A recent Saturday night found me leaving Society On High, a downtown Boston nightclub, with a friend en route to a quieter nearby bar for a nightcap when I came across this instantly recognizable shape, its blazing bright yellow paint standing out even among the shadows of night. Lamborghinis are never very common sights around here, even when compared to cars such as Ferrari, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to snap a shot of this one parked so nonchalantly by the curbside (and cautiously, about a foot away from it).
Photographed: High Street, Boston, MA – April 2017
Perhaps this is unfair, but the Gallardo seems to me like the ultimate poser car. Oh, it’s a true exotic, very capable and with instantly recognizable Lamborghini style. I don’t even detract because of shared components with the Audi R8. It’s just that it seems to be the “hey I’ve got money so I’m going to go buy an exotic” default choice. Not a very high opinion of the drivers of these fine machines, more so than the cars themselves.
If the Bentley Continental is the Camry of exotics, the Gallardo is the Corvette. A fine machine in its own right, with a serious image problem due to its drivers.
And yes, it’s easy to be judgmental when I could never afford one in a million years…
If you put aside a few hundred dollars at 1% interest for a million years you might be able to do it.
Your Camry and Corvette comparisons are spot-on!
+1
Neat analogy. Galardos in Toronto are quite common. I’ve even seen two or three in winter. In the used market I’d say galardos are exotic bargains. Gallardos are the corvette of exotics probably BC they were made en masse. There are 4 times as many galardos made as all of the Lamborghini models made b4 it…. Combined. This and the lotus esprite are exotic bargains….
I was in high school when the Gallardo debuted, and I had the same sentiments even then. Poser was my exact word of choice when talking to friends about it.
The Hummer H2 could fit that analogy too – the Suzuki Sidekick of military vehicles
Anyone my age may remember Viva La Bam on MTV, a spin off of Jackass. Bam Margera had both, and I believe he sawzalled the roof off of the Gallardo. Poser cars for rich celebrity brats.
I agree that the H2 was a poser, but the Gallardo was certainly not. The people who bought one, well that could be another story, but one that fits most supercar buyers.
Sure is bright, but those wheels are not good in the snow or for fighting potholes I assume. I see no cosmetic damage from parking (well it is far away from the curb) which I might expect and no Massachusetts Safety Inspection Sticker on the right front corner of the windshield.
you might take a look at this LINK
In addition to lacking an inspection sticker, the car is also missing a front license plate (or even a place to put one). I’m wondering if a look at the back of the car would reveal a dealer plate. That would explain both of these omissions.
Front plates are mandatory in Mass. unless you have the older style green-on-white plates. Those plates haven’t been issued for new registrations since the 1990s, but as Mass. plates can be transferred by owners from one car to another (unlike in some other states, plates do not stay with a vehicle when it is sold), some green-on-white plates are still on the road. But I’m thinking a dealer plate on the rear of this car is far more likely than a green-on-white, or a plate from another state that only requires a rear plate.
Nothing catches your eye quite like a Lambo. I think most people would agree Gallardos and Murcielagos and Huracans are all cool-looking cars.
Modern Ferraris, on the other hand, I don’t really find that attractive except for that delightful FF shooting brake.
If I was filthy rich, though, I wouldn’t buy a Lambo… I’d be heading to an Aston Martin dealer. I don’t care if an Aston isn’t as fast or doesn’t handle as well, it’s an Aston.
Hmmmm…. Ferrari vs Lamborghini…. Age old question. I’d have to go Ferrari over lambo.
Problem with Aston is all their models look exactly the same. From the vanquish to the vantage…. Even the rapiid looks the same. Pound for pound a used DB9 is also a used car exotic bargains. $45k and ur sitting pretty.
I must be an oddball, but I prefer understated, refined style. Having owned one already, and having seen many of the top-end cars built today that supposedly pass for such, I’d happily purchase another 1965 Lincoln Continental convertible sedan. Honorable mention, for going to the grocery store or other minor errands, I’d pick up a 1999 Cadillac Seville…and I swore after my last GM vehicle I was through with them, but this is one good-looking, understated example of class. (I only hope their build quality was that of the Lincoln…Caddies have a reputation for grenading after eight or ten years.)
Few cars exude the impression of class and perfect styling – and back it up with competent (contemporary) engineering – as these two vehicles do. What I saved buying both of these, rather than some hum-drum Bentley, I’d buy a few houses around the USA for vacationing.
I’m with you on preferring the more understated style, though no disrespect to those who like something more extroverted. A nice air-cooled, non-whale-tale 911 was always my dream car, until their values went crazy. Missed the sweet spot on them as used cars around 20 years ago, I guess. Couldn’t afford one new, can’t afford one now that it’s a classic.
Paul, 1965-’66 turbo Corvair Corsas are still quite available and quite reasonable (relatively) in price. That is one other car I want to get someday. I had two 140HP-equipped Corvairs, but that turbo calls…:)
Honestly, I thought the Gallardo was ugly in it’s first iteration, the waterfall taillights looked cheap, the long narrow headlights looked horrible (most Ferraris have this now unfortunately) and the side scoop indents looked like a rehash of the Ferrari Testarossa sans the iconic stakes. I think the refresh was much better, and the Huracan even better. Murcialago never did much for me, they just looked like a fat Diablo.
Personally I feel supercar styling, at least from these big name players peaked in the 90s. None of them have truly had designs that don’t look instantly obsolete after a mild cosmetic update, the original DB9 being the lone exception for me.
I feel just the opposite. Lambos do almost nothing for me, and most supercars do little more for me. But I find some of the Ferraris, like the 458, still able seduce me with its curves.
Agreed, and worse yet I can’t tell any of them apart. Personally, raked coupes seem far more high style to me – MB, Cadillac, etc.
I still find Lamborghinis and Porsches instantly recognizable and feel they do a great job at keeping the brand familiarity. Ferrari perhaps a bit less so lately.
As to individual models, yeah there are many within the same brand that I’m oblivious to. Cadillac is like that too for me. Easily recognizable as a Cadillac but difficult to distinguish the model or age.
Part of that though is that there are more supercars today than ever before, it’s more difficult to keep track of even for enthusiasts.
Lamborghinis, in my mind the quintessential exotic cars for over 50 years.
From my experience in Boston, parking that far away from the curb just means somebody’ll take off your driver’s side mirror while zooming by. I’m surprised nobody tried squeezing in to park in front of him as well.
Ferrari 308GTB or Dino 246, please.
Last Lamborghini I saw was an Aventador, on the hard shoulder of the M4 near Heathrow, with the fuel cap open and a rather embarrassed looking chap in an Audi jacket……