Gallardo LP vs non-LP
Discussion
I was out for a drive on Saturday when I happened to stop off at Lamborghini Pangbourne (as you do 
) and they had a very stunning non-LP Gallardo in the showroom:
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
I'm in the market for a replacement for my 964 that's currently up for sale, and had initially been thinking about something newer (like a 650s/570s), however after seeing this Gallardo it got me thinking about whether something like that could fit the bill - it'll be a weekend/holidays/nice day for a drive car and probably do less than 3k miles a year as my daily is a 991 GTS.
I've been looking through the classifieds and doing some forum reading about the cars and wondered if an LP car would be a better bet than a non-LP model (even though it is in "as new" condition !). I would be interested to hear from owners about their experiences (both good and bad) and the sorts of things to be aware of/look out for when buying such a car - it's unusual to see a Gallardo at a Lambo main dealer these days, so are there other specialist dealers out there worth looking at/avoiding (feel free to pm me if you don't want to name names on the forum) ?
) and they had a very stunning non-LP Gallardo in the showroom:https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
I'm in the market for a replacement for my 964 that's currently up for sale, and had initially been thinking about something newer (like a 650s/570s), however after seeing this Gallardo it got me thinking about whether something like that could fit the bill - it'll be a weekend/holidays/nice day for a drive car and probably do less than 3k miles a year as my daily is a 991 GTS.
I've been looking through the classifieds and doing some forum reading about the cars and wondered if an LP car would be a better bet than a non-LP model (even though it is in "as new" condition !). I would be interested to hear from owners about their experiences (both good and bad) and the sorts of things to be aware of/look out for when buying such a car - it's unusual to see a Gallardo at a Lambo main dealer these days, so are there other specialist dealers out there worth looking at/avoiding (feel free to pm me if you don't want to name names on the forum) ?
andrew said:
just 600 miles pa is not healthy for these cars
Agreed - would ideally look for something that has a little higher mileage, however it is being sold by a lambo dealer with their warranty, so would expect it's had a fairly thorough check to ensure there are no issues from it's relative lack of use. Not sure whether this is the right car for me as, although I like the colour, I'm wondering if a facelift LP car would make more sense seeing as I can pick one up for pretty much the same money (or less !).Adz man said:
I bought an 07 G Spyder pretty much the same spec in Giallo Midas 6 months ago. I was in 360 and 430 Ferrari’s before that for 6 years (and a Porsche 911). My brother has a MP12C Spider that I drove for two weeks so I’ve had a little bit of experience.
Like you say, it’s strange a main dealer has a car of that age so good that there’s a warranty.
Although it only has 7k miles get a clutch readout.
The noise on these cars are fantastic and there is the Audi reliability which is good. I don’t hear of many owners asking or paying for Lambo warranties which compared to other brands is different.
Check if it has a tracker (and if it’s activated) as you may need it to insure it with one.
Yep - have asked for the clutch reading and also the service history so can see when the mileage was done (ie was it all done in one year and then it's just been sat in a garage for the past X years SORN.Like you say, it’s strange a main dealer has a car of that age so good that there’s a warranty.
Although it only has 7k miles get a clutch readout.
The noise on these cars are fantastic and there is the Audi reliability which is good. I don’t hear of many owners asking or paying for Lambo warranties which compared to other brands is different.
Check if it has a tracker (and if it’s activated) as you may need it to insure it with one.
Did see that there is an LP version at Lamborghini Birmingham, although that's in grey so not as eye-catching.
Given your car history - how do you rate the Gallardo vs the 430 and 12c ?
Edited by RT964 on Monday 12th August 17:13
Adz man said:
My brothers 12C Spider is stupidly fast and has the sports exhaust which is good. Think he’s had the usual issues like most Mac owners but I love it. It’s modern and it drives effortlessly but it has depreciated heavily and the yearly warranty is a lot. I wouldn’t rule getting one out in the future.
