Consider the Strada a refined version of the racing Murcielago R-GT with dramatic black graphic-over-hyper yellow paint hiding a carbon fiber enhanced lightweight chassis, upgraded suspension, enhanced brakes and a custom tuned exhaust exiting just under the new rear wing. Aside from the aero-enhancing shopping cart handle is a black gold weaved front splitter and rear diffuser to set the Strada apart from 'lesser' Lambos. Pop inside and you'll be greeted with custom leather trimmed sport buckets and a healthy dosage of Alcantara suede. Not a bad place to spend some time. Not bad at all.

[MotorAuthority]

Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murcielago Strada
Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murcielago Strada
Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murcielago Strada
Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murcielago Strada
Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murcielago Strada
Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murcielago Strada
Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murcielago Strada
Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murcielago Strada
Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murcielago Strada
Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murcielago Strada
Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murcielago Strada
Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murcielago Strada

Our speculation was correct yesterday, as the leaked images of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 have now turned official, although something we didn't expect occurred. Lamborghini, in a thankful and generous nod to its long-time test driver, has named the rear-wheel-drive, 550 horsepower car after Valentino Balboni. For those of you unaware of the name; shame on you. For those that do; you know the importance.

The LP550-2 will be built in a 250 unit limited production run and will undercut the all-wheel-drive LP560-4s base price at $219,800. Although the all-wheel-drive system on the standard LP560-4 is fairly rear biased, the removal of the front differential and drive system has lightened the exotic to 3,042 lbs. or 66 lbs. lighter than the LP540-4.

The suspension has been tweaked, the e-gear system re-calibrated (a standard manual is also available), the 45-percent limited slip rear differential was redeveloped and the ESP was re-tuned to allow for, as Lamborghini puts it, "greater drift angles." Sounds like a bit of fun's to be had especially when a sprint to 60 mph arrives in 3.9 seconds with a maximum speed coming in at 199 mph. Not too shabby for a "budget option" Lamborghini.

[via carscoop]

The reason for the lessened number designation relates to a slightly de-tuned 5.2-liter V10 that makes 550 horsepower rather than the 552 in the 560-4, but that lack of two ponies doesn't make this Italian a slacker with a dash to 100 km/h arriving in 3.9 seconds. This is helped by a 30 kg overall weight reduction.

Limited to 250 units worldwide, the LP550-2 features a 10% price reduction over its all-wheel-drive brethren, comes in any one of eight exterior colors and comes with a special white livery. Official specs and data is slowly leaking out of Sant'Agata and we'll bring you all the latest as it becomes available. [via Net Car Show]

According to a reliable member of the FerrariChat family who has seen the vehicle, the LP670-4 SV will weigh 3671 Lb, a scarcely believable 220 Lb less than the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 and add 30 HP, reducing the 0-60 time to 3.2 seconds and increasing the top speed by 2 MPH, to 213 MPH. It’ll also come optionally with a huge “SV” logo scrawled on the sides, as per our high-tech rendering above. The all-wheel drive system is retained.

Let’s hear the rest from the horse’s mouth:

Looks-wise the car is quite aggressive. There are more angles to the front, and they have nicely incorported air intakes on the hood next to the A-Piller. The wheels are a new design and will be a shiny black - the design is nice; I don't care much about the shiny black part. The side mirrors are also nicely redesigned. The back in incredibly aggressive. Although the tail housing remains the same, the bumper protrusions are significant - think Gallardo SL. There is a choice of a standard wing or a more aggressive wing. Standard wing takes top speed up to 342 km/h (2 more than the LP640). The larger wing limits top speed to 337 km/h. Extensive use of carbon fibre all around. The lower edges of the car will be a matte-black carbon fiber while the upper portions will be a gloss black. You can get a big "SV" on the side as an option. Carbon ceramic brakes are standard. Proportions relative to the LP640 remain the same.

Interior of the car looks very nice. Extensive use of alcantara. Passenger side has choice of leather as well. Redesigned steering wheel.

Overall the car looks hunkered down and mean. Price in Singapore is US$1.1 mm, but worldwide price benchmark used was 25% premium to the standard LP640 price.

Car will be officially announced in March 2009. First deliveries in June 2009.

