LAMBORGHINI Gallardo Spyder Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

The 2012 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder is not just like any other roadster on the market. It is a spyder that can coast nice and easy in traffic or can scream its 550 hp engine on a race track. Because that's where the 550 number came from its power. As for the dash-2, it means it is rear-wheel drive.

This is one of the few roadsters that looks good even with the top up. Of course, it looks much better with that fabric down. The car looks like it is ready to attack any winding road. The massive front bumper with three air scoops needed to cool the front radiator and front disc brakes are large. The angular shape of the car can be noticed on other details such as the wing mirrors, side scoops and upper vents for the engine.

Inside, there is a luxurious interior, covered in leather and aluminum. There is no shifter for the automated dual-clutch gearbox with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. The car can be driven in manual mode and the gear changing time can be adjusted from three specific buttons: Sport, A (Auto), and Corsa (Racing). The 550-2 has tight seats and bolstered, but not that tight as those in the Superleggera.

The dashboard looks exquisite, but it is actually carried over from the Audi family. So, if you'll find some buttons you know, those might be exactly the same as from your A6.

Lamborghini introduced the Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante in 2010 as an open-top version of the Gallardo Superleggera.

Usually, an open-top version of a vehicle is much heavier due to the added reinforcements of the chassis. On the other hand, Lamborghini managed to keep this issue under control since it developed both the open-top and the closed-top version right from the start. Moreover, the Syder Performante version was enhanced with lightweight materials and, as a result, it became one of the lightest vehicles in its class with a dry weight of just 1,485 kg (3,274 lbs.). To achieve that, the car manufacturer from Sant'Agata Bolognese used the same materials as those installed in the Gallardo Superleggera.

At the front, the car got a new lower bumper with wider side scoops and a splitter that enhanced downforce. On its side, the automaker added extracting vents that also improved aerodynamics. All these parts were made from CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) materials, which tipped the scale at a lower value than those made from plastic or ABS. The side sills were also redesigned and sported the "Performante" signature shown in front of the rear wheels. On the engine's lid, placed behind the cabin, the car got a fully functional carbon fiber wing that also incorporated the third braking light. Underneath the bumper, the automaker added a redesigned diffuser and two pairs of round exhausts that further emphasized the car's sports look and also improved the sound of the V10 engine.

The carmaker knew that its customers wanted beefed-up cabins for their expensive supercars. As a result, it wrapped the dashboard in Alcantara, which also reduced glare and reflections. The sport bucket seats with high-bolstered areas featured integrated headrests and contrast stitching on their leather upholstery. Lamborghini didn't cheap out on other areas of the cabin and used expensive materials on the door cards and the center stack as well. The driver fronted a flat-bottom steering wheel with carbon fiber inserts on the lower side. Like the rest of the Gallardo range, the Spyder Performante version featured an instrument cluster filled with two large dials for the speedometer and tachometer flanked by the fuel level and temperature gauge. In the middle, the automaker placed a small TFT display showing onboard computer data. The center console housed the controls for the gearbox and was adorned with carbon fiber trims.

But the most significant part of the car was behind the cockpit, where the Gallardo 570-4 Spyder Performante featured a 5.2-liter naturally-aspirated V10 engine. It was paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox as standard, while a six-speed manual was available as a no-cost option. Power went in all corners with a 30/70 torque distribution via a center viscous coupling differential. Furthermore, the rear differential featured a 45% lock to improve traction. As a result, the car could get an excellent 0-62 MPH (0-100 kph) time of just 3.9 seconds, while the maximum speed reached 201 MPH (324 kph).

The revised Gallardo came on the market at the wrong time. Yet, it managed to survive and kept the baby-Lambo running on the production lines in high-enough numbers to be kept for another five years.

It takes a keen eye to distinguish the 2006 Gallardo Spyder from a 2008 model year. Both featured wedged shapes with angular headlights. The main difference was that on the '08 model, its headlamps were shorter. Moreover, at the front, the new model featured enhanced side air-scoops in the front bumper. In the back, the 2008 Gallardo Spyder sported new taillights. They were still squared but stretched over the upper panel. Its power-operated rag-top was completely retractable in a designated compartment between the engine and the cockpit.

Inside, Lamborghini tried hard to hide its links with Audi by installing a new design for most of the buttons. Yet, a few left remembered us that somewhere behind the raging bull was a humble A3 TDI with the same switches. But the seats were gorgeous, with high-bolstered areas to keep their occupants fixed during hard cornering maneuvers. For the manual version, Audi placed a straight, polished gear stick that popped out from the center console, while the automatic version installed three buttons on a round aluminum disc plus two paddle-shifters behind the steering wheel.

Under the hood, the Italian carmaker used a re-tuned version of Audi's 5.2-liter V-10 engine. Its power increased to 560 hp and sent it in all corners.

Lamborghini introduced the Gallardo in 2003, but the carmaker was not convinced that an open-top version might be a good idea for a sports car enthusiast. Yet, it was.

The Gallardo was the most successful Lamborghini ever built and the second supercar launched by the Italian brand under Audi's ownership. The carmaker took baby-steps in developing a new range of vehicles and didn't create an open-top Gallardo until 2006, which was unveiled in January at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The Spyder version counted for about one-third of the Gallardo lineup sales.

Its design continued the angular shapes introduced in 2001 by the Murcielago lineup. Its angular headlights and short front were followed by a very raked windshield and a short cabin followed by the engine compartment's lid. Its wide rear fenders featured massive air-intakes. In the back, the design team returned to the angular shapes and installed vertical, squared-looking taillights. The dual exhaust popped through the rear bumper above the splitter.

The cabin was cramped and fit for two occupants, separated by a massive center console. Its leather-clad interior was better finished than some of the other Lamborghini vehicles before the Audi-era, but some Audi A3 buttons and switches spoiled the exclusive car's look. Depending on the version, the car featured buttons for the automatic transmission selector or a short gear-stick.

Under the hood, Lamborghini dropped a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated screaming V-10 that could rev up to 8050 rpm while the engine provided its peak power at 8,000 rpm. Thanks to its all-wheel-drive system, the Gallardo promised to be a daily-driver supercar and directly attacked the Ferrari F360 and Porsche 911 Turbo customers.