I bought my 430 Spyder with 3k miles on it 3 years old and I sold it in the near on perfect condition that I bought it. My G Spyder I bought with 27k miles on it and 12 years old so I’m not sure if it’s fair to comment on as Ferrari was kind of my first love there. The G sounds so much better but the 430 is slightly better in traffic. Both F1. Both yellow although the G is the Giallo Midas stage 3 paint which has the flicker while my 430 was a flat yellow.
All three are great. I can’t say any are better than the others and you can’t go wrong with any of them. They are all literally super cars and are tried and tested over and over again
Thanks for the insight.I bought my 430 Spyder with 3k miles on it 3 years old and I sold it in the near on perfect condition that I bought it. My G Spyder I bought with 27k miles on it and 12 years old so I’m not sure if it’s fair to comment on as Ferrari was kind of my first love there. The G sounds so much better but the 430 is slightly better in traffic. Both F1. Both yellow although the G is the Giallo Midas stage 3 paint which has the flicker while my 430 was a flat yellow.
All three are great. I can’t say any are better than the others and you can’t go wrong with any of them. They are all literally super cars and are tried and tested over and over again
Pioneer said:
I've had a 2008 5ltr and the LP 2013 5.2ltr. Both eGear. LP is smoother to drive, noticeably at low speed. Apart from aesthetics, not a lot a lot of difference really as a driver. Tiny bit more power, noise is better on pre-LP. Mechanics will tell you fewer issues with the LP. I'd go for a LP if money was the same.
I had read that the firing order is different on the non-LP version to the LP versions, so that must also affect the noise they make. Think I'll try both varieties and see which I prefer. Interestingly, the majority of the cars currently for sale on here are white, black or grey - is that just a current peculiarity of the market, or were these colours generally more popular than the yellow/orange/green that I was expecting to see ?
Adz man said:
Like you say, it’s strange a main dealer has a car of that age so good that there’s a warranty.
Although it only has 7k miles get a clutch readout.
Service history as below:
17/06/2008 Post-delivery inspection HR Owen Lamborghini London
19/12/2009 HR Owen Lamborghini London - 1304 miles
29/05/2015 The supercar Rooms - 5091 miles
20/01/2017 Terry Keys Motorsport - 6540 miles
01/07/2019 HR Owen Lamborghini Pangbourne - 7516
The car had a new clutch 1,000 miles ago (2016), so is virtually new.
There's quite a big gap in the history between the Dec 2009 service and the May 2015 service however the car only did 3.8k miles over that period so not sure if that's too much to worry about ? Can't believe a main dealer would retail the car if it thought there was anything amiss with the car.
andrew said:
those service gaps will put off potential buyers when you come to sell
2008 gallardos do not eat clutches like that
lots of cars out there
next...
yep, plenty of choice out there, just need to go and see a few and keep an eye on the servicing/clutches. Suspect the number of owners is less relevant compared to those two things.2008 gallardos do not eat clutches like that
lots of cars out there
next...
Edited by andrew on Wednesday 14th August 11:24
Adz man said:
Ouch. I wasn’t expecting that.
And servicing every two years like it’s a Porsche? What’s that about.
Well it’s a toughie because yes it’s a main dealer and hopefully they will give a good warranty but they may not due to the age so check exactly what they covering.
If you keeping it for 5 years and service it yearly then maybe it’s ok otherwise you will have issues maybe when coming onto sell.
Probably won't be keeping it that long (maybe 3 years), but I'm assuming these need to be/should be serviced every 12 months ? The garage have confirmed it'll come with their 12 month warranty that can be extended to 24 months for an additional £2k.And servicing every two years like it’s a Porsche? What’s that about.
Well it’s a toughie because yes it’s a main dealer and hopefully they will give a good warranty but they may not due to the age so check exactly what they covering.
If you keeping it for 5 years and service it yearly then maybe it’s ok otherwise you will have issues maybe when coming onto sell.
Adz man said:
Mmmm...3 years you’ll get asked the same question from a buyer that you are asking us. Or a dealer will criticise your service history and bid you down a lot more.
