RE: PH buying guide: Lamborghini Gallardo

[BlueMR2]

NotNormal said:

BlueMR2 said:

But if you are buying 2nd+ hand why not get a Diablo or are they too expensive now.

Much more presence and proper Lambo doors as well.

I didn't specify what 2nd hand purchase to make, just these types of car in general. Everyone has different tastes as we all know.

The article mentioned Gallardo's under 60k. I doubt you will get a new one for that.

You said The majority of 2nd hand purchases tend to be cars that are older and have subsiquently been bettered by newer models.

Thus i said i would rather have a Diablo buying 2nd hand against an equivalent price Gallardo.

SpudLink said:

BlueMR2 said:

But if you are buying 2nd+ hand why not get a Diablo or are they too expensive now.

Much more presence and proper Lambo doors as well.

If I was in the market for a 60 grand toy, the real world appeal of the Gallardo would make it more appealing to me than a Diablo. This might be less pantomime, but I think it's the car I would rather drive. Actually, I think it's also the car I would rather be seen in.

What is its real world appeal?

The Diablo with its V12, scissor doors,pop up headlamps etc,etc is much more appealing to me.

I guess i am just not interested in 99.9% of modern cars. Don't get me wrong, i wouldn't spend it on a 360 or 430 either, they pose no interest either. I'd consider a Testarossa however.

If i was paying £60k for a car i want an experience. If i wanted to get somewhere quickly i would get an evo or gtr or similar 4wd turbo nutter car, not a low car with a muted, synthesised exhaust note.

markcoznottz said:

It's quite obvious that some of the posters on these threads don't have a clue what they are taking about. Other than the badge on the nose the Gallardo and Diablo have about as much in common as chalk and cheese. The Diablo isn't a car you buy it's a lifestyle choice, a car from a different era, and very few owners are patient enough to put up with the idiosyncrasies of such a car. The Gallardo is fully modern, and to be fair in its detailing; huge brakes, power output, tyre width, etc still cuts it. It still looks good because the proportions are spot on, something Ferrari got wrong with the 430 and 360. Sounds very good with the right exhaust as well.

I guess owning a mid 80's 928 as an only car puts me in the patient enough group. I doubt i will have £60k to spend on a car soon though so i guess we wont know if i would put my money where my mouth is, at least for now.

Sexual Chocolate said:

BlueMR2 said:

But if you are buying 2nd+ hand why not get a Diablo or are they too expensive now.

Much more presence and proper Lambo doors as well.

One you can use everyday the other not so much.

I believe, although he has possibly just sold it, that Burriana uses (used) his Testarossa numerous times a week, not his only car but not as far off as you may think. You might not fit a cupboard in the boot of a Diablo, but you won't fit it in the boot of a Gallardo either, so it is likely people with one of these cars would have a larger capacity vehicle eg estate or 4 door car for carrying more loads/more people etc as well, but not necessarily something expensive, maybe £5k of 5 or 7 series or a Volvo estate.

[BlueMR2]

Just to add, i feel owners/enthusiasts should drive their cars as much as possible to allow the public/people who can't afford/are too young to drive etc... the opportunity to see and hear some of these great machines in the flesh.

It can also help brighten a dim day having some of these awesome machines around amongst the backdrop of endless bmw's, audi's, fords etc.


I remember before i was old enough to drive i wondered why anyone would spend £20k on an old Roller or Bentley when they could have a brand new mondeo.

Now i wonder why anyone would spend £20k on a new mondeo when they could have an old Roller or Bentley.

[Justices]

Ran three Gallardos (1 coupe, 2 spyders) in total as daily drivers. The ONLY grumble I had was storage space, the front compartment deserves some sort of award for being so pointless. It's not a Murcielago/Diablo so it's very easy to nip about in and park. It's also fairly easy to forget what you are driving when you use it very regularly, step on the pedal and the glorious noise from the V10 instantly reminds you are in something special.

Very easy to drive and regular servicing saw faultless ownership. The only issue was a flat tyre due to driving through a rough pothole at night.

