A Lamborghini can’t be driven on Indian roads, you say? I disagree. Just find a long enough stretch of tarmac and the LP 550-2 can bully its way to 100kph in 4.1 seconds. Sure, hitting its 320kph top speed might be a bit more of a challenge, but then again, it’s not top speed that’s important here — there’s 542bhp in a car that weighs the same as a Renault Fluence. An ex-Audi key (Audi took over Lambo back in the late 90s) to twist brings a brief burst of high-frequency starter wail. The engine catches up with a naughty thrrrrump of revs, before settling to an even idle.

As I fed in some throttle, the Gallardo seemed inappropriately meek at first. With the gear transmission in Auto, it felt no more an animal than a hopped-up Audi, except that I was sitting low enough to see the underside of an Audi. The engine was quiet, the gears shifted smoothly and the V10 was buttery smooth.

At 4000rpm, the until-now-subdued exhaust note hardened, hitting me with adrenaline as the 5.2-lt direct-injection V10 tore to its 8200rpm-rev limiter in first. It gets there so fast, you need to be on high alert not to run it against that limiter. Tug the right paddle for second. There’s a deliberate pause and the robotised clutch thumps back in with all the gentleness of the Hulk patting you on the back.

The hill road I was on didn’t have straights long enough to allow more than a bit of third gear. But it was enough to get a feel of the V10’s ferocity. You don’t want to get too brave in a Gallardo the first time out. So its corner, downshift, turn in, feeding the brute with more throttle than the last corner, feel around, push a bit harder through each turn and see what happens as you approach the limits of its Pirelli P-Zeros.

This Gallardo is the first series- production RWD Lamborghini since the Diablo SV, so maybe there is a bit of that old devil in here. I had to find out.

Removing the front driveshafts means the LP 550-2 weighs 30kg less than the 560-4 and has 10bhp less as well. It feels light and agile, especially the steering which, without the mechanicals and weight of the front drive, is lighter and more textured.

However, the steering felt curiously inert around the straight-ahead position — it only wakes up when you really push it hard. It’s nowhere as sharp as say, a Ferrari 458. Still, there’s plenty of grip from the fat rear tyres and when you enter a corner too hot, understeer sets in. Gently lifting off the throttle will tuck it back in line.

Push harder and it becomes obvious that the LP 550-2 is not as foolproof as the regular LP 560-4, but neither is it a complete handful. There’s good front-end bite and clear communication through the steering. And when you deliberately give it a bootful (with the ESP off) the rear breaks away progressively and with nice balance.

There are two issues that need mentioning — the first is with the brakes. They feel spongy — there’s no bite initially as the pedal travels through some free play. And then they bite, suddenly, making them hard to modulate. Once past this initial nothingness though, stopping power is tremendous and you do get used to it after some time. The other issue is with the stiff spring rates. When you’re really going for it, the car gets kicked around quite a bit so you can never relax.

As I was exiting the expressway on my way back to Navi Mumbai, the Gallardo was compact and surprisingly easy to manage among jostling taxis while the wide rear view mirrors and the rear window gave me a reasonably clear view. It didn’t feel intimidating; if only the ride wasn’t so firm!

Ground clearance isn’t as bad as it looks. The front suspension has a raise function that lifts the car’s nose to clear speed breakers and bad roads, and the short wheelbase helps too. This Gallardo feels well-built and solid and the interiors are really high quality — not surprising when you notice how much Audi there is in here. The air-con console is a straight lift, as is the audio system.

The estimated price of the Gallardo LP 550-2 is Rs 2.4 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi), which is Rs 15 lakh cheaper than the LP 560-4. Should you pick one over its sibling? Well, the 560-4 feels more planted and offers extraordinary all-weather traction, and you can see the sense in that, given the state of our roads and our unpredictable weather.

What this Gallardo offers is a combination of more feelsome controls, better balance and greater exhilaration, which make it extra special. It may not very precise or refined as a Ferrari, but what this car, almost Rs 70 lakh cheaper, lacks in is accuracy, which it makes up for by serving up spades of old-school thrill.       

Tech Specs

Lamborghini Gallardo

Price: Rs 2.4 crore (est)
L/W/H: 4345/ 1900/ 1165mm
Engine: V10, 5204cc, naturally-aspirated, direct-injection, petrol/ mid, longitudinal, RWD
Power: 542bhp at 8000rpm
Torque: 55kgm at 6500rpm
Gearbox: 6-speed; single-clutch, automatic
Brakes (F/R): Ventilated discs