Lamborghini LP560 Spyder
Discussion
As many of you know from my deep involvement in the Finance themed threads on here, and the Shares To Watch thread (read: no involvement at all), I am famed for my excellent financial decisions. It is for that very reason I purchased a Lamborghini. In particular, I purchased it at the start of 2020 prior to any price-reductions from CoVID.
That's the boring bits out of the way.
So what's it like? Does everyone hate it? It's a bright yellow car, with a V10 engine.
One of my initial drives was in the midst of "early" LockDown, where only essential journeys were permitted and everyone thought the world was ending. I was quite worried that driving a bright yellow Lamborghini might be considered callous given the difficulties some people were facing. It might therefore draw negative reactions, after all everyone seems constantly concerned about driving a yellow supercar. What if there's a "not in my village" protest, and the WI and Rotary Club end up waving their zimmer frames at me. On stopping at a petrol station (I now do that a lot) I actually experienced the opposite. I have thankfully had numerous great reactions; from a group of teens in a car taking photos and asking to take photos with the car, a chap driving in not because he wanted fuel but because he wanted to have a closer look, staff members wanting a chat and even an old lady clapping when I started it up!
Reactions have thus far been positive, which I mention not because I'm looking to feature on Instagram, but because there seems to be a consensus that everyone will hate you, you'll look like a t it, people will make hand gestures at you etc etc. That's not been my experience. Maybe people should worry less and enjoy more?
The LP560 Spyder in Giallo Midas is a ridiculous, childish, ostentatious, shouty looking thing, but that is the point of it...at sight it reduces people to children. I had a poster of a Countach on my wall growing up, not because it was sensible. If someone gets grumpy and shouty, just be grateful that you didn't experience the same sorry childhood that they did.
What's it like to drive? It is a convertible that will do 200mph. It's the most rapid car I've owned. It is extremely stiff, so you do feel the imperfections in our rather awful British roads, but I would not say there's any scuttle shake.
The LP560's exhaust in Sport Mode is plenty loud enough when stock. Particularly as the Spyder has this little window just behind your head that you can drop down at will. Even with the roof up you can drop the little window, it results in the cabin experiencing the full force of the V10 orchestra behind you. The e-Gear is marvelous, having previously had a 4200 Cambiocorsa, it is similarly single clutch, however it seems smoother and faster. My Vantage (V8) that I had immediately prior to the LP560 was manual, and I do miss it, particularly when parallel parking, but I was and remain not skillful enough to heel-and-toe, so the e-Gear blips on downshifts make it the choice for me. The downshifts evoke an immediate grin, and a chuckle and occasionally a complete laugh out loud moment.
Recently I drove out of London and entered some country lanes, weather not perfect, so roof up. I pushed the SPORT button, the exhaust shifted from an Italian loudly testing the finesse of their favourite Mosacto, to the fiery sounds of the place that the Pope promises to send you if you blaspheme in St Peter's Sq. Pressed another steel knurled button and lowered the little window behind my head, having the orchestra sat 30cm from ones head ensures you can enjoy everything little sound, from the loudest roar to the quietest overrun burble, I then dropped a gear - it was like a Lion who hadn't eaten for a decade was suddenly claiming it prey, but 30cm from my left ear. Shivers down the spine, an instant firmer grip of the steering wheel, and the slightest twinge of the buttocks as you remind yourself that this 552bhp raging bull's power far exceeds your abilities behind the wheel. Given it is 4WD the road holding is magnificent but, having driven an R8, unlike R8 it retains its Italian-roots being pretty lively and reminding you that despite all this grip it could suddenly spit you out. There's a reason why the LP560 won the CAR Magazine Performance Car of The Year, and finished second in Evo eCoty that year as well.
Whilst all of that is going on, you are absolutely enveloped in a plush leather cocoon. It is a completely different feeling to the driving position of the 4200, the Vantage, or the GranTursimo (I test drove a few before the Aston). The dash board meets the bottom of the windscreen, what feels like an acre away from the steering wheel. If I dropped anything on the dash and it rolled forward, it would remain there for eternity. The view out of the back is of the fins of the engine cover, with the little spoiler that lifts and tips, speed dependent. It's hard to describe, but when sat in the car you feel much lower than you actually are. The view is a mere band of scenery around you which is in great contrast to the black leather with yellow stitching that frames it. It's a rather special place.
Then there's the bit that only comes marginally second to driving it, when you get out (as gracefully as possible) and can feel the heat from that huge expanse of engine rising through the fins on the engine cover, and then take a step back and just look at it. It really is ridiculous but also completely right.
