How much will that new Lamborghini actually cost you?

Click to view the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 in hi-res

Nobody buys a bare-bones Lamborghini unless they're planning on racing it or want to pretend they are. With the Superleggera discontinued and the new lightweight Gallardo yet to rear its head, most buyers of the new LP560-4 will be spec'ing out their Lambos with all the kit. The car retails for $280,000. Big sticker price, then, but tick the boxes for all those must-have options and a quarter-million will look like a bargain as the price inches closer to a third.

For example, most Lambo buyers opt for the sequential paddle-shift transmission, which Sant'Agata calls e-gear, and which adds another $12k to the price. Carbon ceramic brakes? You're going to want that stopping power to keep your six-figure supercar out of the trees, won't you? Another $19k. Throw in sat-nav and up-rated rolling stock and the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 is pushing $322,000. And that's if you can actually get your hands on one without finder's speculation or premiums, not to mention the cost of gas, insurance and the racks of tires you're bound to go through. Better talk to the kids about the benefits of going to college in-state.