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RE: F430 vs Gallardo: Foes Reunited

Wednesday 12th February 2014

F430 vs Gallardo: Foes Reunited

10 years ago Autocar pitched Gallardo against F430 - does the verdict reached then still stand?

The arrival of the Lamborghini Gallardo in 2003 gave Ferrari and its brilliant 360 something very serious to think about. Although there were baby bulls before in the form of the Urraco, Silhouette and Jalpa, Lambo had been absent from this market throughout the 1990s, just as Ferrari found blistering form with the brilliant F355. No pressure...

That was then - what about now?

As events transpired the Gallardo emerged a marvellous car, the first all-new Lamborghini since Audi's 1999 takeover. Dramatic styling by Luc Donckerwolke (and Italdesign), a 500hp V10, near-200mph top speed and four-wheel drive were among the highlights. Only classic scissor doors were missing.

But you couldn't ever accuse the post-348 Ferrari of resting on its laurels. And just as Lamborghini reinvented the £120K supercar sector, Ferrari was putting the finishing touches on the F430. When it appeared, a little more than a year later, the F430 did a fair amount of reinventing itself claiming 70 per cent new components and the Pininfarina/Frank Stephenson styling sharing just bonnet doors and roof panel.

At its heart was an all-new 4.3-litre flat-plane, dry-sump, four-valve V8. The numbers were a considerable step up from the 360 - with a 21 per cent boost in power, and an additional 68lb ft. And the end result was 490hp, three seconds a lap quicker than the 360, and - gasp - faster acceleration than the legendary F40. Like the Gallardo, the Ferrari F430 redefined expectations and was still a truly formidable supercar when it was replaced by the 458 Italia in 2009.

But in 2004, despite competition from the Aston Martin DB9 and Ford GT for similar amounts of your cash this was the only supercar fight in town.

Sutcliffe blown away by Ferrari's poise

First encounter
Autocar pitched the F430 against the Gallardo for the first time at the Ferrari's launch in Maranello in September 2004, Steve Sutcliffe at the wheel.

Much had been made of the Ferrari's F40-humbling pace but on the road he seemed blown away by the overall dynamics. "The Ferrari just takes the line you give it," he enthused. "The front end grips and in the dry the new electronically controlled differential at the back gives utterly consistent traction. No roll, no slip, just precision and obedience."

On the Gallardo Sutcliffe was very clear in his thoughts. Dynamically, it was brilliant, but lacked that final 10 per cent of transparency. "The Gallardo's steering is weighty and accurate, but its responses feel programmed rather than natural, after the light but fizzy Ferrari rack. Also, the slight torque response that corrupts the four-wheel drive Gallardo's steering in tighter bends is absent from the Ferrari."

Gallardo had to work harder for its supper

In terms of performance, it was once again, advantage Ferrari. "When the engines are working at the top of their range, the Ferrari's slight power-to-weight advantage - no four-wheel drive - seems to double; the throttle is more urgent, the kick in the backside even harder. Am I about to write that a near-500hp Lamborghini feels slow? After the deft, light, frenetic Ferrari it does; it's slower and slightly wooden."

So, in 2004 that meant a clear victory to Ferrari? Not quite. "I wish I could explain how utterly correct it felt to drive a red Ferrari and a yellow Lamborghini in bright sunshine near as fast as they'd go over the Italian mountain roads they were made for," said Sutcliffe. "I can't, so I am going to take this key and do it again now. I'll be driving the Gallardo, but thinking about the F430."

First Gallardo had 500hp from the off

Previous experience
The first time you fire-up a Gallardo is truly memorable, the aggressive idle reacting instantly to the whip-crack throttle. The new Huracan might pack more than 600hp but in isolation, this is still a violent, visceral, rocket of a car.

By today's standards, the E-gear feels crude and, even back in 2004, Ferrari gave the boys from Sant'Agata a lesson in coding transmission systems. But considering you can pick one of these up from £55,000 and, if you really insist, with an open-gate six-speed manual there's little to criticise and lots to love. No wonder Lamborghini sold more than 14,000 of them.

After the Gallardo the Ferrari F430 looks almost understated - pretty rather than striking. It's slightly easier to climb in and get snug in the hip-hugging racing seats. The airy, carbon fibre-clad interior certainly has more sense of occasion, and it's hard not to love the dominant rev-counter and the Formula 1-inspired Manettino control on the wheel. Even the key is nicer than the Lamborghini's.

Substance more than style in Ferrari's case

Start up is greeted with a serious spike of revs settling into a sophisticated, flat-plane idle. You'll marvel at how simple it is to trickle the F430, how easy it is too see out of (in relative terms), and how - as long as you steer clear of the worst road imperfections - it rides surprisingly well. F1 transmission changes are reasonably unobtrusive (although still rough in modern terms, especially when manoeuvring), particularly compared with an E-gear Lamborghini. And when you rev it out the emotional bond with that V8 is sealed.