Conflicting sources put the production run at either 100 or 350 units. Expect a healthy premium over the Murcielago’s already steep $336,400 price tag. Jalopnik will take three please. [via Ferrari Chat]

Check out the HD version of the video here. [StreetFire]

Taking an early swing by the Lambo booth yesterday, we caught the Grabber Orange (or thereabout) Superleggera unmolested by the show crowd. It looked quite a bit more amped up than the flat-gray model that starred in Geneva. We took the opportunity (notwithstanding one ill-placed union ladder) to take some triple-x car pr0n. We tried to pick it up, but even with the carbon fiber and lack of a radio, the super-light lambo is still pretty weighty. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Geneva Showcase: Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera [internal]

Lamborghini's Gallardo Superleggera is 220 pounds lighter — and 10 horsepowers hotter than the Gallardo SE. That decreases its time in the zero-to-62 mph run from four seconds to 3.8 seconds. Not a particularly mindbending difference in the scheme of supercar performance, but Lambo totally gets the concept of incremental bragging rights among well-heeled buyers. By whatever five-figure premium the Superleggera demands, mainly from carbon-fiber costs, Lamborghini will probably raise its gross margins by at least a point or two. That'll make the Audi bosses crack one hell of a reserved half-smile. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Weight Watchers: The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera [internal]

The high priests of Sant'Agata have dispatched a messenger with their latest proclamation. We'll paraphrase. "And shall it be so, that the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera will be one sporty MF. It shall be 150 pounds or so lighter and its engine computer will be remapped. Further, improved volumetric efficiency will be achieved through reduced intake load losses and by exhaust backpressures [better exhaust - ed.], such that it will produce 530 hp." See you in Geneva, my liege. – Mike Spinelli

Press Release:

Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

- The sportiest and most 'purist' Gallardo ever
- The new more powerful and lightweight series leader

Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy — With the Gallardo Superleggera, Automobili Lamborghini presents an uncompromisingly high-performance sports car. Thanks to increased power (an additional 10 hp) and a 100 kg reduction in weight (USA 70 kg), the new range-leading Gallardo Superleggera is even more dynamic than the already very sporty Gallardo. The weight/power ratio of the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera is only 2.5 kg/hp, which puts it unquestionably at the top.

The Superleggera also has the fastest acceleration in its class. It needs only 3.8 seconds to go from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph); 0.2 seconds less than the basic model, and boasting speed and grit under other driving conditions.

The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera is an extremely high-performance car: it includes a standard robotized mechanical 'e-gear' gearbox that guarantees shifting without removing hands from the steering wheel. The new Gallardo Superleggera can be ordered through the dealer network starting March 2007: production volumes will be restricted to lower numbers than the standard Gallardo.

More power thanks to technological developments

The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera's engine is the latest version of Lamborghini's well-known 4,961 cm3 V10. Now 530 hp is reached in 8,000 min-1. The increase in power was made possible by the engine's improved volumetric efficiency through reduced intake load losses and by exhaust backpressures, together with optimized electronic control. Naturally, emission levels observe the strict EURO 4 and LEV II standards.

Higher power thanks to lighter construction

Lamborghini engineers decreased the Lamborghini Gallardo's already low weight when empty (1,430 kg) by another 100 kg using advanced materials and technologies. The engine hood is made of visible carbon fiber and transparent polycarbonate, a type of material that guarantees lightness and also shows off the magnificent V10. The rear diffuser and underbody covering, the rearview mirrors, door panels and the central tunnel's covering are also made of carbon fiber. Further reductions in weight were achieved by replacing certain glass surfaces with transparent polycarbonate. For the interior, monocoque carbon fiber sports seats covered in Alcantara were chosen to ensure restraint of the driver and passenger during the intense lateral accelerations that the Gallardo Superleggera is capable of achieving around curves.

Exclusive specification and options range

A comprehensive specification and extensive range of options will be available, with some exclusive to the Superleggera. The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera comes with robotized mechanical e-gear as standard; a sports package including shock absorbers; and special suede-covered steering wheel. The car is available in four colors: Midas Yellow, Borealis Orange, Telesto Gray and Noctis Black. Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires (standard) on new Scorpius forged rims accentuate the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera. A few of the options that can be requested include the multimedia system with navigator and CD-changer; a rear video camera to make parking easier (with optional rear wing only); a Carbon accessories kit for the interior; a fixed rear spoiler; a four-point seatbelt (not for USA); tubular rear frame or fitting points for later inclusion (not for USA, Japan or Middle East); and carbon-ceramic brakes.

Related:
Bullish on Lightness: The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera [internal]

According to the Italian motoring press, Lamborghini's rolling out a lightened version of its Gallardo at the Geneva show. It's the Superleggera (literally, "super light"), and it's getting that way (minus 220 pounds) via a few choice carbon fiber body-panel replacements and a stripped interior. The V10's getting a 10-hp boost to 530 hp, and all-wheel drive, and its commensurate weight liability, will remain. Nonetheless, it'll reportedly be quicker than the standard model, with a reported zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) time of 3.8 seconds, vs 4.2 seconds. The lightened bull will likely be a worthy adversary for Ferrari's new, similarly de-weighted F430 Challange Stradale, though we'd have to see them head to head Monza to make a proper determination. Preferably while sipping a Campari and soda. – Mike Spinelli

Lamborghini Gallardo "Superleggera" Geneva Sneak Preview: 10hp more, 100 kg less [Carscoop]