In all honesty I preferred the 430 because it felt rawer, had better storage space (I needed to take a decent sized sport bag each day which the Gallardo simply couldn't take up front) and as someone mentioned, the 430 reminded me of a big Elise in a way and I love the Elise dearly. The Lambo seemed much more planted at high speed and a very polished effort in general. The sound system was also very nice in the Gallardo, the standard Ferrari unit was terrible, not even worth turning the thing on.

Great car. The scalpel to the Murcielago sledge hammer and given the funds, I'd definitely recommend it as a daily driver without hesitation.

[Ftumpch]

As a classic car fan with an eye for the long-term, I think the Gallardo is going to age much more gracefully than the 360 and 430, great drives they may be but soon to be completely obsolete in view of their ugly-ducklingness compared to the 355 and 458.

It's still got some serious depreciating to do though, especially since a replacement is due next year, so if you're looking for a Gallardo as an "affordable" proposition I'd suggest waiting a few more years.

[Dave Hedgehog]

the gallardo never looked lambo enough for me, more like something ford would offer for 30k

until the 570 STS /drool

[pidsy]

Justices said:

Ran three Gallardos (1 coupe, 2 spyders) in total as daily drivers. The ONLY grumble I had was storage space, the front compartment deserves some sort of award for being so pointless. It's not a Murcielago/Diablo so it's very easy to nip about in and park. It's also fairly easy to forget what you are driving when you use it very regularly, step on the pedal and the glorious noise from the V10 instantly reminds you are in something special.

Very easy to drive and regular servicing saw faultless ownership. The only issue was a flat tyre due to driving through a rough pothole at night.

In all honesty I preferred the 430 because it felt rawer, had better storage space (I needed to take a decent sized sport bag each day which the Gallardo simply couldn't take up front) and as someone mentioned, the 430 reminded me of a big Elise in a way and I love the Elise dearly. The Lambo seemed much more planted at high speed and a very polished effort in general. The sound system was also very nice in the Gallardo, the standard Ferrari unit was terrible, not even worth turning the thing on.

Great car. The scalpel to the Murcielago sledge hammer and given the funds, I'd definitely recommend it as a daily driver without hesitation.

what are the running costs/servicing etc comparable to?

[kazino]

Difficult choice at the 60k ish end of the market, my dream cars when I was growing were a Lotus Esprit, Lamborghini Diablo and a 911 turbo. Now I've grown up I still want them but I care just as much about driving dynamics and that's where the Ferrari comes in, on the odd occasion when I've been able to drive one they are just fantastic to drive.

[Richiefly]

There is also the twin turbo conversions available to the Gallardo, a quick search on YouTube etc will unveil numerous videos of the beasts at work. They sound incredible and appear insanely quick. Also appear to be largely something done in the US. If I had the cash, I'd opt for this conversion.

But I don't, so I won't.

Off for a little sob now.

[Frimley111R]

Richiefly said:

Off for a little sob now.

You can join the rest of us.

[mazdaman1980]

martisracing said:

I have both a LP560 and a 430 Spider. There is no comparison the LP560 is far better than the 430 on build quality, performance and being able to make fast cross country journeys. However the 430 is also brilliant and fun (reminds me of a faster more luxerious Elise in some ways)and the fact that it is a spider makes it a different driving experiance but if I could only keep one it would be the LP560. I do not think I would want to have a 430 coupe as a stable mate to the LP as I think it would show up the inferior points too much which the spider does not because it is so different. When the LP came out one magazine (I think it was performance car) compared the LP and the 430 and their comments really sum up the difference saying that the 430 felt old and fragile compared with the LP.
Personally I still prefer the LP to the 458 as the test drives I have had in a 458 it felt a little too uninvolving and play station and for the price of a 458 I can have the best of both worlds with a LP and a 430!
And do not compare an R8 to a LP. Yes it is cheaper but I would say it is only 75% of the driving experience and not even that pratical. In that price range I found the 911 Turbo I use to own a far more pratical daily driver.

Of course you have both......and if you had really driven either you certainly would not have written the dribble you just did.

