Ask the Best and Brightest: Is the New LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni a Death Car?
This isn’t just me whingeing [Ed.: That’s “whining” for our non-Brit English speakers] about another Italian stallion that’s inherently qualified for Wrecked Exotics’ Lamborghini section. The “normal” Gallardo is a fairly benign beast. This one . . . maybe not so much. What say you? Meanwhile, here’s a “methinks they doth protest too much” spot-the-euphemisms excerpt from the $219,800 whip’s official press release:
Light-footed yet extremely safe
With this latest version of the Gallardo, Lamborghini is honouring its long-standing test driver in a very special way. The LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni was conceived in line with his own thinking, and it meets many customers’ requests for a model with a unique character, which offers a very special kind of active driving fun. The Balboni model is the only current Lamborghini that delivers its power to the road via its rear wheels alone.
Rear wheel drive has a special appeal to those sports car drivers who enjoy a particular driving style. Thanks to the eminently powerful V10 driveline, controlled oversteer is no problem – naturally always to the extent defined by the driver – because refined road manners and perfectly tuned assistance systems mean that the Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni is an exceptionally safe sports car to drive.
More by Robert Farago
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it's just hyperbole no doubt this car is cheaper to make than the normal LP560 it no doubt has stability control it is on par with the Ferrari F430 and Porsche GT2 and other high powered RWD cars they want to maximise the 'mystique' of the RWD platform as being 'dangerous' i applaud that of course... if i won the lottery i would buy one of these over any other Lambo
So some rich a-hole has the opportunity to drop $220k on a car and then kill himself by wrapping it around a telephone pole? Yay for Darwin!
I think it's a great idea. As somebody mentioned before, Lambos used to only be RWD. The weight on that thing is excellent as well. As long as it has some kind of stability control on it (defeatable, natch), it shouldn't be a problem. People will find a way to wreck even AWD vehicles.
I'm glad they're finally going back to RWD, at least as an option. This is the one I would buy if I were to want a Gallardo. Funny thing is, it costs more than the more powerful LP560-4: http://www.automoblog.net/2009/06/30/lamborghini-gallardo-lp550-2/ I guess it's from all those extra safety bits added, and the fact that it's the first RWD Lambo in 10 years.