Neither the speed, the adrenaline rush nor that fantastic V10 soundtrack came as a surprise. Two things though did catch me out, the first being the sheer violence of the operation. Upshifting through the paddles brought with it both an oh-so-brief halt in the momentum and a swift scissor kick to the lower jaw as 550 snarling horses were thrown trackwards in unison at the 8000rpm mark: such is the acceleration ferocity that we’re cruising rapidly to the 10,000rpm redline almost without noticing. I had originally thought steering column mounted paddle shifters would prove a little inaccessible, and a couple of occasions on the sweeping left hander past the pitlane I did find myself stretching a little to reach the right paddle. Shifts by and large though proved swift, and engine braking on downshifts top rate, the paddle setup encouraging me to get gear changes done nice and early under braking for the corners.
The second surprise was the brakes. While driving at speed on-track, stamping on the anchors was the recommended order of the day for the full racing effect, which is just as well since the pedal offered almost no give at all. But braking hard from 190kph into the 90-degree turn one was incredibly insistent, and only hitting the wall would stop the Spyder quicker.
By the fifth lap, the butterflies that had been attacking my stomach had started to relax, as had I. The prospect of slamming the best part of a quarter of a million dollars into the tyre barriers (which, when you’re in a car such as this, suddenly seem a lot closer) was not a fun one. But the sheer amount of grip and poise – despite the odd twitch of the rear wheels under heavy braking – brought with it reams of confidence. Soon I was trying my luck across the rumble strips for a better line through the turn two/three chicane, and though wind noise meant I couldn’t hear a word from James in the pace Performante over the radio, I’ve no doubt it was complementary rather than “could the idiot at the back watch it over the kerbs.”
Of course these life-changing experiences never last as long as we’d like them to, and it was soon time to head for pitroad and dismount so that the other members of our group could have a go. Another cup of gluttonous coffee awaited, as did one last surprise. While we had been out on-track, a 1995 Diablo VT Roadster had been parked next to a matt black Aventador as part of the Lamborghini showcase, causing an immediate plethora of iPhone and Canon flashes.
Turns out the Lamborghini Owner’s Club of the UAE was keen to make an impression on the event, and crankandpiston – both the team and the massive, we’re sure – would certainly be very happy to see some more luscious examples close up.
Speaking of which…
| Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 | |
|---|---|
| Engine: | V10 / 5204cc |
| Power: | 550hp @ 8000rpm |
| Torque: | 398lb ft @ 6500rpm |
| Transmission: | Six-speed + reverse / limited slip differential / robotized sequential e-gear system / rear-wheel drive |
| Front suspension: | Double wishbones front and rear suspension / anti-roll bar / anti-dive / anti-squat |
| Rear suspension: | Double wishbones front and rear suspension / anti-roll bar / anti-dive / anti-squat |
| Brakes: | Power vacuum / aluminium alloy callipers / 6 cylinder callipers (front) / 4 cylinder calipers (rear) / 365 x 34mm (front) / 380 x 38mm (rear) / ESP / ABS / ASR / ABD |
| Wheels: | 19in front and rear |
| Tyres: | 235/35 ZR 19 (front) / 295 /30 ZR 19 (rear) / Pirelli P-Zero |
| Weight (dry) | 1520kg |
| 0-100kph: | 4.2sec |
| Top speed: | 319kph |
