Car reviews

Lamborghini came down from its lofty position in the upper echelons of the supercar stratosphere to offer a more affordable, more accessible car with the raging bull badge. The result is the Gallardo, which still has the huge performance and presence you’d expect of a Lambo but also with a broad streak of usability to tackle the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo and Ferrari F430. The Gallardo is the first Lambo fully developed under Audi’s ownership of the Italian firm and it shows in the superb build quality. Four-wheel drive is standard on every version, including the very pretty Spider open-top, to make the V10-powered Gallardo supremely good to drive. With the coupe, the main choice is between standard six-speed manual gearbox and the E-Gear ’box that does without a clutch pedal but add shift paddles behind the steering wheel. Power increased by 20bhp in 2006, while the 100kg lighter, 10bhp stronger Superleggera shows Lambo still knows how to rage.