It's hard to believe when you look at the first examples of the model, but the Gallardo celebrated its twentieth birthday last spring! The Gallardo, which, for reasons we'll explain below, was undoubtedly the most important model in Lamborghini's history, still displays a cheeky modernity, whether you look at its design, its driving qualities or, of course, the heart of the machine - that is, the anthological V10 which, like the rest of the car, owes everything to German engineering. However, this is by no means a re-bodied Audi; the German firm has cleverly preserved the identity of its Italian vassal by designing a berlinetta that respects Lamborghini's DNA in every respect, while banishing the approximations of an artisanal creature like the Jalpa, the Gallardo's distant predecessor. This is precisely what ensured the success of the formula and enabled the brand to reach a new clientele. Beyond its commercial success, which literally turned Lamborghini's fortunes around, from small-scale, confidential production to rigorous industrial processes far removed from the ramblings of yesteryear, the Gallardo's main merit was to establish its manufacturer's legitimacy in a market segment that it had never really managed to enter, due to a lack of resources to ensure production quality worthy of its cars' characteristics. Ideal for showing off at low speeds on the Champs-Élysées, Lamborghinis have long been creatures as fantastical as they are fragile and difficult to use, especially when pushed to their limits, which few owners dared to do. The Gallardo, which has borrowed the best of German engineering to achieve this, has chosen an entirely different path, without losing any of its seductive capacities and without ever ceasing to evolve (it would take an entire book to detail the countless variants and limited series, as a sedan or Spyder, with four or two-wheel drive). Those who think it's too wise haven't usually bothered to take it for a test drive, and even today, mid-engined sedans of this caliber aren't that commonplace - although there will always be those who point out that 500 hp has become almost commonplace these days. In the meantime, these horses have the good taste to remain absolutely thermal, if you know what I mean... it's up to you to make the most of it.
