Official: Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni - Lighter, RWD Model with 550HP

Turns out that we were spot with our estimates on the technical specs of the all-new Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 (okay, okay, we simply used Lambo's naming strategy) that was officially revealed today after the first photos of the supercar were leaked into the net yesterday. Named after Lamborghini's best known test drivers, Valentino Balboni who retired after 40 years with the company, the Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni ditches the Gallardo's four-wheel drive system for a rear-drive setup while power comes from a 550HP 5.2-liter V10 engine.

Lamborghini said that the conversion from all-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive only was not simply a question of moving the transmission to the rear axle as the vehicle had to be thoroughly adjusted and tuned. The company's engineers performerd changes on the supercar's springs, dampers, stabilisers and the tyres as well as adjusting the aerodynamics to take account of the change to the power flow.

Other changes concern the redevelopment of the rear axle differential, with a 45 percent limited slip, the recalibration of the e-gear transmission and a series of adjustment to the ESP system which now permits greater drift angles.

The only current Lamborghini that delivers its power to the road via its rear wheels alone is 30kg or 66-lbs lighter than its all-wheel drive equivalent, the 560HP Gallardo LP560-4. Weighing at 1,380kg or 3,042 pounds, the LP 550-2 launches from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62mph) in 3.9 seconds or 0.2sec slower than the LP 560-4, while it achieves a top speed of 320 km/h or 199 mph (LP 560-4: 325 km/h or 202 mph).

On the outside, the Balboni Gallardo features color strip in white and gold running from the front panel all the way back to the rear spoiler, a transparent engine cover and Scorpius alloys in dark grey finish while the brake callipers come in black, orange or yellow, depending on the exterior paint finish. Customers can choose from a palette of eight exterior colors.

Inside, the special edition Gallardo comes equipped with a full leather upholstery is black with the seats featuring a white color strip. The centre console is completely upholstered in a contrasting Polar white leather while a badge below the left side window bears the signature of Valentino Balboni and the production number of the car.

The Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni will be produced in a limited series of 250 units with suggested retail prices without taxes set at €162,000 for Europe, £137,900 for the U.K. and $219,800 for the U.S.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Photo Leakage: New RWD Model with 550HP?

A set of allegedly official photos depicting a more hardcore version of the Lamborghini Gallardo supercar called LP550-2 were leaked into the web today. While we don't have any official information yet on the car from the Italian maker, Lamborghini's naming strategy suggests that the LP550-2 is equipped with a 550 horsepower version of the Gallardo's 5.2-liter V10 engine with power being driven to the rear wheels rather than to all four as on the rest of the Gallardo range.

If true, this means that the elimination of the all-wheel drive system will result in substantial (for this kind of vehicle) weight savings. We'll get back on this story as soon as we find out more. In the meantime enjoy the high-res picture gallery below.

Via: Autoblog.it

Lamborghini Gallardo Literally Burns to the Ground in Athens, Greece

Our list with burned supercars continues to grow, and grow and grow and grow... The latest incident to be caught on camera concerns a yellow Lamborghini Gallardo that went up in flames for unknown reasons in the city of Athens, Greece. Fortunately, the couple inside the car made it out without a single scratch. The same cannot be said about the Gallardo as by the time that the firefighters arrived on the scene (wonder how long it took them...), the Italian beauty had been eaten alive by the flames. More photos after the jump.

Via: Jalopnik , Source: Troktiko & Skeftomasteellhnika

Automotive Video P@rn: Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SV on the Road and the Track

We'd advise you to sit down comfortably, relax and turn up the volume on your speakers - okay, those working in an office should forget about the above and pretend that they are talking with someone important on the phone nodding their head up and down every so often. The two videos, courtesy of Drivers-Republic, show the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce on the road and at UK's Silverstone race track where the 670HP Raging Bull model recorded a lap time of 2 minutes and 8.10 seconds beating the Porsche 911 GT2 by two seconds and the (much less costly and powerful) Nissan GT-R by 2.1 seconds.

Grazie for the tip Joker!

Bespoke Lamborghini Murcielago with Full Carbon-Fiber Kit by Prindeville

The power, the looks, the lust. And if that ain't enough, then how about some exclusivity, as promised by British tuning boutique 'Prindeville Prestige'? The tuning firm has released yet another special Lamborghini Murcielago that builds upon its previous modded Raging Bull model that we showed in March. On the outside, minus a few changes like the different tail lamps and the underlying air vents, Prindeville's newest Murcielago proposal features the same carbon fiber bodykit as before. The company states that with the exception of the front compartment lid, all the other factory panels, including the roof, have been replaced and restyled.

What's really different about the new 'Murcielago by Prindeville' is the supercar's interior that has been completely overhauled. The entire cabin has been upholstered in a two-tone ostrich hide while other notable features include the precision-milled aluminum accents on the dashboard and the lower part of the center console.

To emphasize the attention to detail in the car's interior, the company's founder Alex Prindiville said: "The standard plastic air vents aren't worthy of the rest of the interior, so although it was a complex and therefore costly procedure, we decided to manufacture replacements from aluminum."

"On their own these vents represent a significant proportion of the £10,000 (around US$16,000) cost of our interior 'jewellery pack', but it's all part of the price of doing the job properly," Prindeville added.

Prindeville did not disclose the price of the modded Murcielago, but we reckon that those seriously interested in buying the car wouldn't care less on how much it costs.

Lamborghini, Ferrari and BMW Sportscar Concept Studies by Iranian Designer Emil Baddal

Remember the collective Iranian concept studies that we showed you back in April? Well, we found yet another designer with potential from the Middle Eastern country. His name is Emil Baddal and we picked out three illustrations from his portfolio that caught our attention. The designs proposals are for a Lamborghini, a Ferrari and a BMW supercar. We reckon that all three studies could benefit from some tweaks here and there, but overall not a bad attempt at all.

LAMBORGHINI

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BMW

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FERRARI

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CGIs: Emil Baddal , Via: Designerspace