The Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale is the most extreme V10 yet produced by Volkswagen's Italian supercar subsidiary. Only 150 of the four wheel drive 570 bhp carbon fiber projectiles, no doubt due to the extreme effort required to shave another 70 kilograms off the already anorexic Gallardo LP 560-4. The motor might be the same as a "normal" Gallardo but the aerodynamics and lightweight construction are what make it a genuine racer for the road.
Much of the technology introduced in the new car is derived from lessons learned in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo race series. The gargantuan rear spoiler will be the visual signature of the new car, and it isn't just for show, being manually variable so that drivers can fine-tune the car for a particular racetrack or set of conditions. At its most extreme setting, it generates three times the maximum down-force of the Gallardo LP 560-4.
The Super Trofeo Stradale comes standard with the paddle-actuated robotized e-gear six-speed transmission which electronically shifts gears more smoothly and much faster than you can. There';s also a launch mode which offers maximum acceleration from standstill - just set the transmission to "Thrust Mode", wind the motor up to 5000 rpm, and wait for the lights to change.
It's an ideal way to launch the car with minimal spinning of the lightweight 19-inch wheels. The wheels alone save 13 kilograms compared to the standard Gallardo and come standard with Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires and will result in you passing 100 km/h 3.4 seconds later and 200 km/h after 10.4 seconds on the way to the top speed of 320 km/h.
The suspension is also directly derived from motor racing, with the double aluminum wishbone suspension set up similarly to the race cars and an ESP stability control system as standard equipment.
Standard front brakes on the beast are 365 mm ventilated discs with eight pistons per aluminum caliper and 356 mm rear ventilated discs with four pots per caliper. There's also an option for a carbon-ceramic brake system with 380 mm front discs and 356 mm rear disc, plus all the necessary racing fare - a roll cage, four-point safety belts and a fire extinguisher.
The quick-release carbon composite engine hood on the SuperTrofeo Stradale is another direct lift from the race car, as is the "Rosso Mars" livery.
For those with a penchant for the racing aesthetic, you can order a heavily-carbon-fiber oriented interior (handbrake frame, center console, lower steering wheel, instrument panels, door handles, glove box), not to mention civilized niceties such as satellite navigation, a Bluetooth connection for mobile phones, an anti-theft system, and a lifting system so you won't scrape your darling's front end when traversing the driveway.
The car in its entirety can, in fact, become the power storage and delivery medium for electric propulsion...with a little imagination and nano-technology. This would be a feat worth crowing about.
What if your body panels and frame contained stable electrical power storage properties? What if the normal bounce, flex and vibration of driving was efficiently harvested as energy and the disk brakes were discarded in favor of inboard magnetic proximity brakes (works on the Navy\'s on-board pumps) which also create electricity? What if you harvested the spikes in pneumatic pressure from the vehicle\'s tires as it rolled down our imperfect roads?
Come on Lambo - show me something earth shattering (other than the exhaust note).
They use these exotics as excuses to push the boundaries; then those things that work are incorporated into other less exotic products.
And, yes, you come across as a tree-hugger.