Lamborghini Gallardo LP500 5.0 V10 in manual
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Lamborghini Gallardo 5.0 V10 Manual
When Lamborghini unveiled the Gallardo in 2003, the brand had in truth been ready for a new direction for quite some time. The Diablo had made way for the Murciélago, and under Audi's wing the people in Sant'Agata Bolognese were by then looking to the future with a slightly different eye. Lamborghinis still had to be loud, extravagant and above all terribly fast, but it would of course be rather pleasant if you could also simply drive one down to the South of France without getting to know the Italian roadside patrol on a first-name basis along the way.
The result was the Gallardo. A relatively compact Lamborghini with four-wheel drive, a naturally aspirated V10 and a build quality that marked a considerable step forward compared to its predecessors. The design came from Luc Donckerwolke, who managed to create a particularly successful combination of traditional Lamborghini styling and the crisper lines of the new millennium.
More than twenty years on, the original Gallardo still looks surprisingly fresh. In fact, as far as we are concerned, the first generation may well be the most beautiful of them all by now.
But there is one component that makes this Gallardo from June 2006 truly special. Between the front seats we find not an E-Gear transmission, but a good old-fashioned manual six-speed gearbox. Complete with the gorgeous metal shift gate that the Italians seemed to hold a patent on for years. A detail you really only come across these days when you step into a classic.
Most Gallardos were delivered at the time with the robotised E-Gear transmission. Understandable, because in 2006 paddle shifters were very much the future. By now we know that this future has above all brought us a great many lightning-fast automatic transmissions, but that the old-fashioned manual has as a result all but vanished from the supercar segment. And that is precisely why a Gallardo with three pedals is so interesting today.
Our example was delivered new in Sweden in June 2006 and now shows 76,863 kilometres on the clock. A mileage that, incidentally, does not make us at all unhappy with a car like this. It is a Lamborghini that has genuinely been used for what it was built for, without an excessively high mileage. In addition there is an extensive service history, and the car received a major service at 76,280 kilometres. Since then it has covered just 583 kilometres.
And then there is the colour. Blu Fontus. Where the average Gallardo was ordered in yellow, orange or black, the first owner opted for a particularly handsome dark blue metallic finish. A colour that gives the car a completely different character. In the shade it looks almost understated, while in sunlight the blue metallic comes through beautifully. It may not be the first colour you think of with a Lamborghini, but that is exactly why we find it so successful. Combined with the black leather interior, it makes for a particularly tasteful configuration.
What stands out immediately with this Gallardo is the well-kept condition it is in. The bodywork presents itself particularly handsomely, the paintwork has a lovely deep lustre, and the interior too has weathered the years outstandingly well. The leather, the dashboard and the various controls make a cared-for impression. Especially with a car that is now twenty years old, these are things we attach a great deal of value to. After all, a low mileage alone says nothing about the way a car has spent its life.
The service documentation on hand is also an important part of the story. With a Lamborghini it is ultimately not just about the purchase, but above all about the way previous owners have treated the car. A well-maintained history and demonstrably carried-out servicing are, as far as we are concerned, at least as important as the colour or the options list. The recent major service is of course a welcome fact in this respect.
Behind the front seats lies the original 5.0-litre V10 with 500 hp. No turbos, no hybrid assistance and certainly no artificial engine sound through the speakers. Just ten cylinders doing their work and, as the revs climb, ever more emphatically letting you hear why Lamborghini chose this engine configuration. Combined with the manual six-speed gearbox, it is a drivetrain you can no longer order new today, no matter how much money you are willing to spend.
And that is actually precisely the charm of this generation of Gallardo. It is modern enough to drive seriously, yet at the same time old-fashioned enough to still genuinely demand something of its driver. The clutch has to be operated, you decide the moment to change gear yourself, and with every shift the lever moves through the metal shift gate with that characteristic mechanical precision. It is a form of driving that is slowly disappearing and that you only really come to appreciate once you have driven a modern supercar again.
Of course a Gallardo is not the most practical car you can buy. Rearward visibility is limited, getting in requires a degree of agility, and with a cold V10 behind your back you will not be doing the neighbours a favour every Sunday morning. But let's be honest, nobody buys a Lamborghini because it is so sensible. You buy one for the engineering, the design and above all the feeling that a car like this gives you.
As far as we are concerned, this version in particular is one of the most appealing ways to own a Gallardo. The original 5.0-litre V10, the rare manual transmission and a colour scheme you will not come across on every street corner. Add to that the well-kept condition, European provenance and documented service history, and you have a particularly interesting Lamborghini.
A car we are pleased to have standing in our showroom, but one we would like to see the next owner actually drive just as much. That, after all, is what it was built for.
**Special options and equipment
- Manual transmission
- 5.0-litre V10 engine
- Blu Fontus exterior (rare colour scheme)
- Black leather interior
- Full service documentation
- Major service at 76,280 km
- Carefully maintained example
- Original European delivery (Sweden)
Full insight into the papers our assessment is built on. Carfax vehicle history, service documentation and paint thickness report — page by page.
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