Autoblog

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the EDO Gallardo SLE

Some things you figure are universal. Like time, for example. But for a tuning house that regularly takes the fastest cars around and tinkers with them just for kicks, time – say, production dates and acceleration numbers – might not hold the same meaning as it does for the rest of us mere mortals.

Never minding that Lamborghini has ceased production of the Gallardo Superleggera to make way for the new LP560-4, German uber-tuners EDO competition has come out with a package for the stripped-out Raging Bull. With a simple twist of the ECU, a new catalytic converter and a carbon fiber air box, power is pumped up to 560 horses and torque to 398 lb-ft, dropping the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time down to 3.7 seconds and the top speed nudging 320 km/h (199 mph). EDO's also installed a variable-noise exhaust and dropped the right height by 15 mm and can outfit any of the 172 Superleggeras produced with custom-painted 19" three-piece modular rims.

Check out the press release after the jump for the skinny and the images in the gallery below.

[Source: EDO competition]

Click above to view the Gallardo Superleggera in hi-res

The king is dead; long live the king. With barely a whimper, the short-lived and short-geared Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera has slipped quietly into the night. Its truncated production run yielded just 172 examples – 10 in white, 34 in gray, 37 in black, 45 in yellow and 46 in orange (each of whose owners thought they were being original) – ensuring that the Superleggera will become a collector's item years from now. The departure of the Superleggera comes hot on the heels of the introduction of the new LP560-4 and makes room for a new stripped out Gallardo.

[Source: Automobile via German Car Blog]

The on again off again entry-level Ferrari is back in the headlines, this time rumored to be making a showing at September's Frankfurt Auto Show, which is shaping up to be one of the hottest shows for sports car fans. German magazine AutoZeitung is betting that a new model to be called the Dino will be on display, a car designed to rival the Porsche 911 and Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

The Dino will likely feature a 400-hp mid-mounted V8 engine fed with cold air via two large inlets on the rear fenders. Top speed should be in excess of 185 mph with the 0-62 mph taking roughly four seconds. Additional features would be an F1-style gearbox, carbon-fiber brakes and a lightweight composite body. Adding to the speculation, Ferrari could also reveal the upcoming F430 Challenge Stradale in Frankfurt, as hinted by its Chairman Luca di Montezemolo earlier in the year.

In response, arch rival Lamborghini may unveil its own entry-level model with a new Gallardo V8 that was spotted recently by spy photographers circling the Nurburgring, as well as a Murciélago Superleggera seen in recent spy shots. In all, there's reported to be up to 22 different sports cars at the Frankfurt show, so if you're a car nut you better start saving those euros and taking German classes.

[Source: Auto Zeitung]

Big gallery of pics from the party available by clicking the images.

Lamborghini of Orange County (LOC), which accounted for 15% of Lamborghini sales in the U.S. last year, has a little clout. While the rest of the automotive world was looking to Geneva and New York to see the new Superleggera, LOC had one of its own to display. Well, for one night at least. It was unveiled during a VIP reception so that the dealership's customers could see it for themselves. While it looked pretty hot in its searing Aranco Borealis finish, the new Lambo seemed to be missing something. When one customer asked where the window sticker was, another said, "It doesn't really matter anymore, they're all gone. The lucky bastards." This limited edition, track-friendly Gallardo is limited to 350 units for 2007, all of which are already spoken for.

Weighing about 200 pounds less than the regular Gallardo, the carbon fiber diet is readily apparent. Just like Ferrari did with the CS version of their 360, the carbon fiber mirrors are the easiest tipoff that this is the sportiest variant. Lamborghini goes one better with an unpainted carbon fiber rear decklid as well, though, and carries that theme through with an oddly proportioned, but functional, optional rear spoiler. We might pass on that bit if we were doing the buying. The black side strip is a bit odd-looking, too, but we have no complaints about the Alcantara interior with racing seats and harnesses.

With a slight bump in power and a modest reduction in weight for a whole lot more cash, some might see this as much ado about nothing. But the devil is in the details, as they say. A not-insignificant 12 pounds has been shaved from each corner resulting in less unsprung weight and sharper reflexes for this somewhat hefty awd machine. That, coupled with a switch to Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber, means sharper turn-in and overall quicker responses to inputs. The powerband is said to have been remapped for more immediate reaction to stabs at the loud pedal. We begged and pleaded to get one for our garage, but this Superleggera was headed out for another stop the next morning.

Looks like we'll be seeing the F430 Challenge Stradale at Frankfurt. Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo basically told reporters as much at the Geneva auto show. The model that will debut in Frankfurt is an evolution of the F430, which is expected to be more powerful and lighter than the current coupe through the use of F1 engineering and technology. This will follow the pattern Ferrari set with the 360 series, when a Challenge racecar was built off that platform, then a street version of that racecar sold to the public. We still aren't sure whether the F430 version will wear the Challenge Stradale moniker, but we do suspect that power will be around 525 (up from 489) and that weight should drop by a couple hundred pounds to keep it on par with Lamborghini's recent Gallardo Superleggera and Porsche's 911 GT3 RS. Whatever they call it, we will officially go on record as saying it will be our new favorite Ferrari. Until the 599 Barchetta pops up, that is.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]