Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder at L.A.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder arrives at LA Auto Show

We’ve been expecting a drop-top version of the rear-wheel drive Gallardo – which first saw the light of day as a Balboni Limited Edition – for a while. And what better place to debut the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder than in a place where the sun always shines?

So Lamborghini arrives at the L.A Motor show with a car that could have been built for California. A visually appealing drop-top Gallardo with the added kudos of a driver-focused powertrain which delivers the LP550-2′s 542bhp through the rear wheels.

The weight of the LP550-2 Spyder is down a bit on the regular LP560-4 Spyder thanks to the dropping of the 4WD setup which shoild more than compensate for the slight loss of horses.

The horses run through a six-speed e-gear ‘box – which isn’t the best on the planet – but it should still be good enough to get to 60mph in not much more than 4 seconds.

Sales of the new LP550-2 Spyder should start in  Spring 2012, and this is probably the last hurrah for the Gallardo before a new model arrives.

Unless they bring out a version of the LP 550-2 Spyder, stick a big stripe up the middle and call it Balboni, that is.

(10 photos – click any thumbnail for full gallery)

By Cars UK