Lamborghini is a luxury Italian brand mostly known for the exotic supercars they’ve been building since the sixties to compete with the likes of Ferrari and most recently Porsche. Their design language is unique with sharp and angular design queues and today the entry level Lamborghini model is the Huracan and has an MSRP of $199,800.00. At this point you might be wondering if you clicked on the wrong article as it is entitled “The Affordable Lamborghini” but have no fear you are in the right place.
Over the last 13 years Lamborghini has produced what amounts to four cars, the Murcielago, Gallardo, Huracan and the Aventador but with multiple versions of each. The aforementioned Huracan is their current entry-level offering and their only other vehicle is the top of the line Aventador that starts at over $402,995.00 for the coupe and exceeds $500,000.00 for the topless convertible. These cars ain’t cheap and based on what they currently go for only the rich are buying these unless you read on.
Prior to the Huracan and Aventador the previous models were the Murcielago and Gallardo. The former was their top model until replaced about three years ago and the Gallardo was their entry-level model. Here’s the good news. The first model year for the Gallardo was 2004. That means this car has been on the streets since 2003 and has delivered 11 model years, as the first model year for the Huracan was 2015 and it gets better. Lamborghini only made evolutionary changes to its body style so that means you’d have to be a super knowledgeable “Lambo” guy to note the differences from one model year to the next. It also means you have 11 model years to choose from and essentially all the Gallardos will look the same. So what does that mean for you? Dare I say affordability? Define affordability is likely your next thought. Early models have asking prices that are south of $100,000.00 with some as low as $80,000.00. Key word is these are “asking prices” which means it’s not inconceivable to be able to get an early year model for $75,000.00. Less than six figures for an Italian supercar is affordable and quite frankly if you spent up to $125,000.00 many would argue that’s still a bargain. Now you just need to decide if you want a coupe or a convertible, a manual, which uses a cool ass, gated shifter or the easier to find fancy automatic aka e-Gear with paddle shifters on the steering columns in place of the traditional gear shifter usually found on the floor. Once you decide then the devil is in the details and this is where we think we can help.
Now that you’ve decided on a Gallardo because of its supercar affordability what year should you consider? There’s always been this notion that one should never buy the first model year of any car because you want to let the manufacturer sort things out that might have plagued the car’s reliability or performance. There might be some truth to that for a new car but the first model year for a Gallardo is 2004. That’s thirteen years and possibly two, maybe three owners ago. I can assure you whatever kinks or bugs that needed to be sorted out are already taken care of and addressed. Having a pre-purchase inspection done by an authorized Lamborghini dealership would be a good thing to incorporate into your decision-making process and budget. Doing that will also uncover any potential current issues with the car and ensure any noted issues from the past were dealt with. You should also ask for records from the owner as well as have a conversation with him/her about their overall experience with the car including how they used it. If you are purchasing from a dealership you’ll have to converse beyond the sales guy to get better insights. Try speaking with the lead mechanic if you are at a Lamborghini dealership as they can provide great insights. If you have a seller (including dealerships) with no records, buyers beware! You’ve got to realize that this car was not likely a daily driver and was either a second or third car in someone’s driving rotation. In cases with really low mileage that amounted to less than 3,000 miles per year that means the car was a weekend toy or a lemon that stayed in the shop more than on the road. Don’t forget to run a CARFAX report! The later models had gotten so good (comfortable and reliable) that some were driven daily so unlike Ferraris you might see some with miles half way to 100,000 or nearing the century mark. Unless you have the skills, patience, time and cash to rebuild a ten cylinder Italian exotic engine I’d stay clear of those unless they were giving it away and even then I’d question that decision to buy. There aren’t many supercars that I can think of aside from Porsche that could have high miles and still make me consider one but keep in mind while this car is an Italian supercar it does have some German DNA, as the parent company is Volkswagen. Volkswagen for those not in the know owns several other car brands that I am sure you know. Porsche, Bentley, Audi and Lamborghini all fall under the VW corporate umbrella. It’s no secret that the Audi R8 supercar and the Lamborghini Gallardo are related and share some components so it should come as no surprise that unlike the other well-known exotic Italian supercar brand these cars could be found with mileage in excess of 50,000. High miles on any car isn’t a guarantee for the next owner to continue racking up worry free miles and if Vegas is making odds they would likely be against you so don’t let your emotions get the best of you as that has potential to be disastrous and expensive.
Devil In The Details:
Mid engine 10-cylinder engine that produces 550hp. That number grew over the years as the evolution of the Gallardo continued.
Recommended servicing is annual cost vary depending on the mileage but $1,500.00 per year is where'd I'd start.
Came available with both a six-speed manual (cool ass gated shifter) and a fancy automatic transmission called “e-Gear”.
All Wheel Drive is standard on all Gallardos.
Soft-top convertible was first offered in 2005 or 2006 but almost twice as many coupes were built versus the convertible.
It’s Lamborghini’s best selling model ever and approximately 14,000 were produced so there will be plenty available for consideration and you should be searching nationally versus limiting your search just to your local area.
A high performance version called the Superleggera was added to the lineup. This version had a more powerful engine and was lighter and more track focused. Ironically there was also a convertible version which is somewhat telling as convertibles aren’t cars that are seriously considered for track duty. In my opinion this version is the “poser” delight, meaning I just want to look good and be able to say I have the fastest version or a Superleggara Gallardo. I drive a Superleggara Spyder, only wear Ferragamos loafers and like my espressos with skim milk. Poser!
Which One?