Related:
Membership has its Privilegio: Lamborghini's New Special Edition Gallardo [internal]

Share and share alike must be a creedo of the Audi-Lamborghini organization. As Edmunds Inside Line reports, the next Gallardo, due later this year for 2008, will share componentry with the new Audi R8, which was created from Gallardo componentry. Confused yet? Well, Audi engineers gave the R8 a more precise rear suspension setup, which the new Lambo will share, along with other, unspecified R8 parts. A rumored new direct-injection system could also add power to the Gallardo's V10, from 520 hp to 550 hp. No word on whether any vife svapping went on. – Mike Spinelli

Lambo Leap: Gallardo Gets Midlife Help From Audi R8 [Edmunds Inside Line]

Related:
Audi Builds a Car for Our Wives: More From the R8 Reveal [internal]

Call it headless horsepower. The flagship Lamborghini Murci lago — the 640-hp LP640 — is now sans top. The company is introducing its LP640 Roadster at the LA show this week, and we'd imagine it'll suck the oxygen out of the room with its air of menace and tricky convertible-top. Like its coupe sibling, the roadster is powered by Lamborghini's 6.5-liter "longitudinale posteriore" V12, which produces 486 lb-ft or torque and revs to 8,000 rpm. Zero to sixty in 3.4 seconds, and a top speed of over 200 mph puts the LP640 on par with the Ferrari Enzo, though the roadster is slower by a split second. To allow for open-top rocketry, the roadster gets an altered frame architecture, with carbon-fiber engine compartment reinforcements, though the canvas top is only rated to 100 mph. No word on price, but expect to reach right up to the mid six-figures when the roadster hits the market in 2007. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Lambo's Enzo: The Lamborghini LP640; more on the Lamborghini LP640 [internal]

Lamborghini's Germanic capo di tutti cappi has spoken: There will be no retro-themed cars from Sant'Agata, period. That means no Miura based on the historical concept shown in Detroit this past year (pictured) no Espada, speculated seven ways from Tuesday morning on these and other pages, and no LM002 redux. Boss Stephan Winkelmann said recently, "Retro design is not what we are here for. So we won't do the Miura, even as a limited edition." Winkie left open the possibility of a 2+2 or an SUV in the future but none that would revive any past badging. According to the UK's Car magazine, cars in the works include a LP640 roadster, coming later this year, and stripped-down versions of the Murcielago and Gallardo, with a possible rear-drive version of the latter. Here's to hoping the ghost of Lamborghinis future lets us in on something soon. [Gallery] – Mike Spinelli

Lambo boss bans retro design [internal]

Related:
More on the prospective Lamborghini Espada 2+2 [internal]

For a mere 19% over the MSRP of a base Lamborghini Gallardo (or around $208,000), you too can roll with the viscounts. Lamborghini will build only 150 units of its Gallardo Privilegio, a veritable showcase for the Audi brand's range of factory customization baubles. (The Titanium Cassiopea rims and carbon ceramic disk brakes alone are probably worth the extra $35,000.) Offered in two shades of black, dubbed in Latin to confuse the crowd of goth kids who may have gathered nearby, with matte-black finishing panels for extra evil, the Privilegio is also fitted with a white interior leather, making it the automotive equivalent of a Mounds bar.

Simulating the specific equipment of the Gallardo Privilegio as a sum of options, the retail price will be 19% over the standard MY07 —

The Gallardo Privilegio : Official Press Release.

To show the possibilities about the wide range of interior and exterior customisation, the Gallardo Privilegio will be produced in limited number of 150 units only Coupe version. All dimensions & engine specifications remain the same from the standard coupe.

Exterior
Base Colour: Nero Noctis (or available in Nero Serapis)

Parts in Matte Black:
Side Mirrors
Rear Spoiler
Upper Side Panels
Roof & extra part roof
Parts of front bonnet
Callisto Rims
Rocker Covers
Exterior Style:
Callisto Rims
Silver Brake Calipers
CI Badge on Rims
Dark Rear Taillights

Interior Trim
Bicolour Sportive Nero Perseus and Bianco Polar
Interior Q-citura
Exclusive Leather Package II in Bianco Polar
White Piping on Seats
White Stitching on Steering Wheel
White Instrument Rings
Central part of the seats, inner door panels, part behind seats with Q-citura
Nero Perseus Stitching (also on white parts)
Alcantara roof liner in black with Q-citura
Branding Package
Travel Package
Dedicated PRIVILEGIO label

Standard Equipment
Navigation
Rear View Camera
Onboard Computer
Antitheft System
Comfort Package
Dedicated Car Cover

Available Options
E-Gear
Transparent Bonnet
Heated Mirrors
Bluetooth
Luggage Set I / II
Carbon Ceramic Brakes
Titanium Cassiopea Rims on Sport Tyres *
Titanium Cassiopea Rims on Winter Tyres *
*additional rims and tyres set

Simulating the specific equipment of the Gallardo Privilegio as a sum of options, the retail price will be 19% over the standard MY07.

