Five-Point Inspection: 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-2 50th Anniversario Edition

Streams of chronically dull, utility-minded vehicles plod along the world’s roads and highways every day. What they lack in excitement they make up for in function, hauling people and goods from here to there and everywhere in between.

Like a tropical island in the middle of a vast ocean, products from companies like Lamborghini and Maserati stand out from the crowd as a bastion of hope that life is not completely boring and predictable. These supercars offer stunning performance, exotic looks and driving dynamics that rival full-blown racecars.

One of the most inspiring of such vehicles is the Gallardo LP 560-2 50th Anniversario Edition. Lamborghinis are some of the most coveted performance machines on the face of the earth and there’s plenty to love about this Italian exotic.

Like other Lambos the special 50th anniversary Gallardo has some pretty wild styling, though it’s not as over-the-top radical as the Aventador, especially in Bianco Opalis, the car’s shimmering white paint. Still, drivers of this model will most certainly be noticed by passersby.

This is a new version of company’s best-selling vehicle, and not surprisingly it’s built to celebrate the brand’s 50th anniversary, which is this year. With rear-wheel drive and an available manual transmission it’s truly the last “real man’s” Lamborghini. This car’s replacement will ONLY be offered with a dual-clutch automatic. Where’s that sad-trombone sound effect? We need a symphony of them to decry this tragedy!

The car also features a racy looking carbon-fiber rear wing as well as light-weight bucket seats from the Gallardo Superleggera. A transparent engine cover is a treat to driver and bystander alike.

This 50th anniversary Gallardo is powered by an absolutely heroic engine. The car’s 5.2-liter V10 eclipses the coveted 100-horsepower-per-liter threshold by belting out 560 high-winding ponies. Power is routed exclusively to the rear tires. Who needs all-wheel drive? That’s for quitters who have given up on fun!

Drivers have a choice of transmission; they can opt for either a soon-to-be-discontinued six-speed manual gearbox or a fancy “E-Gear” automatic. Of course the stick is for real drivers and the self-shifter for everyone else. Three pedals and two feet… how does that work?

Surprisingly models equipped with the automatic are $900 cheaper than Gallardos with the manual. Hey, if it didn’t have a few unusual quirks it wouldn’t be a Lamborghini.

And one of the car’s strangest peculiarities is the switchgear controlling the power windows. They’re toggles mounted on the center stack a la MINI but they work backwards; up is down and down is up. Weird. Much of the remaining buttons appear to have been sourced from Audi, which is not a bad thing; they look good and feel great.

The rest of the Gallardo 50th Anniversario Edition’s cockpit is covered in beautiful Alcantara, from the dashboard and steering wheel to the seats, headliner and door panels. Contrast-colored red stitching pops like a firecracker going off in your living room.

Carbon-fiber trim dresses up much of the interior, but the focal point of the entire cabin is the gated shifter, which dominates the center console. It’s topped by a large, easy-to-grip cue ball-inspired knob.

With a long, low body outward visibility is predictably poor, especially to the rear. Gallardo drivers, like other exotic owners, are deprived of their vision while piloting their machines. At least the forward view is wide and unobstructed; it’s the one that matters most.

With such power on tap clear vision is critical. The Gallardo’s V10 is like a volcano; it’ll singe your eyebrows if you get too close and outright destroy you and your property if you don’t respect its power.

From the moment you twist its key and commence combustion you know this car means business. The engine snaps to life with an unexpectedly loud bark from the exhaust, though a second or two later it settles down to a quivering idle; it’s almost like this machine is alive, throbbing with excitement… or rage.

Taking to the road this thing is lightning-quick with an almost impossibly high redline. The engine keeps pulling harder and harder the faster it spins. Most run-of-the-mill powerplants would have detonated into heaps of scrap metal long before the Gallardo even hits its stride. This car is a high-strung thoroughbred that needs vigorous exercise. Its sound and acceleration are nothing short of intoxicating.

Despite its weapons-grade performance the Gallardo is as easy to drive as a Volkswagen Golf. The clutch engagement is broad, nicely weighted and consistent, there’s plenty of low-RPM torque to get things moving and you can even lug it in a higher-than-necessary gear without complaint. It’s a supercar that can be driven like a family sedan.

Even the intimidating gated shifter is relatively light and easy to use; you’ll (probably) never miss a gear. Plus the clackity-clack noise it makes is pure magic and more addictive than chocolate-covered cocaine. You’ll find yourself rifling through the ratios while stopped at a light just to enjoy the shifter’s satisfying mechanical sounds.

Overall the Gallardo 50th Anniversario Edition drives brilliantly, as a pricey supercar should. If there’s anything to complain about – other than rearward visibility – it’s the ride. The vehicle is very stiff; it could find bumps and ruts on a billiard table. It’s also hard to get into and out of, with an exceptionally low seating position.

The base price of a Gallardo LP 560-2 50th Anniversario is $201,000 for a model equipped with the “E-Gear” automatic transmission. If you want one with a six-speed manual plan on spending $201,900. Hardly cheap but this fine machine is a highly desirable supercar, with the looks, performance and driving dynamics to wow even the toughest critic.

If you want one, now is the time to act. This sounds like it’ll be the last Lamborghini offered with a proper stick and that’s a crying shame. It might also be quite the collector’s item…

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