Gallardos dull?
Discussion
Agent Orange said:
Devil2575 said:
Wow, your son must be minted if he can afford such lavish gifts! 
BTW, I hope you didn't tell him that it was a disappointment, if he's been saving up his pocket money then finding out that you didn't enjoy it could be a crushing blow...
He needs to learn BTW, I hope you didn't tell him that it was a disappointment, if he's been saving up his pocket money then finding out that you didn't enjoy it could be a crushing blow...
Well consider that the car is made for the population at large not just pure drivers. I have heard this complaint often "it feels like a fast accord" etc the point is that any moron can get in the car and drive it pretty well and that is what they are going after remember they are trying to sell as many as they can. Unfortunately a lot of the buyers of these performance cars want to look stylish and drive a little faster easily. They are not race car drivers so there is a large margin of safety dialed in. Now for those with the courage to extract the final 3/10's of the cars performance envelope I think that's where the sweet spot of the spectrum is. If you want a more challenging driving experience there are a lot of ways to go about it and all of them significantly more affordable. The simplest way is to buy an older car, or a muscle car where you'll be constantly sawing at the wheel to keep it on the road after applying throttle or something a bit more visceral designed for the track. Or karting.
I think cars that are easier to drive fast are a good thing overall and I understand what you are trying to say about more driver skill and involvement required but 500 HP+ is always going to be entertaining. It is actually harder to make a powerful car feel "dull" from an engineering standpoint
I think cars that are easier to drive fast are a good thing overall and I understand what you are trying to say about more driver skill and involvement required but 500 HP+ is always going to be entertaining. It is actually harder to make a powerful car feel "dull" from an engineering standpoint
Drove an LP640 which was amazing. Heavy clutch, heavy steering, difficult gear change, like s
t off a stick. Properly intimidating and everything I'd hoped a V12 Lambo would be.
Got a 'hot lap' in the old Gallardo, driven by a professional, and it did nothing for me.
He wasn't exactly going slow, we had tyre squeal and plenty of squirming coming out of the corners. It just really didn't excite me.
Nice enough cars though.
t off a stick. Properly intimidating and everything I'd hoped a V12 Lambo would be.Got a 'hot lap' in the old Gallardo, driven by a professional, and it did nothing for me.
He wasn't exactly going slow, we had tyre squeal and plenty of squirming coming out of the corners. It just really didn't excite me.
Nice enough cars though.
Agent Orange said:
Was it the track?
Could be a major factor IMO. A wide open race track really does take away your reference points of what fast is.I did a track day at Bedford a few years back with a strong BMW M3 field, mostly e46's.
I think the M3 is a bloody fantastic road car, but over lunch you'd have thought all the owners were ready to put their cars up for sale with lots of grumbling; "I need more power", "my brakes are a bit s
te after a few laps", "handling is a lot softer then I expected"One the road I often think the Caterham is more than quick enough. Within 2 laps of a track day I'm tapping my finger on the wheel thinking "need more power".
Beware the track experience I say.
Ibizahoo2 said:
if you couldnt hear the V10, you probably do need your ears syringed, however if not, have another go in the drop top! then you can really hear it! made me slightly erect 
You may have a point there! None the less I was surprised just how docile it sounded on idle.I wanted that feeling you had (ugh that sounds wrong) - but got nothing. Actually that's not quite true. Walking up and getting in knowing I was going to drive it was exciting - I do love the look of the Gallardo. Just it ended there.
Maybe I'm aurally deaf when it comes to V10s?!?!!!!
CO2000 said:
Ask him to pick a caterham csr 260 next (seq gearbox one)
Ah yes I think this is the answer. PaulFontaine, I can't speak for everyone but I didn't say anything about driver skill, or actually perhaps I did, but certainly not skill pertaining to skid control or track pace. Making the car more demanding doesn't have to mean making it more dangerous, you can still make a car with heavier steering and a demanding clutch and gearchange that's perfectly safe to drive fast. It's about things like mastering a smooth pullaway instead of kangaroo hopping off the line, or getting that gearchange just right so it slots in smoothly without a crunch or a bruised palm. Steering that requires muscle when parking but above 15mph is fingertip precise and a constant flow of information. Simple things that remind you that the car you're driving is a bit specialised, even when you aren't using it to its full potential.
It's the stuff that shows up your mistakes rather than masking them, and that's not neccessarily about throwing you backwards through a hedge, it's about responding openly to rough or lazy treatment on any of the controls, about allowing the driver to demonstrate as much or as little skill on all the controls as they choose. It's about being an open canvas for the drive, so at the end the driver enjoys it for what they did, not for what the car did.
I can see why the "drives like an NSX when you're on it, drives like an Accord when you're not" would appeal to many, it doesn't appeal to me though, unless it was being applied to an Accord.
It's the stuff that shows up your mistakes rather than masking them, and that's not neccessarily about throwing you backwards through a hedge, it's about responding openly to rough or lazy treatment on any of the controls, about allowing the driver to demonstrate as much or as little skill on all the controls as they choose. It's about being an open canvas for the drive, so at the end the driver enjoys it for what they did, not for what the car did.
I can see why the "drives like an NSX when you're on it, drives like an Accord when you're not" would appeal to many, it doesn't appeal to me though, unless it was being applied to an Accord.
I think driving a road car on track is kind of two polar opposites if you want some drama, tracks tend to make you lose your frame of reference, even a really fast car can become a plaything if there is enough space, also these are road cars designed to be lived with every day without driving you mental so there will be a degree of civilisation about them and 5 laps round a track doesn't really give you time to gel with a car and see its finer points, you end up focusing on noise, grip and acceleration and that is a small part of the picture.
