A lot of rumors have been going round on the internet lately, everything from a street legal Sesto Elemento to a production version of the Estoque has been quoted as the car to be unveiled at the 2011 edition of the IAA in Frankfurt but Automobili Lamborghini SpA went his own route as usual and finally unveiled the star of the show: a Gallardo Super Trofeo Stradale, a street legal version of the radical Super Trofeo race car.
Only 150 units of this most extreme Gallardo ever will be built, and it is not only the name the street car received from the racing sibling, check out that rear wing. Yes, you are seeing things right, this is the same one as used on the race car, adjustable albeit by hand and not electrically but still this massive wing is able to create three times the down force compared to the regular LP560-4 rear wing.
But the similarities don’t end here, that large rear wing is sitting on a Super Trofeo engine cover, which retained the quick release levers, so instead of opening in the regular way as seen on the earlier Gallardo models, this one comes away from the car completely both cover and wing are naturally made from carbon fiber.
The race derived V10 engine is mounted in this Stradale version, pumping out a healthy 570 ps it propels this new limited edition to a top speed of no less than 320 Km/h, for most people an academic value only as they will probably never reach that speed in their own Raging Bull, but the acceleration figures are equally impressive, 0 to 100 Km/h in a mere 3.4 seconds and the 200 Km/h mark is reached in only 10.4 seconds all thanks to a power to weight ratio of 2.35 kgs per Hp from a dry weight of 1340 kgs which is 70 kgs less than the original LP560-4 model and equals the weight of the Superleggera version.
If you know your racing history, you should be aware of some basics here. Remember Racing Green? That adorned most race cars from the United Kingdom back in the days, while a blue shade was used on many cars from France, white and silver were trademarks colors on German racers and the famous white cars with blue stripes could be seen on many Ford GT from the United States so which shade is still missing? Red and as a matter of fact red was used on Italian race cars, so Automobili Lamborghini SpA put a new shade called Rosso Mars on this Gallardo model.
Taken into account that red was a special order shade before, this is a very bold move have you seen many Gallardo, be it the original 5-Liter, the Spyder or the LP560-4 in red? I don’t think so, on the Diablo the Rosso shade was used a lot, just like on the Countach before it, but on the Murcielago it wasn’t a popular shade either, and by the time the LP640 and Gallardo came on the market the classic Rosso was no longer a normal or optional color, it was moved into the Ad Personam programme, hence rather expensive and it became rare.
An unofficial reason for this was the fact Lamborghini wanted to move away from the shade as it was a trademark on the competition from Maranello but now on the Super Trofeo Stradale it is back, but in Rosso Mars version, which isn’t really bright red anyway but a bit darker, again setting the Gallardo apart from the Prancing Horse models.
Take a closer look at the Super Trofeo Stradale and you notice an amazing looking combination of high gloss red paint and mat black on the rear wing and engine cover, but the wheels are finished in a stunning, glossy black shade while hiding beautifully red painted brake calipers. Note that the car in these press photos also has the glossy black roof section, which is an option actually, not a standard feature on the Stradale. But carbon fiber isn’t missing from this new Lamborghini either, the large rear diffuser, exterior rear view mirrors and side sills are made from this strong, lightweight material.
Just in case you are not a fan of the new Rosso Mars shade you can specify to have your very own Super Trofeo Stradale finished in Grigio Telesto or Bianco Monocerus both non-metallic shades in case you are wondering I think a white Stradale with the black roof would look very nice too.
If you open the door on this red car you are greated with lots of Alcantara and glossy carbon fiber, the red shade from the outside is repeated inside on the lower part of the dashboard, the mid section on the awesome race inspired sport seats, the hand brake ‘sock’ and for the ‘puller’ to close the door which is lined in full carbon fiber inside matching the central console and lower part of the steering wheel, which is finished in black Alcantara apart from a small section at the top of the steering wheel, to make sure you know when the wheels are pointing forward.
The rest of the interior is covered in black Alcantara with many parts using red stitching and several Super Trofeo Stradale logos, one on the dashboard, one on the side of the seats, but there is more, on the doorsill you are also greeted by this logo while both the rear wing and the front spoiler are graced with this logo too just to make sure people know you are driving the latest and bravest Gallardo Super Trofeo Stradale limited edition Raging Bull.
On the Stradale the brakes are one of kind in the automotive world, the ESP is standard on this car but the carbon-ceramic discs are an option as not every customer likes the way these behave, which is a bit different compared to regular steel discs, the latter are ventilated and measure 365mm both front and rear, however the carbon-ceramic versions are 380mm at the front, the rear remain at 365mm.
Just like carbon-ceramic disc brakes are derived from the race track, some other options found their origin on the track too, like the tubular roll-over cage inside, or the four point seat belts to complement those stunning seats and what about an automatic fire extinguisher ? But not all customers want a Spartan race car on their driveway, for those clients the sat-nav can still be mounted together with a Bleutooth connection for your phone or an anti-theft system. And one more important option could be a life saver the front lift system that allows you to get onto your driveway in the first place.
So is the exotic super car world waiting for yet another limited edition based on the Lamborghini Gallardo, or would they like a real successor to tackle the competition from Maranello with the 458 ? Well only the future can tell, but I’m sure Automobili Lamborghini SpA is already working hard on a brand new V10 model that will rule the roads once again in the very near future, but for now we will have to settle for this very special Gallardo model, and with only 150 units to be built in total, this one will again become an instant collectible once the supply dries up.
And you must admit the combination of red and black does work like a charm on this Super Trofeo Stradale it has been a while since I’ve seen a red Gallardo anyway, so I for one am looking forward seeing it in real life out in the wild.