Related:
Jalopnik Review: 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo SE, Part 1 [internal]

Here's a new one: The name of Lamborghini's special-edition Murci lago LP640 is derived from the horsepower apex of its 6.5-liter V12. That high-revving mill (peak horsepower comes on at 8,000 rpm), matched with a lightweight body of carbon fiber (all but the doors and roof, which are steel), causes a zero-to-62 mph (100 km/h) blitz in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 320 km/h. What's more, peak torque of 487 lbs-ft doesn't arrive until 6,000 rpm, making the LP640 a frontrunner in the "What Not to Drive in Northern New Jersey During Rush Hour" sweepstakes. Just sayin'.

Related:
The Bat Goes Satanic: Lambo Murcielago LP 640 to Bow at Geneva [internal]

Hoo mang. The flexy funkmasters over at Top Gear got their hands on some pics of the new Murci lago variant to debut at Geneva. The new LP 640 will be a production model, cranking out stupid horsepower numbers, featuring redesigned front and rear fascias, an optional glass engine cover; just generally upping things in the face of stiff competitors like the Pagani Zonda F. The world's gone supercar mad again, and the Lambos just ain't takin' this stuff lying down. Satan, laughing, spreads his wings. Oh Lord, yeah! [Thanks to Peter for the tip.]

Exclusive pics: new Lambo Murci lago [Top Gear]

Related:
Crappin Crap! New Miura May Happen! [Internal]

The boys from Sant'Agata are raiding their Ingolstadt brethren's parts department to build two new sports cars, one of which will be in the Ferrari Enzo's realm. According to Edmunds Inside Line, Lambo will resurrect the Miura name for a midengined supercar derived from the Audi Le Mans that will be wider and shorter and pack 700hp. The Miura could appear as early as next year.

Also on the rocket docket is the Espada, a long-rumored 2+2 coupe. Few details are available, and the timeline is sketchy — a midengined version could follow the Miura, but a front-engined model wouldn't likely show up before 2009. Surprisingly, the company is also said to be working up a new super-SUV. Code-named LM00X, the sport truck expected in 2008 would be nothing like the insane 002 of the 1980s and 1990s, but more likely a version of the upcoming Audi Q5, fitted with either Audi's 4.2-liter V8 or a 5.0-liter V10. Oh yes, fun times ahead.

Lamborghini to Resurrect Miura, Espada [Edmunds]

Related:
Rambo Lambo: The LM002 Was Lamborghini s Extreme SUV; Lamborghini Miura Celebrates 40th Anniversary; Design Students Display Lamborghini Espada Concepts [internal]

Yesterday, Lamborghini rolled out its new Gallardo spider, to the ecstatic cries of 500 star-struck members of the worldwide press corps. With elbows sharper than the point on chief designer Luc Donckerwolke's head (psych! "pencil" was way too easy), they pierced each other into a frenzy. And no wonder: It took two years following the launch of its hardtop sibling, the Gallardo coup-ay (sorry, the European stuff is starting to rub on) for Lamborghini to launch the Spider here in Frankfurt. The pent-up desire alone could have nearly outpowered the Spider's 5.0-liter 10-cylinder engine, which produces 520 hp at 8,000 rpm. The company says the spider is a completely new model, sharing more of its structure with the Concept S it introduced in Geneva, than the Gallardo Coupe. We had heard development of the roof unit, rife with complexity creep, held up the roadster's production, but the black-fabric top seems to work flawlessly, retracting into the engine compartment, like a contortionist on a double-dosage of muscle relaxants, in 20 seconds. Adding elegance to surgery is the rear window, which raises and lowers via electric motor. What's more, it can hit 190mph with the roof down, without air pressure sucking the driver through the top as if he was 42,000 feet over the North Atlantic (195 with it closed).

Related:
Spy Photos: 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo Roadster; Lamborghini Posts Teaser Clips Promoting Gallardo Spider [internal]

Automotive accessories design firm, Momo performed an eye-imploding tweakectomy on several Lamborghini Gallardo models, creating a limited-production cosmetics package like that first seen on the Diablo VT roadster in 1999. Just as in 1999, only 12 cars will get the Momo treatment, which includes yellow pearl metallic paint, a yellow and red leather interior, carbon fiber inserts, special Momo badging, Momo wheels and a free subscription to International Male magazine. Cataclysmic depreciation, also a standard feature on the Momo Diablo, will likely be offered on the Gallardo as well.

The Limited Edition Momo Lamborghini Gallardo [Lamborghini Cars]

Related:
The Lamborghini Gallardo SE [internal]