Can Lamborghini Keep Striking Gold?

Words: Devin Langston

Lamborghini has always given consumers quality every time a new model is released. From the 350GT to the Aventador each model has been a quality piece of machinery. Though we have seen Lamborghini at it's pinnacle, things weren't always as smooth as they are today. Lamborghini was taken over by Audi to resurrect the company from the lack of sales and serious plunge in the car world. After Audi took over, the Diablo emerged in 1990. The Diablo was the first Lamborghini capable of reaching speeds of 200 mph! It's design was originally set out to shock the world, and that's exactly what it did. From the pop up lights, its radical design, and scissor like doors set the Diablo out from any other car out on the market at the time. The Diablo was also considered the car of the century by Du Pont Registry Magazine. After the Diablo was discontinued in 2001, the question was "What will Lamborghini do next?"

After saying bye-bye to their beloved Diablo, Lamborghini forever changed the face of their company by releasing what is now the flagship of the company, the Murcielago. The Murcielago got its name from a bull that survived a brutal fight with famous bull fighter Rafael Molina Sanchez. Lamborghini went back to their roots by going with the famous V12 engine they often went to in the 1960's. Lamborghini really went to the tool shed with this one. Their aim was to make a sophisticated machine in all aspects while remaining a beautiful work of art. To reduce weight the car consisted of carbon fiber, steel, and aluminum parts. The cars spoiler and the active air intakes integrated into the car's shoulders are electromechanically controlled. Each shoulder deploys automatically at high speeds to stabilize the car and maximize both aerodynamic and cooling efficiency. The success of the Murcielago automatically launched the company back to the top of the super car world. To date there has been 4,099 Murcielagos and other special edition models made, and just as many sold. The Murcielago will always be at the forefront of the Lamborghini family and will go down as one of the most legendary super cars in automotive history.

To put the icing  on the cake, we got the Gallardo two years later. Considered the "baby" of the company the Gallardo is by no means in shadows of any other car. The Gallardo is Lamborghini's most-produced model to date, with over 10,000 built in its first seven years of production. One may ask what makes this car so successful? The Gallardo is offered in a coupe and more popular spyder model, each coming with an array of features. With each model you have the choice of a a conventional (H-Box) six-speed manual transmission, or an electro-hydraulically controlled semi automatic robotized manual, easily abbreviated as the "E-gear" With this model, Lamborghini really listened to what its consumers wanted. Due to some criticism and press reviews bashing the car Lamborghini went back to the drawing board to rectify some of the complaints and issues concerning the Gallardo. A new exhaust system, suspension, and a gearing issue was installed to further improve the cars performance. These changes made the Gallardo quicker, more nimble, and added to the overall handling. Backed by a three-year warranty, Lamborghini has total confidence in their "little one" The Gallardo is a durable sports car that you can drive everyday, yet still feel the comforts of home while behind the wheel. Though the Gallardo isn't the most flashy Lamborghini, it will still catch the eye of the soccer mom hauling her kids to the game in the family Odyssey.

Lamborghini has had major success from 2000-2011, but what is next for our beloved Italian friend?  Now that the Murcielago has ran it's course, and the Gallardo successor is due to arrive in 2013, we are left asking ourselves "can Lamborghini do it again?" Will it keep Lamborghini in the limelight, or bring such renown success as the Countach? Maybe the car will be a total fluke. Only time, consumers, and of course the media will tell. We all know that the top gear crew will have their crack at the new bull when the time is right.