost beyond words. This is the unquantitative aspect you cant put into numbers or tests, only drivers can feel it. This is the part Ferrari has been untouchable (in my opinion), and I have driven almost everything short of a Murcie (which I have ridden in), Gallardo, and the Ferrari superexotics 288, F40, F50, Enzo. I cant wait to drive a Gallardo myself, but according to the tests I have seen/read this is the missing aspect. Maybe they're wrong, and only each person can decide for themselves what makes them happy.

Ernesto

 

Ernesto- I know what you mean.

Its like the 911 for me. I find the 911 makes going fast seem too civilized.

I wonder if Ferrari's are fun because the small engine is over stressed?
Last 355 I drove in sounded like it was going to blow-up at any moment.

 

One thing to consider is that the Gallardo is brand new. People are going to look at it for a long duration, even if they don't like it. It's new. It's different. The fact that people were giving it attention does not reveal that it is a better design than any of the other cars at the dealer. What I found interesting about your comment is that the 360 Spider still gets a great deal of attention, despite the fact that this is the 4th year in production. To me, the Gallardo just isn't sexy. Far too angular. The Murci looks good, but the Gallardo is a step back in design for Lambo. They should have used more cues from the Murci and Diablo. Instead, it seems like they've taken cues from Japanese ricer cars and the new Cadillac angular design themes. Great performance car, just wish it was sexy.

 

Come on guys, give this car its due! If this was a new Ferrari I bet some of you would be all about it. I am a fan of both and somehow I don't think "boring" could describe any new Lambo or Ferrari. As far as a dull interior, I have a 355 and thats about as cheap as it gets,(until you look at a TR but since they are so much older they have an excuse. If you want luxury, the Vanquish blows any of these away.

 

I'm not a fan of all Ferrari's. Just as I am not a fan of the Gallardo. I think Lambo, Ferrari, Porsche, Aston, Lotus, Mercedes, and BMW all have some great cars. But they also have some cars that I don't like. The Gallardo is one of them. You can definitely give the car "its due" for performance. But there are plenty of cars that perform incredibly that I don't care for. You like it, great. I don't like it, that's fine too.

 

the Gallardo has 100hp on both the 360 and 996tt, is it just me or does the Gallardo ONLY look good in that silver color?

 

Murci looks much better then the gallordo.

 

Its you, it doesn't look good in any color!

 

Agreed. I would say the color it looks "least worst" in is black. It helps hide the goofy angular ricer lines of the car.