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In the words of Motortrend:

We head out to Mojave Air & Space Port with the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, Lamborghini LP560-4, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren & Bentley Continental SuperSports to see if we can conquer the Mt. Everest of motoring – The Big Two. 200 Miles Per Hour!

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(from Lamborghini Press Release) Lamborghini presents the Gallardo LP 560-4 Bicolore – An extreme look for a Special Edition supersports car

Just a month before the world debut at Geneva Motor Show of its V12 replacement for the Murciélago, Automobili Lamborghini is presenting at the 2011 Qatar Motor Show a highly exclusive and appealing vehicle making its world premiere: the Gallardo LP 560-4 Bicolore, a Special Edition supersports car which will be produced for the European and Asian-Pacific markets, while for the American market it will be only available in the version LP 550-2. As its name implies, this special series features an exclusive two-tone finish with matching interior, and offers a full range of standard equipment. A refined contrast between the black roof and the color of the rest of the body (available in a choice of five shades) further emphasizes the sharp, dynamic lines of the Gallardo LP 560-4, while simultaneously enhancing its sportiness and adding a touch of elegance to an extremely prestigious model in the field of automotive design.

The most successful super sports car in Lamborghini’s history captures the imagination with the brutal power of its 560 hp V10 engine, the absolute grip of its permanent all-wheel drive and the razor-sharp precision of its chassis. Every kilometer in the Lamborghini Gallardo is an intense experience of explosive dynamics and absolute control. Its breathtaking performance is indicated by the 3.7 seconds it takes to reach 100 km/h and its top speed of 325 km/h.

“With the Gallardo LP 560-4 Bicolore, Lamborghini demonstrates once again the extreme, uncompromising and unmistakably Italian nature of our brand. The super sports cars from Lamborghini combine volcanic energy with design that is as unique as it is stylish,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini.

Unique design DNA

The success of Lamborghini’s unequalled design DNA lies in the beauty of highly-concentrated power and precise function. The Gallardo is the sheer essence of form with a purist approach, so the body shell is crisply sculpted and completely free from decoration. A timeless piece of design and an uncompromising driving machine – the Lamborghini Gallardo is both.

Even more extreme, thanks to a personalized appearance

With its new Bicolore model, Lamborghini is now setting a further design highlight in the ten-cylinder model series. The colored exterior finish matched with the black on the upper area of the body gives the Gallardo a new, more aggressive personality that looks even wider, even more extreme and innately adhered to the road.

From the window-line upwards (including pillars, roof, engine hood and rear spoiler), the vehicle is decorated in Noctis Black – a pastel black that contrasts perfectly with the lower area of the body, available in a choice of five colors: Giallo Midas, Arancio Borealis, Grigio Telesto, Bianco Monocerus and Blu Caelum.

The exterior appearance is enhanced by Skorpius aluminum-alloy rims with 15 thin spokes that are forged to minimize unsprung weight and are finished in titanium gray enamel. And, the air intakes and front spoiler have a high-gloss black finish, as does the upper section of the rear diffuser.

Top-quality and highly individual interior

The contrast between black and color is repeated in an understated, elegant manner in the interior of the Gallardo LP 560-4 Bicolore. The instrument panel, seats, door panels and other elements in the passenger compartment are upholstered in the finest “Nero Persus” leather, with a refined contrast provided by precise stitching that is colored to match the exterior paintwork: yellow, orange, blue and gray (also used on the Bianco Monocerus version).

The bezel of the e-gear transmission on the center console is in Nero Noctis, just like the upper area of the vehicle. Obviously, the interior is finished in the Lamborghini tradition using only the materials of the very highest quality, which are crafted with undisputed professionalism and fine Italian workmanship.

V10 like a work of art in a glass display

The complete range of standard equipment includes the fast e-gear automated transmission controlled by paddles on the steering column. A lifting system enables the front axle to be raised for safer travel onto ramps and over humps in the road, and the engine hood in tempered glass provides a stunning view of the heart of the vehicle: a 5.2 liter, 90° V-10 engine with stratified direct injection.

From a satellite navigation system to a rear-view camera, from a brake system with carbon-ceramic discs to heated power seats, a long list of optional equipment and accessories allows the vehicle to be adapted to the personal requirements of any client.

Unique success for a super sports car

Well over 10,000 Gallardos have left the production facility at company headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese – a unique success story in the world of super sports cars. The Bicolore Special Edition is particularly intended for the enthusiast who desires a supercar with an exclusive appearance and remarkable design. In any event, he or she will own a Lamborghini that is altogether distinguished by an extremely dynamic character, maximum driving excitement, yet an ability to be driven daily.