I drove a 360 and kind of think it felt like a big Fiat Coupe, it was quick by any stretch, faster but not on a different plane to my own car, I think because its N/A and turbos have that step in power you notice more than linear acceleration, 996 turbo was more my kind of thing until the electronics started kicking in, felt like a big fast vw.
I guess we are all looking for that utterly terrifying adrenaline burst, that unfathomable amount of thrust, so quick its physically uncomfortable, not many can do that, I haven't been in one, 997 turbo was on the way but like anything you get used to it.
Perhaps we should focus on something other than straight line acceleration and power figures ?
I drove a 360 and kind of think it felt like a big Fiat Coupe, it was quick by any stretch, faster but not on a different plane to my own car, I think because its N/A and turbos have that step in power you notice more than linear acceleration, 996 turbo was more my kind of thing until the electronics started kicking in, felt like a big fast vw.
I guess we are all looking for that utterly terrifying adrenaline burst, that unfathomable amount of thrust, so quick its physically uncomfortable, not many can do that, I haven't been in one, 997 turbo was on the way but like anything you get used to it.
Perhaps we should focus on something other than straight line acceleration and power figures ?
mattdaniels said:
A lot of similarities here in this thread with the one about AndrewD test driving the McLaren 12C. It seems a car can be "too" good to the point where, as a driver, you feel like you haven't been part of the equation. I think a great car should reward great driving and bite if you get it wrong.
I think you have a point. Personally when Clarkson, Plato and Tiff all stated the similar view about the McLaren 12C my first thought was to scoff at them. Yeah right - for you maybe who drive exotica every day but for everyone else I bet it's still a blast. Since trying the Gallardo I can possibly see where they are coming from. Bland very un-exotic interior aside its too good.
g3org3y said:
jshell said:
Never driven one, but they're very dull to look at. Simple, tiny little wedge of a car IMHO. I think that's why owners choose garish colours.
This is dull looking?
You must fall into a coma from the boredom walking down the street looking at regular cars.
ZOLLAR said:
The Crack Fox said:
Never meet your heros....
Depending on whether it's available my Iconic dream car the Miura will be doing charity rides in the NEC in november, I'm determined to have a ride whether it will ruin my feelings for it I'm not sure.Part of me wants it to be unavailable
Agent Orange said:
I had a bit of a shock yesterday in that my first drive in a Lambo was – err a bit dull.
My 5 year old son “bought” me a drive in a Gallardo so I went to Longcross yesterday for the drive. I was quite excited but to be honest after sitting in the car and pulling away I was some what disappointed. The interior felt very my like any other BMW, Audi, VW I’ve been in or owned. Steering was light and easy, throttle nicely weighted and bar a slightly heavily manual change it all felt very civilised. Unfortunately no sense of occasion. Just felt like I was driving another well made car. Either I'm deaf or I could hardly hear the burble of the V10 in idle.
A seeker lap followed by a few hot laps and I got to experience the acceleration and the howl of the V10. Both were good but neither made me grin like a maniac. The throttle was buried to the floor and whilst I cannot deny it accelerated quickly at no point did I think “***kin *ell!!!!”. Grip and steering were absolutely stunning though.
It all just seemed so competent and not once did it get my adrenaline pumping. I've felt more sense of occasion in TVRs, M3, M5s, AMG Mercs, 968 and 911s.
Was it the track? Longcross was admittedly setup with so many chicanes to stop you really motoring and getting a move on but I just cannot believe that I stepped out of a Lambo and did not think “WOW!!!!!!”. My thoughts were “Yep. Nice car.” and that has destroyed 30+ years of my views on Lamborghini.
Would I do better to hire the same car on a different track for a full track day? Or just ignore the Gallardo and try a Murcielago to restore childhood views of Lamborghini?
Welcome to the world of modern cars.My 5 year old son “bought” me a drive in a Gallardo so I went to Longcross yesterday for the drive. I was quite excited but to be honest after sitting in the car and pulling away I was some what disappointed. The interior felt very my like any other BMW, Audi, VW I’ve been in or owned. Steering was light and easy, throttle nicely weighted and bar a slightly heavily manual change it all felt very civilised. Unfortunately no sense of occasion. Just felt like I was driving another well made car. Either I'm deaf or I could hardly hear the burble of the V10 in idle.
A seeker lap followed by a few hot laps and I got to experience the acceleration and the howl of the V10. Both were good but neither made me grin like a maniac. The throttle was buried to the floor and whilst I cannot deny it accelerated quickly at no point did I think “***kin *ell!!!!”. Grip and steering were absolutely stunning though.
It all just seemed so competent and not once did it get my adrenaline pumping. I've felt more sense of occasion in TVRs, M3, M5s, AMG Mercs, 968 and 911s.
Was it the track? Longcross was admittedly setup with so many chicanes to stop you really motoring and getting a move on but I just cannot believe that I stepped out of a Lambo and did not think “WOW!!!!!!”. My thoughts were “Yep. Nice car.” and that has destroyed 30+ years of my views on Lamborghini.
Would I do better to hire the same car on a different track for a full track day? Or just ignore the Gallardo and try a Murcielago to restore childhood views of Lamborghini?
Try a 430, its a much better steer, more feelsome, more interesting, more sinewy and precise, better steering feel and just more special. It will make you feel those things that you are looking for.
jackal said:
Welcome to the world of modern cars.
Try a 430, its a much better steer, more feelsome, more interesting, more sinewy and precise, better steering feel and just more special. It will make you feel those things that you are looking for.
Just looked at "Shopping 2011" on your website. Very interesting and seems in general I'm not alone in my thoughts.Try a 430, its a much better steer, more feelsome, more interesting, more sinewy and precise, better steering feel and just more special. It will make you feel those things that you are looking for.
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