Description
To be offered for sale by Silverstone Auctions at The Silverstone Classic Sale 2019 to be held at The Wing Building, Silverstone Circuit, United Kingdom, NN12 8TN from July 26, 2019 to July 28, 2019. Guide price: £60000 - £70000. • 2007 left-hand drive Superleggera with 522bhp from its 5-litre V10
• In a collection in Dubai before being imported to the UK in 2015
• Serviced on arrival by SB Race Engineers (three stamps prior)
• Finished in black but wrapped in Verde Ithaca Green (removable)
• 29, 000 miles indicated. Lamborghini wallet, service history and two keys
• All UK taxes paid but has never been UK registered
Lamborghini’s brief for the Superleggera was initially pretty straightforward; to make a Gallardo that would weigh exactly 100kg less than the standard car, and in the process create a machine to make the Ferrari F430 and Porsche 911 Turbo look decidedly second-rate. For a while, Lamborghini toyed with the idea of binning the Gallardo’s four-wheel-drive system because that would have saved 50kg in one hit. But in the end Sant'Agata’s top brass decided that four-wheel drive is an integral part of a modern Lamborghini’s genetic make-up, so the weight would have to be saved in other areas. About 500 miles of carbon fibre later, the engineers reached their target. Everything from the seats to the engine cover to the electric rear wing to the door inserts was binned and replaced with lighter, carbon fibre equivalents. Even the gearbox casing was re-engineered out of magnesium to save weight while the regular alloy wheels were swapped for lighter forged alloy items. The exhaust system, too, was redesigned to save kilos, and the specified unit not only weighs 8kg less but also produces less back pressure. Combined with some re-mapping, the 5. 0-litre V10 engine was rewarded with another 10bhp making 522bhp at 8000rpm in total. Factor in the Superleggera’s new featherlight 1330kg kerb weight and that means the power-to-weight ratio has jumped from 358 to 392bhp per tonne, while torque-to-weight has gone from 263 to 282lb ft per tonne.
As standard, the Superleggera was fitted with a carbon spoiler, side skirts, diffuser, wing mirrors, door cards, centre console, steering wheel bottom, and bucket seats unique to this limited-edition model and the vinyl decal along the sides easily distinguish this lightweight special from the standard Gallardo. The engine cover is also made from carbon, as is the fixed rear wing, complete with reversing camera. The engine cover’s glass window is the factory transparent polycarbonate, while the rear window is made from similarly lightweight Makrolon polycarbonate. Pop the engine cover release and raise it aloft and you can feel the difference, the lid flying up with minimal effort. The wheels are the very special thin-spoke ‘Skorpious’ rims, which are forged from magnesium for minimal unsprung weight. Proof of the engineer’s fixation with weight-loss can also be found in the titanium wheel nuts, which clamp the lightweight alloy wheels to lighter but stronger wheel hubs. The special factory-fitted and super-rare Alcantara bucket seats are fantastic to look at and sit in and bear ‘Superleggera’ logos. Close the doors with the special carbon fibre clad door cards and you notice the centre surround and steering wheel which are again unique to this model and have carbon fibre used extensively. Factory alloy pedals and factory stitched floor mats set off the interior nicely. The car on offer here is actually finished in Black but has had the benefit of a £3, 000 Verde Ithaca Green wrap that can be removed if the new owner so wishes. The exterior has the limited edition 'Superleggera' touches such as the large rear carbon aero spoiler, carbon fibre side skirts, diffuser and wing mirrors. Originally supplied to Dubai in 2008 and spent some time in a collection there before being imported to the UK in 2015 with all taxes paid. We understand there were three service stamps in the book and since its arrival here it has been serviced by SB Race Engineers. The current odometer reading is 29, 000 and it's accompanied by its Lamborghini wallet and service history along with the two keys. The Lamborghini remains unregistered here so the new owner will be its first UK owner.
