Now Gallardo Loses Its Roof
We brought you world exclusive news of one drop-top Lamborghini in issue 735, and now here's another scoop - the Gallardo is going topless.
An exclusive image in the current issue of Auto Express magazine shows how the car will look when it goes head-to-head with Ferrari's 360 Spider and Porsche's forthcoming 911 Carrera 4S cabrio. The aluminium roadster will use the hard-top's 500bhp 5.0-litre V10, making it one of the world's fastest convertibles. Expect a top speed in excess of 190mph and a 0-60mph time of around four seconds. Power will be fed though all four wheels, with a six-speed manual box as standard and optional paddle-shift sequential system.
The news came from Lamborghini chairman Werner Mischke, who let slip future product plans and revealed the Murciélago roadster will arrive next year - as we said in Issue 735 - followed by the Gallardo drop-top late in 2005. The car is in the early stages of development, and on-road testing has yet to begin. However, losing the roof will mean some re-engineering to retain the structural rigidity and fine handling balance.
A price of 120,000 Euros (£86,000) has been set for the hard-top Gallardo in left-hand drive European spec, but RHD cars will cost £100,000 in the UK. Expect the roadster to command a £10,000 premium. Bosses hope to sell 1,600 Gallardos a year by 2005, and the open-top will only take that higher. Chris Thorp
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