As you can tell, I feel like a kid who got every present that they ever wanted at Christmas, and remember, just as there were back then, there'll always be the grumpy kids.
That's the boring bits out of the way.
So what's it like? Does everyone hate it? It's a bright yellow car, with a V10 engine.
One of my initial drives was in the midst of "early" LockDown, where only essential journeys were permitted and everyone thought the world was ending. I was quite worried that driving a bright yellow Lamborghini might be considered callous given the difficulties some people were facing. It might therefore draw negative reactions, after all everyone seems constantly concerned about driving a yellow supercar. What if there's a "not in my village" protest, and the WI and Rotary Club end up waving their zimmer frames at me. On stopping at a petrol station (I now do that a lot) I actually experienced the opposite. I have thankfully had numerous great reactions; from a group of teens in a car taking photos and asking to take photos with the car, a chap driving in not because he wanted fuel but because he wanted to have a closer look, staff members wanting a chat and even an old lady clapping when I started it up!
Reactions have thus far been positive, which I mention not because I'm looking to feature on Instagram, but because there seems to be a consensus that everyone will hate you, you'll look like a t it, people will make hand gestures at you etc etc. That's not been my experience. Maybe people should worry less and enjoy more?
The LP560 Spyder in Giallo Midas is a ridiculous, childish, ostentatious, shouty looking thing, but that is the point of it...at sight it reduces people to children. I had a poster of a Countach on my wall growing up, not because it was sensible. If someone gets grumpy and shouty, just be grateful that you didn't experience the same sorry childhood that they did.
What's it like to drive? It is a convertible that will do 200mph. It's the most rapid car I've owned. It is extremely stiff, so you do feel the imperfections in our rather awful British roads, but I would not say there's any scuttle shake.
The LP560's exhaust in Sport Mode is plenty loud enough when stock. Particularly as the Spyder has this little window just behind your head that you can drop down at will. Even with the roof up you can drop the little window, it results in the cabin experiencing the full force of the V10 orchestra behind you. The e-Gear is marvelous, having previously had a 4200 Cambiocorsa, it is similarly single clutch, however it seems smoother and faster. My Vantage (V8) that I had immediately prior to the LP560 was manual, and I do miss it, particularly when parallel parking, but I was and remain not skillful enough to heel-and-toe, so the e-Gear blips on downshifts make it the choice for me. The downshifts evoke an immediate grin, and a chuckle and occasionally a complete laugh out loud moment.
Recently I drove out of London and entered some country lanes, weather not perfect, so roof up. I pushed the SPORT button, the exhaust shifted from an Italian loudly testing the finesse of their favourite Mosacto, to the fiery sounds of the place that the Pope promises to send you if you blaspheme in St Peter's Sq. Pressed another steel knurled button and lowered the little window behind my head, having the orchestra sat 30cm from ones head ensures you can enjoy everything little sound, from the loudest roar to the quietest overrun burble, I then dropped a gear - it was like a Lion who hadn't eaten for a decade was suddenly claiming it prey, but 30cm from my left ear. Shivers down the spine, an instant firmer grip of the steering wheel, and the slightest twinge of the buttocks as you remind yourself that this 552bhp raging bull's power far exceeds your abilities behind the wheel. Given it is 4WD the road holding is magnificent but, having driven an R8, unlike R8 it retains its Italian-roots being pretty lively and reminding you that despite all this grip it could suddenly spit you out. There's a reason why the LP560 won the CAR Magazine Performance Car of The Year, and finished second in Evo eCoty that year as well.
Whilst all of that is going on, you are absolutely enveloped in a plush leather cocoon. It is a completely different feeling to the driving position of the 4200, the Vantage, or the GranTursimo (I test drove a few before the Aston). The dash board meets the bottom of the windscreen, what feels like an acre away from the steering wheel. If I dropped anything on the dash and it rolled forward, it would remain there for eternity. The view out of the back is of the fins of the engine cover, with the little spoiler that lifts and tips, speed dependent. It's hard to describe, but when sat in the car you feel much lower than you actually are. The view is a mere band of scenery around you which is in great contrast to the black leather with yellow stitching that frames it. It's a rather special place.
Then there's the bit that only comes marginally second to driving it, when you get out (as gracefully as possible) and can feel the heat from that huge expanse of engine rising through the fins on the engine cover, and then take a step back and just look at it. It really is ridiculous but also completely right.
As you can tell, I feel like a kid who got every present that they ever wanted at Christmas, and remember, just as there were back then, there'll always be the grumpy kids.
Edited by rossyl on Saturday 13th February 10:53
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