Lamborghini Gallardo, 2003 - 2014
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The Lamborghini Gallardo (the name Gallardo stands for a famous breed of fighting bull) is a sports car designed to compete directly with the Ferrari 360 and its successor, the Ferrari F430. The Gallardo has a rear-mounted engine and is powered by all four wheels, which sets the car apart from many other competitors. Although Lamborghini is now owned by Audi, the all-wheel drive system is designed by Lamborghini itself. Unlike the Countach, Diablo and Murciélago models, the Gallardo does not have a top-opening door. The car can be equipped with two types of transmissions: a traditional six-speed manual transmission and an advanced six-speed electro-hydraulic semi-automatic transmission controlled by levers behind the steering wheel. In early 2007, Audi introduced the R8 sports car, which uses the Gallardo platform and has a 4.2-liter V8 engine, while the Gallardo has a V10 engine. A special Gallardo version of the Superleggera is also produced to compete with the special version of the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. The Superleggera is lighter than the base Gallardo at around 70kg and weighs just 1,360kg thanks to a carbon fiber rear diffuser, rear-view mirror mount, door panels and bonnet. Even the wheel nuts are made of titanium! Air supply, exhaust and engine management have been improved to produce an additional 10 hp, for a total of 530 hp (395.2 kW). In December 2004, two Lamborghini Gallardo cars were presented to Italian police in honor of their 152nd anniversary.