This might have been the only view you'd get of the Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder if you weren't one of the A-List celebs at Lamborghini's event.
One thing seems certain in L.A., even celebrities like the combination of free food, flowing booze and the introduction of fast cars, actors Lake Bell, Dominic Monaghan and others on hand for the evening launch of the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder.
Few makers are more skilled at getting out the stars than Lamborghini, which has made a regular habit of introducing something drool-worthy at the L.A. Auto Show each year, more often that not a convertible. Actually, to be more precise, Lambo likes to stage an even of its own off-campus to ensure a good evening attendance. So it was again this year.
“With the Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder, we are expanding the Lamborghini lineup with a purist model that adds yet another dimension of driving pleasure,” said Lambo CEO Stephan Winkelmann. “In particular this model will appeal to a very special group of customers – many in Southern California – that enjoy a spirited driving style paired with the sheer exhilaration of open-air driving.”
A closer look at Lambo's latest.
The new model is essentially an open-air version of the Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni, that coupe named after the maker’s legendary test driver. Here the Gallardo’s V-10 punches 550 horsepower through the rear wheels alone – hence the “dash-2” designation. (The L/P refers to what the Italians call a Longitudinale/Posteriore, or mid-engine longitudinal engine layout, the 550 to, of course, the Gallardo’s horsepower rating.)
Buyers will have the option of ordering the package with a 6-speed e-gear transmission or Lamborghini’s 6-speed manual gearbox.
The suspension was specifically tuned for the rear-drive layout, according to the Italian maker, and the aerodynamics were modified, as well.
Considering the car weighs in at barely 3,400 pounds, it moves like the rocket it resembles, launching from 0 to 60 in barely 4.1 seconds. Top speed, sadly falls a fraction of a mile per hour short of hitting the 200 mark.