Popular Automotive

Tenerife, Canary Islands—Lamborghini injected some ferocity under the hood of the already brazen Gallardo with the refreshed LP560-4. The entry-level coupe from Sant'Agata, Italy, gained horsepower, shed unsprung mass and overall weight, and received a subtle sheet-metal makeover that gave it a contemporary edge in line with its more docile relative, the Audi R8. So, how does Lambo improve on that formula? Ditch the roof and create the 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder. —Basem Wasef

The Specs
The Gallardo LP560-4 coupe starts at $201,000. The Spyder version commands a staggering $224,700—and that's not counting the $10,000 eGear transmission option that now equips over 99 percent of all Gallardos, or goodies like the $26,000 matte paint and $16,450 eight-piston carbon-ceramic brakes. When brakes cost more than a Honda Fit and a paint job runs around the price of Mustang GT, it's no surprise Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann admits the company "hasn't been immune from the economic climate."

But even the base, out-of-the-box Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder is hooked up with some pretty sweet stuff: 5.2-liter 552 hp direct-injected V10 powerplant? Check. Aluminum space frame chassis? Yes, sir. Zero to 62 mph in 4 seconds and a top speed of 201 mph? Bring it.

The underpinnings, at least compared to other electronically over-endowed sports cars (ahem, Nissan GT-R), are relatively straightforward. The double-wishbone aluminum suspension lacks automatic adaptability. A viscous-traction all-wheel-drive system biases torque up to 70 percent between front and rear axles for optimum traction. And the eGear transmission, while effective, is still a single-clutch unit.

The fabric roof Gallardo receives chassis reinforcements including front and rear firewall beams, beefed up rocker panel pieces, and several other additions for improved stiffness. It takes four hydraulic motors and 20 seconds for the rear bonnet to lift and the canvas roof to fold flush beneath the rear decklid, which is artfully detailed with scoops and vents.

The convertible version also receives a modified exhaust system, with tweaked resonance characteristics for the sole purpose of sounding, well, perfect to an enthusiast's ear. The setup was fine-tuned by a panel of Lamborghini executives that judged different setups by listening to test vehicles drive by—fitting, considering this drop-top comes from the country that invented opera.
The Drive
The new Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder's exhaust note practically hits you over the head with a sonic boom when you fire up its 10-cylinder powerplant. The flow of combusted exhaust gases manages an aural mashup that's both shrill and throaty. And when the top is down, those acoustics become just as intoxicating as the engine's incredible thrust.

Hold the brake, click into first, and the electronic clutch does all the work—feathering power to the wheels and easing the car forward relatively smoothly. The shift engagement points aren't as seamless as a traditional, torque-converter-equipped automatic. But then again you wouldn't expect a Lambo to drive like a Lexus, would you? Automatic mode offers innocuous shifts under light to medium throttle, but gets a bit jerky when you drive aggressively. Sport will rock your head back and forth under heavy throttle, and Corsa, or Race, mode slams violently into the next ascending gear for even quicker acceleration. If you absolutely must leave the stoplight with maximum alacrity, try selecting Corsa, switching ESP off, pushing both pedals to the floor simultaneously, and listening to the V10 hold its howl at 5400 rpm. When you lift the brake, revs drop instantly and the Spyder rockets forward in a wheelspin-free bounce that feels like Optimus Prime just punted the rear bumper. Lamborghini insists the system is robust enough for numerous launches. We gave it a go or 10 on our test drive, without repercussions.

Driving from sea level to the top of the Pico de Teide volcano, the highest elevation in Spain, we encountered a multitude of hairpin turns that challenged the Spyder's chassis. Though the Lamborghini's steering is a shade less transparent and communicative than the Ferrari F430's, there's still plenty of feel throughout the cornering process. Once the front tires bite and the suspension settles, the Spyder is in its element; grip from all fours is extreme, and it takes a seriously jerky maneuver to upset the car's balance. The stability control system does a seamless job making the driver appear more talented than he might be. And that sonorous exhaust note spills onto the landscape and makes any public road sound like the Le Mans circuit.

However, the Spyder model does offer a shade less precision carving up road compared to the hardtop version. The difference is subtle. And we noticed a few phantom squeaks coming from behind the cockpit, a condition that seemed more noticeable as speeds climbed. We adjusted our seat backs, checked for loose seatbelt straps and looked for any other noise-creating gremlins, but simply couldn't find the culprit. One big tradeoff for the open-air experience is that the convertible top assembly covers up quite a bit of that beautiful amidships-mounted engine. If you're hoping to show off the powerplant's attractive topside, you'll have to settle for a small section of those long, black cylinder heads.

It's a tough time to be selling a flashy, high-dollar supercar. But even in today's disastrous global economic climate, the Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder still manages to make people smile as you drive by and rev that wonderful V10. Does Lamborghini's magic transcend our glum financial realities? Perhaps.