Ferruccio Lamborghini - born under the zodiac sign of Taurus - when he founded the famous super car company, that since then bears his name, gave it to the symbol of the fighting bull. Later, in the "60s decade, when the Miura was introduced, he named the car after the famous bull's race, and this practice became a tradition for the House of the Bull. Honoring this tradition, the Management of Automobili Lamborghini have decided to baptize their latest model with the name of a fighting bull's breed: The Gallardo.
The ConceptDesigned to redefine its segment as the best high performance sports car and driving behavior that fits its driver in every situation. The Gallardo is the synthesis of a true sports car that can be used on an every day basis. While matching these two apparently conflicting objectives, the guideline for Lamborghini engineers has been to fulfil necessary comfort requirements without and compromise in the performances expected of a true Lamborghini car. The choices for engine, transmission, space frame and body, suspensions, brakes and electronics are then all in line with such an objective. The result is a compact (length 4.3m) 2-seater high performance car (maximum speed over 300 km/h), that can be driven with pleasure both on race tracks and on long distance journeys on country and city roads. The layout has been conceived to reach high performance targets, on the basis of the sports-oriented concept for which Lamborghini is well known. The basic characteristics of such a layout are:
- Mid-rear mounted engine, with the gearbox behind the engine
- Permanent four-wheel drive system
- Independent double wishbone suspension system
- Aluminum space frame - Low center of gravity
- Even weight distribution
- Two front mounted water radiators and one side mounted oil cooler
Particular attention was paid to achieve the correct weight distribution, true to Lamborghini's engineering tradition. In fact, the chosen weight distribution is the optimal for a sports car, with advantages for traction, braking, and handling. The lowering of the center of gravity has also been a fundamental guideline, which also lead to the engineering decisions for engine and transmission layout.
The DesignThe Gallardo design vision was initiated in the year 2000. The challenging and simultaneously fascinating task of out engineers was to cultivate the attributes from Lamborghini and combine them in an extremely individual packaging. Its design, based on an Italdesign-Giugiaro style proposal was developed by the Lamborghini Centro Stile to imcorporate the parameters of our extreme design philosophy. The Gallardo dimensions combined with the competitive performance targets ensure the car an athletic compactness. The long wheelbase complemented by short overhangs dynamise its appearance. It was clad in the typical and unique mono volume proportioning, our heritage initiated by the Countach and integrates the Lamborghini design attributes of purism, athleticism, and sharpness. The cab-forward cockpit integrated in the body by a strongly slanted front screen and tensed pillars, the complex surfacing intersected by crisp graphics and its cooling flow oriented detailing evokes as in the Lamborghini tradition in its proportions and formal language a strong aeronautical influence. Starring blad-like front spoiler graphics, the front face is orchestrated around the dominant cooling inlets. The scissor door cinematic as been reserved as traditional to the 12-cylinder lineage. The foldable side mirrors slanted forward dynamising the side view are mounted on an evolutive shoulder incorporating air inlets. The flush integration of the door handles emphasize the lateral air intakes and like all details improves the aerodynamic efficiency. The rear lights prolonging the lines of the upper air intakes develop an aerodynamic lip present also in the rotating spoiler, combining once again fuction and emotion. The wheels, a strong differencing factor in the Lamborghini history develop the traditional round holes design theme interacting them with spokes.
The EngineThe Lamborghini V10 cylinder DOHC four valve V90 5-liter, 500 hp, 510 NM, is the concept solution for the high performance Gallardo. Instead of the more classical choice of a V72, an angle of 90 degrees was preferred in order to limit the height of the engine with advantages in the car layout (lower engine bonnet and better rear view) and in the lowering of the center of gravity. Even firing intervals are guaranteed by the adoption of the adaption of crankpins incorporating an 18-degree offset. A dry sump lubrication system not only achieves the correct lubrication even in extreme dynamic conditions, but also permits the center of gravity to be lowered further. The torque output is optimised in the full rpm range. In order to achieve such an objective, the charge efficiency was increased at various speeds by a precise utiliation of gas dynamic effects that take place in the intake and exhaust system. These effects are managed by the adoption of a variable geometry intake manifold and of a continuously variable valve timing system, both for intake and exhaust. While the variable geometry guarantees the correct base gas dynamic characteristics both at low rpm and high rpm, the variable valve timing system guarantees the most suitable valve opening and closing moments for each rpm. The maximum torque fo 510 NM is reached at 4500 rpm, with 80 percent of this maximum already achieved at only 1500 rpm. The maximum power is obtained at a much higher speed, 7800 rpm. The throttle is controlled via a Drive-By-Wire system, with two electronic throttle bodies. The contruction technology is obviously all aluminum.
