Gallardo Replacement Might Disappoint the Purists

Everybody expected Lamborghini to announce the Gallardo successor during the 2012 Paris Motor Show, instead it unveiled a pretty bland update to the current Gallardo.

No need to fret, as Lamborghini has already confirmed that the 2013 Gallardo is, in fact, the final one that will roll out of Sant’Agata. This starts the rumormill spinning in reference to the next-generation entry-level Lambo.

The next-gen Lambo will sport a carbon-fiber monocoque that will sit on a platform that is it’s expected to share with at least Audi and maybe even Porsche. Rumor has it that the most of the development will be looked after by Audi, making the Gallardo replacement — rumored to be named the Cabrera — the first Lamborghini to be largely designed and developed outside Italy. While it’s cool that Lambo is working closely with its sister brands, this move might disappoint the Lamborghini purist, as Lamborghini supercars have always marched to their own beat.

With the carbon-fiber construction, we can naturally expect the price of the Gallardo successor to shoot up significantly. And the issue becomes that one of the Gallardo’s selling points is its price relative to its competition. With the Gallardo, people don’t have to keep half a million dollars in the bank to buy one. If you have a relatively high income – say $500,000, or so, per year – you could pull off putting one in their garage with creative financing. If this new monocoque – as cool as it may be – pushes the Gallardo successor’s price up too high, the 458 Italia may start looking more favorable to fence-riding buyers and maybe even Gallardo enthusiasts.

Now, if Lambo comes with something super-hot that smashes the 458 Italia and costs just a little more than its closest competitor, all is forgiven and purists won’t start storming the doors of Lamborghini and Audi wielding pitchforks. For now we’ll just have to wait and see. Tell us what you think of this upcoming change in the comments.