[Norgrom]

I've got a gallardo spyder and a db9. Always been an Aston man and didn't like the gallardo when I got it but now I really love it. You get into it and it rewards you. The Aston is a gentleman or your wife. The gallardo is a scally, mistress or guilty pleasure.....fun, cheeky, brilliant. The db9 is accomplished

[Gorbyrev]

£60K for a replacement engine - ouch! Have to go in with your eyes wide open. Fab car though.

[tomoleeds]

PH states this is a buying guide, where is the info on serving costs,clutch,tyres,what goes wrong?
very poor article, all you have done is show a list of special editions

[Justices]

pidsy said:

what are the running costs/servicing etc comparable to?

Cars maintained by in-house mechanic so servicing costs reduced to parts. Aside from that, a tank and a bit of U.S petrol for a full day of use, US$65-70 or so with a reasonably heavy right foot.

[BigBen]

tomoleeds said:

PH states this is a buying guide, where is the info on serving costs,clutch,tyres,what goes wrong?
very poor article, all you have done is show a list of special editions

I feel you should read beyond the introduction......

[jshell]

[quote=m30dus]

Very different cars really... The Gallardo was a much greater challenge to drive and attracted far more attention than the F430, /quote]


Really? I see a few G's and 430's kicking about Edinburgh and unless the G is in some outrageous colour then they never seem to get a 5th of the attention the 430's do. I've always thought they were as bland as an MR2 in normal colours.

[JS100]

Owned one from new for nearly five years now. Consistently stunning piece of kit. Love it more with every day of ownership. One of the great powerplants, sensational noise through the rev range with a real bite towards the top end, and anyone who says the design is bland, the comment is retarded! Fabulous execution on what a 2 seat mid engined supercar should look like; long raked windscreen, body stretched out over all four boots with small overhangs, absolutely dramatic both to look at and drive. Manual box is well developed and car will devour B roads as well as it will continents. Former is unusal for a car of this calibre; chassis beautifully set up and decent suspension travel means it is always useable irrespective of surface. 10/10 mid-tier supercar. For my money, still infinetley rather have one than the gaming generation 12C / 458. They represent unwanted evolution, not progression IMO.

[Active75]

Justices said:

Ran three Gallardos (1 coupe, 2 spyders) in total as daily drivers. The ONLY grumble I had was storage space, the front compartment deserves some sort of award for being so pointless. It's not a Murcielago/Diablo so it's very easy to nip about in and park. It's also fairly easy to forget what you are driving when you use it very regularly, step on the pedal and the glorious noise from the V10 instantly reminds you are in something special.

Very easy to drive and regular servicing saw faultless ownership. The only issue was a flat tyre due to driving through a rough pothole at night.

In all honesty I preferred the 430 because it felt rawer, had better storage space (I needed to take a decent sized sport bag each day which the Gallardo simply couldn't take up front) and as someone mentioned, the 430 reminded me of a big Elise in a way and I love the Elise dearly. The Lambo seemed much more planted at high speed and a very polished effort in general. The sound system was also very nice in the Gallardo, the standard Ferrari unit was terrible, not even worth turning the thing on.

Great car. The scalpel to the Murcielago sledge hammer and given the funds, I'd definitely recommend it as a daily driver without hesitation.

I managed to get a sleeping bag,sports bag, and kettle in the front compartment, put the tent and gazebo in the passenger side, towels and wash gear behind the seats- perfect for the run to Le Mans! Apart from the early necessary clutch change on the early manual,it is important to maintain regular oil changes. Tyres probably wont last more than 7-10,000 miles with careful driving and the occasional high speed run.

[m30dus]

jshell]30dus said:

Very different cars really... The Gallardo was a much greater challenge to drive and attracted far more attention than the F430, /quote]


Really? I see a few G's and 430's kicking about Edinburgh and unless the G is in some outrageous colour then they never seem to get a 5th of the attention the 430's do. I've always thought they were as bland as an MR2 in normal colours.

My Gallardo was yellow which was probably part of it, the F430 and 430 Scuderia that I've had since were black and blue respectively so one expects much of it will be down to colour alone.