The e-gear transmission Gallardo has a 'thrust mode' which is the comically phallic name Lamborghini has given its version of launch control.

Having spent the best part of 24 hours on an airplane from Dubai to Las Vegas, venue for the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 press launch, the last thing I wanted was to be going up in the air again. Combine a 6am wake up call with severe jet lag and a distaste for heights, and the result is a very grumpy journalist. Thankfully my distress is soon wiped away and quickly replaced with a sense of awe, as our buzz cut shorn pilot gains altitude in the Lamborghini branded helicopter I am belted into, and flies us straight down the world famous Las Vegas strip and out into the Nevada desert towards our destination. Any grumbles about sleep deprivation are soon forgotten as we touch down at the Las Vegas Speedway to the incredible sight of several dozen Gallardo's in different shades lined up nose to tail. A giant grin takes control of my face as I am reminded of why I got into this business in the first place.

Cruelly we are first ushered indoors for a Q&A session with the Lamborghini bigwigs including charismatic CEO Stephan Winkelmann whose name suggests German descent but whose flamboyant looks and draw are decidedly Italian (he grew up there), much like Audi owned Lamborghini. The headline figures are all discussed in detail: The central point of the new Gallardo LP 560-4 is the brand new engine which apparently has nothing in common with any 90-degree V10 that Audi make other than the odd pump (it has no fewer than three scavenge pumps for its dry sump) or sensor. Its capacity is up from 4961cc to 5204cc, taking power  up 39bhp to 552bhp  (or 560 PS - hence the model name) at 8,000rpm, while torque climbs 376lb ft to 398 at the 6500rpm peak of a flatter torque curve.  The new Gallardo is also 20kg lighter than its predecessor despite the new engine weighing 10kg more.  This all adds up to a power to weight ratio of 374bhp per ton which is practically identical to the no longer in production hardcore Superleggera.  Naturally the performance figures have improved accordingly, with 0-100kph coming up in 3.7sec and 0-200kph taking a scant 11.8sec. Top speed is also increased by 10kph to 325kph.  With numbers like these there is no denying the LP 560-4's supercar credentials. To help you achieve the stated numbers the e-gear transmission (which over 90 per cent of Gallardos are now equipped with) has a 'thrust mode' which is the comically phallic name Lamborghini has given its version of launch control. What was more comical was when the Lambo management started talking about how much effort went into the LP 560-4 being a socially responsible motor vehicle  due to the fact that CO2 outputs having been reduced by 18% to 327g/km despite the significant increase in power and performance.  I found this amusing due to the fact that I will always view driving a 500bhp wedge shaped Lamborghini to be a two-fingered salute to political correctness.  I am as much for saving the planet as the next guy, but to pretend that the owner of a $ 223,000 LP 560-4 is doing their part is a bit hypocritical. A car like this is as extreme a sign of motoring excess as there is, and that should be celebrated not apologised for.

Before getting behind the wheel I spend some time circling the assembled cars to take in the new styling. The first pictures I had seen of the new baby Lambo had left me a little unsure on whether the revised look was a step in the right direction, particularly as these initial photos showed the car with the optional lattice-spoke wheels which are far too busy for my taste. In the flesh, and wearing standard wheels, it is immediately obvious that Lamborghini have once again gotten it very right. Immediately the LP 560-4 looks less menacing, the previously angular silhouette replaced by a cleaner more organic line. The new nose is longer, more chiselled, more Reventon. Slimmer headlights with optional LED running lights make it look more stern.  There are more Reventon cues in the narrow LED taillights that no longer flow up into the rear deck, and the rear grille now stretches uninterrupted across the back of the car and results in a cleaner less fussy posterior. At a glance there are hints of Audi R8 in the rear styling particularly in darker colours, which i find suit the car more. Designer Manfred Fitzgerald says the idea is to make the Gallardo look wider and flatter, because Lamborghinis should be wide and flat. He also thinks LEDs can be over used and has tried to keep these discreet. Helped by a new rear diffuser, the revised body shape gives 32 per cent more down force to give a total of 20kg on the front wheels and 50kg on the rears.  On the inside the architecture remains unchanged, but there is a marked improvement in the finish of the interior. Among these enhancements are glitzy knurled switches above the centre console and clearer instrument graphics. Some of the assembled cars had optional carbon fibre, alcantra and stitched leather on the inside, although the car you see here in the pictures did not.

