13 Jun 06
To drive, the Lamborghini is not a twist-and go-supercar. You don't get in, fire it up and do big speeds in minutes: the LP640 immediately demands respect, concentration and commitment. It's an intimidating car, one with long, sharp teeth that are constantly bared and ready to take a chunk out of your driving ego.
Even at low speeds, the LP460 bristles with anger and aggression. It feels edgy and alive, straining to be unmuzzled. Squeeze the throttle and that 640bhp is unleashed to give instantaneous acceleration, hurling corners towards you with a PlayStation-like rush. The noise from gaping exhaust is guttural and thunderous at low revs, barking and snorting in the mid-range, and just mental above 6,000rpm, a three-dimensional banshee that shreds the air apart. And after a run, the LP640 spews out hot air from every orifice.
Despite its highish peak, a full 80% of torque is available at 2,000rpm - which means even in long-legged sixth, booting the throttle results in serious kidney-punch acceleration. The revised engine also has a newfound appetite for revving: where the old engine felt ready to self-destruct at its rev limiter, the LP640's powerplant makes redlining this engine an absolute joy. It's helped by perfectly spaced gear ratios, and shift times that are brisk in normal driving and wincingly quick in Sport mode.
The steering is chunky, feelsome and unerringly accurate, allowing you to pour the big Lamborghini into corners with real confidence. And it's probably the best way to steer the Lambo: there's so much grip from the car's all-wheel drive, that unsticking those huge bespoke 19" 335/30 profile Pirelli tyres calls for serious commitment.
