LOS ANGELES: This is the Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder, the latest addition to Lamborghini's top selling Gallardo model line-up.
The engine is mid-mounted and fitted longitudinally in front of the rear axle. The 550 number refers to the power output in hp, and the 2 stands for the drive to the rear wheels.
The V10 engine may seemed brutal but according to the car maker, it has easy-to-control road manners as it's being tamed by an ESP assistant system to make it a safe sports car to drive.
The exotic car was unveiled at a private function held in tandem with the Nov 18-27 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The 1998 Diablo SV Roadster was the other rear-wheel drive convertible Lamborghini had conceived but it never went into full production.
Apart from drive relegated to the rear axle, the Spyder was also retuned, which includes changing damper settings and the aerodynamics to account for the change in the distribution of forces.
The vehicle show off its goods with a rear axle with the 45-percent locking differential, and the adoption of the e-gear
transmission. A manual version is also available.
As usual, the standard drive mode emphasise stability, while the Corsa mode allows larger drift angles and shows the car at its sportiest potential - only if you know how to handle it.
The key points of the Gallardo chassis are retained and that includes the bodyroll comfort, as well as directional stability at high speed.
The 5.2-litre 10-cylinder engine was also retuned for a rear-wheel drive car. The car remains light at 1,520kg, contributing to a sprint time of 4.2s in the 0-100kph run.
It has a top speed of 319kph, and Lamborghini claims the car's soft-top is robust enough to cope with high speeds, whether closed or open.
This variant is expected to help boost Gallardo numbers, which to date stands at 11,800.
If this Spyder is still not light enough for you, Lamborhgini has the LP 570-4 Spyder Performante for consideration, which makes greater use of carbon fibre to shave off even more weight.