Near-as-damn-it identical against the clock, never have two rival cars performed so differently. The Ferrari's imperfections are less marked than the Lamborghini's - and ultimately you can't help but come away considering F430 the better all-rounder. And yet...

Back to the future
Although both cars' residuals were battered in the aftermath of the 2008 global economic meltdown, they've recovered significantly. Despite having been around for a decade, and yet - nominally - still a current car, the Gallardo is slightly cheaper to buy than the F430.

A Lambo like this could be yours for £60K

Both are readily available - although the Lamborghini is more numerous - with the majority with performance and supercar specialists. Realistically, you can buy a Gallardo coupe for £55,000 privately and £60,000 from a specialist. Although it's £70,000 where the glut of cars resides, and where the Spyder outnumbers the closed car. For that kind of money, you're looking at a warranted, specialist-maintained, 20,000-mile example, from between 2005 and 2007.

Good Ferrari F430 coupes start at around £65,000, whether privately or via specialists, although the majority of early examples sit at around £75,000. The Scuderia and Spider models command more of a premium than their Lamborghini counterparts. And with fewer around you're more limited in choice, although there seems to be a proportionally higher number of low-mileage examples around. Odometers reading less than 10,000 are far from uncommon.

F430s less numerous and more expensive

Both are fundamentally strong cars too. Ferraris especially can take hard use in their stride, and not be prohibitively expensive, especially if you go down the independent specialist route. Short-lived parts on an F430 are relatively well-known - clutches on F1 cars, and suspension components on cars that live a harder life. Engines are tough if correctly serviced, and the aluminium structure is also pretty strong. The vast majority of F430s have the favoured F1 transmissions so if you want a manual, that could work in your favour.

Again, the Lamborghini's drivetrain is rugged and has no obvious weaknesses if driven and serviced to schedule and its known appetite for oil has been regularly checked and kept on top of. Both manual and E-gear transmissions are strong, although it's not unknown for cars fitted with the latter to have their transmission's hydraulic pump can fail - so watch for leaks. Clutches are not known for their long lives. Like the F430, the Gallardo's aluminium chassis can be pricey to fix, so make sure all panels are straight and true. For more see our full buying guide here.

In both cases keep your eyes open, be thorough in your research, and if in doubt, get an expert to check any prospective purchases.

Sutcliffe went with his heart in 2004...

Rematch
In 2004, Steve Sutcliffe went in favour of the F430. He was bowled over by the Ferrari's performance, biddable handling and wonderful engine note. It wasn't as if the Gallardo was a distant second-place, though, recounting the Lamborghini's all-weather grip and security as a major plus, and rightly praising its soulful V10. But in the end, it came down to a points victory - the question is, would that still stand today?

10 years on, and it's interesting to see how each car has fared. The Gallardo probably lived a little longer than it should have, bolstered by a huge number of special editions. But it does seem a more contemporary car right now, which - unlike the F430 - is yet to be blown away by its successor. Currently, a used Gallardo is around £10,000 cheaper than an F430 model-on-model, there's a wider choice in the marketplace, and for the UK climate four-wheel drive is a compelling advantage.

...but maybe Lambo is now the emotive choice

Calling a favourite in any supercar head-to-head is always going to be an emotive issue. We'd say that the rational choice would be the more irrational car - the Lamborghini - on the grounds of a lower list price, more dramatic styling and four-wheel drive while the heart would favour the Ferrari for its soundtrack, superior handling, and more special interior. Tough call. Very tough call.

FERRARI F430
Engine: 4,308cc V8, direct-injection
Transmission: 6-speed manual/6-speed automated manual (F1), rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 490@8,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 343@5,250rpm
0-62mph: 4.0 sec (manual 3.9 sec)
Top speed: 196mph
Weight: 1,349kg (dry)
MPG: 15.4mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 420g/km
Price then: £117,500
Price now: £60,000-185,000
From the classifieds: Ferrari F430 manual, £69,995 from Foskers in Kent.
Why you might: Bright red, 13,000 miles, and fitted with the manual gearbox

LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO
Engine: 4,961cc V10, direct-injection
Transmission: 6-speed manual/6-speed automated manual (E-Gear), four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 500@7,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 376@4,500rpm
0-62mph: 4.2 sec (manual 4.0 sec)
Top speed: 192mph
Weight: 1,430kg (dry)
MPG: 13.8mpg (NEDC combined) CO2: 450g/km
Price then: £117,000
Price now: £55,000-175,000
From the classifieds:Lamborghini Gallardo Coupe, £59,990
Why you might: It's an early model, comes in the near-compulsory yellow with black wheels, and six-speed manual transmission

[Sources: Autocar]

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drocter81

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