Since the Lamborghini Gallardo has been around for so long, Lambo has had the opportunity to rework the model into many different exciting variations. The one you see here is a rather rare rear wheel drive model – The Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni
Like we said above, the Gallardo Balboni is rear wheel drive. This might not mean a whole lot to you, but if you are a Lamborghini enthusiast, you might recall that the Gallardos are typically all wheel drive. This makes the two wheel drive Balboni LP550-2 a bit of a rare beast.
The nomenclature LP550-2 reveals the car’s horsepower, 550HP and the “2” at the end stands for 2WD. You might notice that most of the Lamborghini model designations usually end in a “4.” The engine is a 5.2 Liter V10 and actually makes 542 horsepower. Or so says the internets. But regardless, why round any other way but up? Torque is 397 LbFt at 6500 RPM and it all goes back to the rear wheels.
The simplified drive system also means the LP550-2 is lighter than the regular Gallardo, by about 100lbs, give or take. Not that it’s a lightweight car. The Balboni still weighs a little over 3,000 lbs. The car is capable of 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and tops out at 199MPH. (Maybe it can do 200MPH downhill, haha). The V10 screams like any good V10 Gallardo screams. We know because our window has to be open to shoot as the screaming bull shoots by.
The car’s name comes from Lamborghini’s chief test driver, Valentino Balboni who has been driving Lambos since the Miura.
Apart from the cool stripe running down the bonnet, this true driver’s car Lamborghini has one more trick up its sleeve. Can you guess what that is?
Driver’s car. Then…
It must be a 6-speed gated manual transmission. Rear-wheel drive and a manual gearbox. Like we said. A true driver’s Lambo.
One last interesting bit of info: This photo was shot the same day we shot the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Spyder Peformante in our automotive photography portfolio BEFORE we reached a layer of fog on the freeway.
