Just got a first drive this weekend...

Well, I did it. I was finally able to take a Gallardo for a drive. It was a 2006 Egear. First drive of a Gallardo, and it was VIR North Course to boot.

First off, at 6'3" I must say that I was quite impressed that I was able to fit in the car at all with a helmet on at the same time, and was actually able to get quite comfortable. My father had said he didn't think I'd fit very well, but for the time I was in it, I was quite comfortable. I just pushed my helmet up into the roof a little bit and it held my head in place quite nicely as well (no, I didn't damage the car... haha.). Clearly, the biggest plus to the car is the Torque. It just never ends. I've never felt anything like it. Being able to put your foot down at 3000 RPMs and have it rocket out from underneath you and have it just keep going is an incredible feeling. It really was astonishing, almost to the point of confusion as to how Lamborghini was able to create an engine with that kind of power. Shift it up to 4th gear, and you get to do it all over again. Not to mention the noise the engine made... WOW. Being in the car and stepping on the throttle really turned out to be an assault on ALL of the senses (well, except for maybe taste...), and oh man was it exhilirating.

Even on the street tires it was on, it is very quickly apparent that the cars abilities are so amazingly far beyond anything I've driven before and what I was capable of doing. Problem was, it just seemed like it was always begging to go faster, and I wasn't about to go close to what I thought I could handle, much less go beyond them, in a car that I didn't even own. The steering was extremely precise. When I wanted the car to turn, it did it quickly and without drama. Considering the amount of torque the car has on tap, I was surprised at how smooth the throttle was. It was not difficult to feather the throttle to push the back end out just a little bit at all to get the car around the turn and straightened out quickly to be able to stand on the gas all the way to the next turn.

There were really only two issues that I have with it after taking it for a spin. To start with, I know this may be intentional, but the shifting in the Egear was quite rough. It almost seems like they tried to make the shifts harder and more raw. I think that toning it down just a little bit would not take away from the car at all, and make it a lot more comfortable if the owner ever just wants to take it for a drive to dinner or something. The other issue I had with it is I wasn't too thrilled about the brakes. Its possible that this could be due to the tires it was on, and my being timid with them, but I just never felt like I could trust the brakes to stop me quickly if an emergency happened. I think a big part of this may have been due to the long distance the peddle traveled before the brakes began to grip, which it may sort have been unique to this one car. Had the brakes started to engage immediately when putting pressure on the peddle, I think I would have felt much more comfortable with the car.

In conclusion, I can definitely see the appeal to the Gallardo now. I'd always been curious as to why someone would get a gallardo instead of a Murcie, but now I understand that the Gallardo is an incredible automobile in its own right. Put a stick shift in the Gallardo, and you've got an absolutely incredible car.


This was a chance I'm never going to forget. Maybe the dark side isn't quite so bad afterall.

 

I'm used to driving an RX-8 (but not stock) and a 360 spider, but my daily driver is a Trailblazer. I think the brake action in both of those is much better then it was in the Gallardo. Neither of them have the carbon ceramic brakes...

As for room for the stick... thats actually a good question. I'm not actually sure. I didn't get a whole lot of time i the car not out on the track (I had to meet the other driver in the pits to swap places going out and back in) so I didn't actually look at the center console much (I was concentrating on driving). I guess it would depend on the size of the stick, but it could definitely make it a bit more cramped. Also the third pedal would definitely make it more difficult to drive for me (size 12 shoes). Driving shoes would be a requirement in that case.