The circuit we are using today to put the new Gallardo through its paces combines most of the banked oval that NASCAR uses when it visits the Las Vegas Speedway, with the twisty, fiddly infield section. Driving out of the pits, I press the new 'Corsa' button on the centre console, which activates the fastest gearshift (120 milliseconds) and loosens the ESP.  Depress the throttle fully and the engine pulls strongly from low revs with a muscular torque rich delivery, there is an explosion of energy, accompanied by a hard, dirty, savage sound that erupts from behind you. At 4000 rpm the variable valve timing causes the engine note to go from a 10 cylinder half octave harmonic to a much more complex hard edged barrage of sound waves. It is the equivalent of an automotive Tourette's and i am still confused how it gets past drive-by noise regulations.  Flick the paddle shift behind the steering wheel and the accompanying upshift is quite brutal snapping your neck forward abruptly. Arriving at the first corner, flicking down through the gears is accompanied by a delicious blip of the throttle that matches the revs perfectly. Stand on the brake pedal and the first weakness of the LP 560-4 is exposed, the optional carbon ceramic brakes grabbing viciously, making it very difficult to modulate brake pressure.  This was also a major criticism of the Superleggera and it is surprising that Lamborghini have not been able to improve in this area.  I vastly preferred the standard steel brakes, which give more feel and control, although they did get spongy with repeated hard use. Arriving at a corner the tail squirms under heavy braking, turn in and the flat bottom steering wheel gives you plenty of feedback. The nose of the car understeers mildly on turn in and is slightly unsettled over bumps due to the stiff suspension setup that accompanies 'Corsa mode'. Easing back off the throttle helps get the nose of the Gallardo to the apex of the corner, while on exit the rear of the car comes into play and can be steered nicely on the throttle.  This is mainly due to the 30:70 front to rear power distribution of the full time four-wheel drive system (hence the '4' in the title) combined with a limited slip differential in the rear. Disable the ESP completely and the handling remains very controllable, and despite a more-lively rear end it never feels too intimidating.

After completing the time on track, I am handed a road route and given very stern instructions to adhere to the posted speed limits due to the over- zealous police presence in the area. Unfortunately these speed limits are based on the abilities of a 20 year old Chrysler Voyager with bald tyres, dead dampers, no brakes and a granny behind the wheel rather than the latest supercar with a mildly talented racing driver behind the wheel (that's me in case you were wondering). This is even more frustrating considering the tantalising roads that twist and turn ahead of me.  I fear that i will be viewed as a threat to national security by  the 'cops' , especially due to my middle eastern roots, and the idea of sharing a jail cell with a large man named Bubba doesn't appeal to me. So i decide to take it easy and see how well the baby Lambo does the mundane stuff. Switch the e-gear back to normal mode and the answer is very well. The car pulls away from stationary almost as well as a normal automatic and cruises along nicely with a minimum of drama.  Over the next few hours i get lost in a sleepy little town called Boulder, that could easily be accompanied by tumble weeds and the sound track to the Clint Eastwood western 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.' I even get stuck in traffic on the famous Hoover Dam and then again while manoeuvring the Las Vegas strip, where it proves to be quite the head turner (A fellow journo was ambushed at a traffic light by an attractive young lady who lifted her top to show him her sizeable assets). Through all this the Gallardo doesn't miss a beat, and proves that it isn't a one trick pony and can be incredibly refined when you want it to be.  Subjectively it feels that Audi has implemented all that it has learnt from baby brother R8 into its entry level Lamborghini, which is not a bad thing, especially since the LP 560-4 has lost none of its raging bull DNA, and still feels every bit the beast that you would expect, but in a completely useable package. I have always wanted a Lamborghini but have always been too afraid to buy one. This just might be the car that changes that. I think I will have mine in matte black with steel brakes and a red on carbon interior.

Specification
Engine                  V10, 5204cc
Max power            552bhp @ 8000rpm
Max torque           398lb ft @6500rpm
Top speed            325kph (claimed)
0-100kph             3.7sec (claimed)
Price                    £147,330
On sale                June
EVO RATING          ****

+ Great car gets quicker and cleaner
- Rocky ride and mushy carbon brakes