But if it’s a cracker of a car and you like it then go for it but maybe make them an offer. Let’s be fair, there aren’t many A1 cars of that age out there. In fact there’s still one up for sale that I saw last summer which was advertised as God’s gift to Lamborghini but it was far from it.
The warranty offer is good, it’s a main dealer car so yeah it’s a tough decision. Drive it with the roof down and feel the sunshine and you’ll end up buying it I reckon
best not drive it today then ... it's persisting down But if it’s a cracker of a car and you like it then go for it but maybe make them an offer. Let’s be fair, there aren’t many A1 cars of that age out there. In fact there’s still one up for sale that I saw last summer which was advertised as God’s gift to Lamborghini but it was far from it.
The warranty offer is good, it’s a main dealer car so yeah it’s a tough decision. Drive it with the roof down and feel the sunshine and you’ll end up buying it I reckon
I'm having a trawl through the classified to put a short-list together of cars to go and see (both LP and non-LP) to get a handle on the quality of cars that are out there. What does surprise me is how poorly the interior, particularly the drivers seat, seems to hold up. As an example, look at the drivers seat on this car - it's a 2007 56 plate with 21k miles ...
fataitch said:
RT
Have you been shopping yet ?
It’s definitely a good move to look at the whole spectrum of cars - considering how many are for sale, there aren’t that many really nice ones !!
I bought mine in March last year and it was an easy decision having looked around at a few others. It’s a 2013 Coupe and has perforated leather which still has a matt finish to it - it hasn’t worn shiny and no drivers seat wear either.
If VVS is on your list of places to visit, you’ll see it there as it’s currently up for sale :-)
Good luck in your search.
Hayden
I've done a little more shopping, however there are a few other cars out there I want to see before making a decision on which way to go. The one thing I have decided on is that I want the Spyder version, so definitely making progress !Have you been shopping yet ?
It’s definitely a good move to look at the whole spectrum of cars - considering how many are for sale, there aren’t that many really nice ones !!
I bought mine in March last year and it was an easy decision having looked around at a few others. It’s a 2013 Coupe and has perforated leather which still has a matt finish to it - it hasn’t worn shiny and no drivers seat wear either.
If VVS is on your list of places to visit, you’ll see it there as it’s currently up for sale :-)
Good luck in your search.
Hayden
Scott Laurie said:
looks a lovely car, mileage super low so everything will be in good condition, should be little corrosion anywhere on suspension etc.
gaps in history not ideal but probably because the car rarely used, always more of an issue when selling but common on very low mileage cars, mileage can be verified on the transmission ecu
i recently bought a 2008 SL and have to say its outstanding but not a car you want to use everyday, have had 355,360,Scud and lots of porsches including 3 964's, e gear takes some getting used to and not as good as 360/scuderia but once you are used to it, its fine, not sure what the scuttle shake would be like on a spider? have driven 360 and 430 spider also had a 355 spider and all were much more flexible than my 981 boxster, make sure you get a decent test drive with the roof up on normal city roads to see what you think of it,
they really suit yellow and with super low mileage the interior should be as new.
regards
Scott.
Thanks for the insight. I remember when I was driving a e-gear Gallardo a few years back that there is a definite art to a smooth gear change. As for scuttle shake, I get that in my 964 cab at the moment, so am quite used to it and have no issue on that compromise to get the drop top - this isn't going to be a track hack, so isn't a problem.gaps in history not ideal but probably because the car rarely used, always more of an issue when selling but common on very low mileage cars, mileage can be verified on the transmission ecu
i recently bought a 2008 SL and have to say its outstanding but not a car you want to use everyday, have had 355,360,Scud and lots of porsches including 3 964's, e gear takes some getting used to and not as good as 360/scuderia but once you are used to it, its fine, not sure what the scuttle shake would be like on a spider? have driven 360 and 430 spider also had a 355 spider and all were much more flexible than my 981 boxster, make sure you get a decent test drive with the roof up on normal city roads to see what you think of it,
they really suit yellow and with super low mileage the interior should be as new.
regards
Scott.
Gassing Station | Gallardo/Huracan | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff