2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

On paper, a 154-pound weight savings and a 10-hp increase in power are not exactly the stuff dreams are made of. The truth is, the benefits of the new Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera's high-carbon-fiber, low-calorie diet are not immediately obvious, especially given the nearly 20 percent surcharge over the $181,500 base Gallardo. And unlike the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS, the 2999-pound Superleggera (superlight) has no competition aspirations. That's a shame, because this car really needs a racetrack to fully deploy its potential. With the exception of the 0.2 second by which it improves in 0-to-62-mph acceleration (3.8 versus 4.0 seconds, according to the factory), it's at the edge of grip and adhesion where the lightweight Lambo shines brightest.

On the road, the cream-of-the-crop Gallardo is nothing more than a noisier and louder version of the mid-engine coupe that already scores ten out of ten points on the street-credibility scale. On the track, however, the Superleggera sifts the men from the boys by giving more and asking for more. More risk and more trust. Later braking and even later downshifts. A make-it or break-it line that straddles curbs, advances turn-in points, and uses all the clean tarmac there is. It's not just the mind-boggling velocity that makes your neck hair stand on end between gearshifts. It's also the car's fluidity, its balance, and the way it laughs at fourth-gear sweepers that enchants you. A GT3 RS might be more nimble and chuckable, but the Lambo is certainly in the same performance league. While it's more composed and controllable overall than the 911, the lightweight Gallardo is no less challenging, especially when the stability control is turned off.The Superleggera's lack of all but the most basic sound-deadening materials makes the journey to the limit as stimulating to your ears as it is taxing to your firmly strapped-in body. Thanks to four-wheel drive, launches will never be as overtly spectacular as they are in a powerful rear-wheel-drive car, but the sensation of excess traction is no less exciting to a keen driver than a pair of smoking tires. Since the needle of the rev counter shoots up the orange-on-gray dial like a rocket, your right index finger must always be on the alert, ready to blip the paddleshifter to call up the next gear ratio.

The 5.0-liter V-10 is untouched except for a reprogrammed ECU and a lighter exhaust with reduced back pressure. It sounds two octaves more Jack the Ripper-esque than the base Gallardo, but the gain in grunt is more acoustic than it is tangible. What makes all the difference is the optional paddleshift E-gear's transmission management. Downshifts are still prompt, but full-throttle upshifts are superaggressive.

The transition from first to second gear feels like a sudden in-cab explosion. Second to third is almost as quick and mechanical. From third to fourth, the driveline at last seems to come to terms with the high revs, the big oomph, and the serious power. At all engine speeds, the throttle response mixes telepathy with anticipation. Above 5000 rpm in particular, it feels as if your right foot is minutely and directly modulating the intake flow. A conventional six-speed manual transmission also is offered.

The sportier dampers are a welcome modification on the track, where poise, roadholding, and control are instrumental for shaving off tenths of a second. On fresh tires, the Superleggera must be pure bliss, but driving on our test car's taxed nineteen-inch Pirellis, the Lambo was flat and amazingly stable. Despite the tail-friendly 30/70 percent torque split, you experience the full handling spectrum, from determined understeer to radical oversteer, and, even with the stability control engaged, the Lambo permits dramatic drift angles. All-wheel drive notwithstanding, the steering offers good feel. It's on the heavy side, even by supercar standards, but it is very accurate.

The only gripe one might have with the Superleggera's livery is the full-length decal that looks a bit aftermarket. The mirror housings and the $5850 rear wing are made of carbon fiber. Inside, black Alcantara stretches from wall to wall, and the fit and finish are world-class. The same applies to the carbon-fiber bucket seats, which are shaped to perfection but aren't available in the States, because U.S. cars get seats with side air bags. To further save weight, Lamborghini applied carbon fiber to the door panels and the center console and made the radio and navigation system optional. Also, the rear window and the rear side windows are now made of polycarbonate, not glass.

The V-10-powered Lamborghini has matured tremendously since it was first released in 2003, but it's worth remembering that our impressions were restricted to the track. The Superleggera starts to shine only at a pace where most drivers have long since backed off, and the $33,500 price premium doesn't include the carbon-ceramic brakes, which cost an additional $15,000. I gave back la bella macchina reluctantly, grinning from ear to ear, but if it were my own money, I'd opt for the Gallardo Spyder. Call me a wimp, but I'm afraid that's what getting older does to you.

2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder

It is difficult not to be fascinated by the sheer presence and the daring proportions of this radically angular sports car, but it is downright impossible not to be thrilled by the Gallardo's aural charm. The thunder-and-lightning show begins with a twist of the ignition key-mercifully, the Italians have spared us the mushrooming nuisance of including both a key and a starter button. Even at idle, the 7-8-5-2-1-10-9-4-6-3 firing order stimulates your eardrums. The 5.0-liter V-10 needs a chainsaw-like 8000 rpm to develop 512 hp (19 hp more than last year). The maximum torque of 376 lb-ft at 4500 rpm gives the two differentials hell; fortunately, both are limited-slip designs. Most of the twist action is diverted to the rear wheels in normal circumstances, but whenever wheel spin occurs, the central viscous coupling instantly redistributes the torque as necessary.

Tipping the scales at 3462 pounds, the Gallardo Spyder can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in a claimed 4.3 seconds, leaving two fat black stripes on the tarmac and a red exclamation point in your mind. The forward thrust continues until the Spyder eventually reaches a maximum speed of 195 mph with the top closed. When the roof is down, it's briefly possible to experience 191 mph-your eyes running with tears, your face strangely distorted, and your hair shedding a lock every 500 yards or so.

Despite having all-wheel drive, the Gallardo Spyder will readily power oversteer. It lets its tail go much later than a Ferrari F430 or a Porsche 911 Turbo and its slide angles are typically less dramatic but nonetheless the ultimate arbiter of its fine handling balance is the throttle. When it does assume an attitude, however, you had better time and meter your inputs properly. But thanks to the extremely stiff aluminum body and the rigid unequal-length control arm suspension, the responses are very sharp.

The rack-and-pinion steering is now twenty percent quicker than before, which is especially obvious around the straight-ahead position, where the Gallardo Spyder is now about as forgiving as a live wire. Turn-in is positively electrifying, and yet there is a surprising lightness to the helm that refuses to disappear as you wind on lock. Like the proverbial go-kart, this car responds with rare accuracy. The only flaw is the ridiculous turning circle of 42.7 feet. Koni dampers take the vehicle speed, the driving style, the cornering force, and the surface quality into consideration. When in sport mode, however, the computer mixes too much cement into the hydraulic oil, so the Lambo will occasionally bottom out, and there is also some unwanted front-end pitch. The brakes, on the other hand, are strong and full of stamina.

The Gallardo's build quality is now truly impressive. The fabric roof of our test car never spoke a word, the leatherwork was assembled to the highest standard, fit and finish were spot-on, and the surfaces were every bit as classy as those of an Audi A8. There are less expensive sports cars on the market, and even more complete ones. But as far as blending ability and curb appeal is concerned, the Gallardo Spyder is very special.

2008 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster

After the thoroughly convincing Gallardo Spyder, Lamborghini fans hoped for a similar, automatic folding roof for the updated open-air Murcielago. Unfortunately, the LP640 roadster is haunted by the same manual top as its predecessor. Removing the complex scaffolding takes no more than three or four minutes, but putting the stuff back on requires the efforts and considerable patience of two people. Just ask Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni, who taught us plenty of new Italian vocabulary while spending more than fifteen minutes trying to pitch this incredibly stubborn tent.

The best thing about the LP640 roadster is that it removes all the barriers that separate you from the sounds of the wonderfully melodious engine. Even with the windows up, the turbulence above 70 mph will flatten your nose, fold back your ears, and push dimples into your cheeks. At the same time, the unfiltered 6.5-liter V-12 assaults your hearing organs. Full throttle through the gears is an incredibly physical experience: 4000 rpm sounds deafening, 6000 rpm hurts, and 8000 rpm threatens a momentary coma. In sync with what's going on inside the auditory canals, this car attacks your sense of balance by applying what feels like the longitudinal g-force of a Formula 1 racing car. Lamborghini claims that the two-seater can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds, a 0.4-second gain over the previous version. A Bugatti Veyron is almost four times more expensive but only 0.9 second quicker.

Like the LP640 coupe that went on sale last spring, the LP640 roadster offers optional ceramic brakes, a navigation system, restyled eighteen-inch wheels, resculpted door mirrors, a bigger oil cooler, stronger driveshafts, and a beefed-up rear differential. Although the power- train chips have been reprogrammed, the optional automated-manual e-gear transmission still suffers from occasional takeoff hiccups.

For $361,700 (with e-gear), you certainly can buy a more practical sports car, but you can't buy a more outlandish one. With an amazing engine and a wild ride that can take you past 200 mph, the topless LP640 fears no rivals in terms of its wow factor.