Individual characters in one model range

The Gallardo Bicolore completes Lamborghini’s ten-cylinder model range, which is enjoying enormous resonance worldwide with its broad spectrum of individual characters. While the Gallardo LP 560-4 is already a highly trained, extreme athlete, the Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera takes the notion of thoroughbred high performance even further. Thanks to its extensive experience in carbon-fiber lightweight engineering, Lamborghini succeeded in reducing its weight by a further 70 kilograms. At 2.35 kilograms per hp, the power-to-weight ratio of the Superleggera is the best in its class, with breathtaking performance guaranteed.

The Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder, on the other hand, offers a very different kind of extreme driving pleasure – every trip with the roof down is a journey with a hurricane, yet with maximum protection. This can only be bettered – in true Lamborghini style – by the Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante. Its purist carbon-fiber lightweight engineering, according to Lamborghini’s tradition, adds an even sharper edge to the dynamics.

Reiter Engineering of Germany has taken upon itself the role as Lamborghini’s preferred race-spec tuner.  With no factory effort, Reiter has been modifying productions Lambos for decades–earning GT victories from France to Japan.  The latest work is a GT3-class Gallardo LP560.  The GT3 features a tuned 5.2 L V-10 with 570 hp at 8,000 rpm.  Weight has been cut to just 2,620 lbs. thanks to an aluminum chassis and more carbon fiber paneling.  A Halinger geabox is provided and gives racers even quicker shifts than the standard Audi unit.  The final pricing for the LP560 GT3 is €265,000; a GT2 upgrade is available for €295,000.

Let’s accept a hard fact: $11,000,000 is a lot of money for anything–especially an automobile that’s barely ever going to see the road.  Just imagine the cost and what you could use that money for instead.  Here’s one alternative that’s about a hundredth to a fiftieth of the cost, depending on what variant and the condition: Lamborghini’s revered Miura.

The Miura is the car that put Ferruccio Lamborghini’s name on the automotive map.  The Miura was designed by a young stylist named Marcello Gandini in the middle of the 1960s, debuting in Turin in 1965.  There was simply nothing like it–its curvaceous body, mid-mounted 3.9 L V-12, and, well, that curvaceous body were stunning.  If there’s one car to knock off the Brits claim the E-type is the most beautiful car ever built, the Miura’s it.

There are a few downsides to the Miura.  Early models, the P400 notably, were prone to engine fires.  The cabin is terribly uncomfortable with an awkward seating position.  Lastly, let’s not forget there’s lots of heat emanating from behind the passenger compartment.

But all of that is really unimportant.  Think of the Miura as a gorgeous, buxom Italian brunette.  She can be a bitch and likes high-living, but all that is little to pay when you slip inside and ride her all night–and she’s a screamer, to top it off.

With prices ranging from $90,000 to $200,000, the Miura is a godsend.

The Lamborghini Gallardo has become a very popular item among the wealthy exotic car crowd since its 2004 inception.  Beyond the fact that it’s less expensive than its larger sibling, the Murcielago, the Gallardo’s smaller dimensions and lighter body have garnered it preference from the Sant’Agata collection.  Even with that, Lamborghini has tried to keep the Gallardo fresh with improvements and specials.

The latest Gallardo update is christened the “LP-460-4,” and has now had its final specs for the topless spyder made available.  The only remotely noticeable cosmetic difference with the LP-460-4 over the first Gallardo are the widened  ducts at the front, done to increase air intake and reduce resistance.  That may not seem like much, but the real differences are inside.

The LP runs on a direct-injected 5.2 L V-10 engine with permanent four-wheel-drive (hence, the “4″ in LP-460-4).  The 5.2 generates a maximum of 560 hp at a very high 8,000 revs: a forty-eight horsepower increase.  Torque peaks at 390 ft.-lbs.; the news there is that the peak figure (a mere fourteen foot-pound-increase) comes in at 6,000 rpm, as opposed to just 4,000 with the ’06 Spyder.

Following the natural role of progress, engineers have trimmed weight to 3,310 lbs.  In there lies a reduction of forty pounds from the first Spyder.  Combined with a 6 spd. auto-clutch manual gearbox, the LP will hit sixty in just four seconds.  Top speed is officially marked at 201 mph.

Added innovations for those unfamiliar with the Gallardo include an automated rear spoiler that adjusts to computer-detected aero factors, and electronically secured side mirrors that seal inward.  Stopping power is provided by eight-piston carbon-ceramic brakes, the standard in the business.

Pricing for the LP-460-4 is estimated to be $220,000.