Choosing is always a personal preference and there are many factors that have to go into consideration.
How many miles will you average per year? This determines how many miles the one you are looking for should ideally have. In the end you always want to find the best car with the lowest miles but if you only plan to drive 2,000 miles per year maybe that changes what you look for specific to what the odometer reads on any car you find and want to consider.
How long do you plan on keeping the car? Another important factor because if you only plan to keep the car for a couple of years this determines how you finance it and what model year you buy as well as which transmission you choose. If you want something that would be easy to get rid of you want a coupe with the e-Gear transmission and preferably with low miles or maybe you live in Los Angeles and a convertible might be more appealing? If it’s a long-term ownership tenure you might want to consider something newer so the next person can easily find financing as older cars will always be harder to finance.
Who will drive it? Most of you are thinking I’m the only one right now and good for you! If you happen to have a wife or some supermodel chick that fries the common sense part of your brain whenever she comes around just give it some real thought, as it is a factor. This impacts insurance but also there are many people who can’t drive manual transmissions and many more that just don’t want to. There are also some that even if technically they know how to drive a manual, they probably shouldn’t be. That supermodel girlfriend of yours that learned how to drive a manual with her Honda Accord in college ten years ago and has not driven one since probably shouldn’t be given the keys and allowed to go unsupervised in an Italian exotic. The only thing exotic she should be rocking is Gucci or Prada, on her feet and not in your driver’s seat!
Where will you store the car? Personal garage or public garage? If street parking is your only option rethink getting this car as it will not be a good experience. My first thought was actually, “are you nuts?”
Where will it be serviced? Dealership or independent specialty shop? Before you actually buy the car you need to figure this out. There are some parts of the country where getting your car to a Lamborghini dealership might require overnight baggage.
Manual or e-Gear? This is a combination of what’s your driving pleasure and where do you live? If you live in San Francisco where you are dealing with hills daily you might want to consider an automatic. If you live in the “big city” and deal with gridlock traffic with any kind of regularity you might want to consider an automatic. If you have a wife that can’t drive a manual you may want to consider an automatic. WAIT! If you have a wife that can’t drive a manual you might want to consider a manual. Why? Because if anything every happened to that car while she was driving it assuming that she was okay but the car was damaged you’d be pissed forever unless you are better than me. Single guys don’t have that element in their life to deal with so they are probably thinking you are a wimp for even factoring this into the equation. Circle back to them about 2-3 years into their marriage and see how quickly that opinion has changed.
Coupe or convertible? Some people buy convertibles to be seen but I can assure you a Gallardo coupe will garner more than enough attention. If you are a convertible guy and enjoy the open air their soft tops are easy to live with but you won’t have much vision when the top is not down. These are mid engine cars so there are no back seats so the coupes can be a little claustrophobic for larger guys. Remember, after the adrenalin of the test drive has worn off how are you going to live with the limited space that can be described as a cocoon like environment. There’s a reason most owners of these cars have more than one vehicle to drive or get rid of them after a couple of years.
What color? Lamborghinis have been known to come in some very loud colors and while it might seem cool in the first 2-3 months of ownership will a lime green or Halloween orange angular flashy Italian exotic sports car become an attractive nuisance?
The doors? Lamborghinis are noted for many things including flashy design, colors, amazing sounding exhaust notes and I could probably think of a couple more but one of the things most associated with this carmaker’s brand are the doors that swing upward versus outward. If you wanted a Lamborghini for those flashy scissor doors this is not the model. Hard to believe but the Gallardo only has normal doors. You’d have to step up to the previous top model or the current top model to get those. However, if you insist there are a couple of companies that have kits for you to convert them. I’ve seen Chrysler sedans and Ford Mustangs with “Lambo” doors so if you insist you can but just know it’s not even an offered option on Gallardos.
Are you buying it cash or financing? There is this belief that walking onto a lot with cash might get you a much better deal and there is certainly some truth to that but many dealers are connected to financial institutions and make more money if you finance. Also, keep in mind that trying to finance a 13-year-old car via traditional means might be a challenge. Translation? There won’t be many lenders to choose from and interest rates will be higher than the going rate for a new car. Cash will certainly be an advantage with the older models but there are also a couple of companies that specialize in financing exotics just be careful and read the fine print. A 15-year mortgage is actually a good look when buying a home. It’s not a good look buying a vehicle, even the sexy Italian kind.
Did You Know:
November 25, 2013 the last Gallardo rolled off the assembly line.
The Gallardo was their best selling model in their storied history.
Assuming the cheapest Gallardo you find is $75K the other cars you could consider would be a 2007-2009 Porsche 997 Turbo Coupe or convertible, 2015 Chevy C7 Corvette Z06 Coupe, 2014-2015 BMW M4 Convertible, 2014-2015 Porsche 911 S Coupe, 2011-2012 Porsche 997 GTS Coupe or Convertible, 2012-2013 BMW M5 and there are several others.
The Gallardo shares some components with the first generation Audi R8. The R8 5.2 version has the same 10-cylinder engine as the Gallardo just tuned a little differently.
As you can see there is a lot to consider if you are thinking about this particular Lamborghini. You should consider this the fun part aside from actually driving the car. Once you’ve decided on a car remember to always have a PPI (Pre-purchase Inspection) done preferably at a Lamborghini dealership. It will cost you a few hundred dollars but the flip side of that is not having it done as you can be assured anything uncovered after you’ve bought it will cost more. Likely, considerably more and that’s not a good way to start the ownership experience of any car. Enjoy the hunt for that affordable Lamborghini.