2010 Lamborghini Gallardo ~ Cars Planet

2010 Lamborghini Gallardo

At 12,198 feet, Mount Teide might be the highest point in all of the territories that comprise Spain and one of the main tourist sites in the Canary Islands. But on this particular Thursday in March, at the parking lot of the viewing center nestled in the volcanic rock near its summit, El Teide is definitely a second-string attraction for the tourists milling about. That's because the mountain, which last erupted in 1909, has been upstaged by the fleet of 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyders that just came roaring in. A single example of the ragtop version of the revised Gallardo coupe that debuted last year would garner attention wherever it went, even if it were painted generic silver. But what we have here at the top of Tenerife is a flotilla of more than a dozen Gallardo Spyders painted dayglow yellow, electric lime green, brilliant blue, matte black, and crisp white with black wheels, among other eye-popping shades. The cabins are just as colorful and enticing, every inch of them lined with exquisitely detailed leather. (Our favorite? Pearlescent white paint over rich, dark brown hides. Scrumptious.)

So, all around the parking lot, wives are aiming cameras at husbands who are posing next to Gallardos, video cameras are rolling, and the mountain is being ignored. We raise the rear lid on our car, a process that involves the use of both electric and hydraulic motors, and a scrum of tourists rushes over to point their cameras at the 5.2-liter V-10 engine that lies, resplendent, behind the passengers. Who can blame these people? Mount Teide has been here for millions of years, and if the citizens of Tenerife are fortunate, it will be here awhile longer before it erupts again. The Lamborghinis, though, are leaving, heading back down to the coast, and fast.

As a whole, the Gallardo Spyder feels like a more complete and well-engineered effort than the car we first drove in Miami three years ago. The steering is nicely weighted, although perhaps not quite as urgently communicative as one would like; the car is easy to place in a corner; and all-wheel drive provides tremendous grip. An excellent backup camera (optional), clear ergonomics, and good visibility make the Gallardo relatively easy to live with day-to-day.

There's reason to believe that a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, which starts at $225K and can easily be larded with another $50K in options, is exactly the wrong car for our times, and Winkelmann acknowledges that Lamborghini sales have slowed considerably. But the reception the Gallardo received at Mount Teide might help you justify the purchase of one. How can something that brings so much pleasure to others be considered a selfish indulgence?