The 10 Best Lamborghinis Ever Built

Lamborghini 350 GT

The 350 GT is the car that started it all.

Produced from 1964 to 1966, it was Ferruccio response to Enzo rude advice to "mind his own tractors" and needless to say, it marked the beginning of an iconic brand.

Based on a prototype called the 350 GTV, the grand tourer was met with great success and ensured the company’s survival. At the same time, it established Lamborghini as a solid competitor for Ferrari. The 350 GT featured an all-aluminum, 3.5-liter V-12 engine and a five-speed manual transmission. The aluminum body, Salisbury differential, all-around independent suspension, and servo-assisted disc brakes rounded off the revolutionary design.

Read our full review on the 1963-1966 Lamborghini 350 GT

1973-1979 Lamborghini Uracco P300

Introduced in 1973, the Urraco stands out as the first Lamborghini to use a V-8 engine.

A 2+2 coupe designed by Marcello Gandini at Carrozzeria Bertone, the Uraco was designed as a more affordable proposition to the company’s flagship supercar, the Countach. Aimed at the Ferrari Dino and the Maserati Merak, the Uracco was fitted with a 2.0-liter V-8 engine at first, but the mill was later redesigned into a 3.0-liter block. In its most powerful iteration, the P300, output increased from the original 180 to 247 horsepower, while torque jumped from 130 to 162 pound-feet. The Uracco is one of the longest surviving Lamborghini nameplates, produced for six years until 1979. Its successor, the Jalpa, was heavily based on the Uracco, as was the limited-edition Silhouette. Of the almost 780 Urracos built, only 190 were P300s.

Read our full review on the 1973-1979 Lamborghini Uracco P300

1970 Lamborghini Espada S2

Introduced in 1968, the Espada remains unique to this day thanks to its design and four-seat layout.

Although it wasn’t the first Lambo to offer seating for four people — the 400 GT had a similar setup — it was closer to a proper four-seater than the usual 2+2 configuration found in sporty grand tourers of the era. Designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertona, it was heavily based on the Marzal concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1967. Some say that Gandini also used styling cues from the Betona/Jaguar Pirana concept. Lamborghini produced three distinct series with mild design changes and upgraded engines. The S2, or Series II, was the most powerful at 345 horsepower. The Italian firm assemble 1,217 Espadas, making it the most successful Lamborghini model until the expansion of Countach production in the 1980s. The S2 version was built in 575 units.

Read our full review on the 1970 Lamborghini Espada S2

Lamborghini LM002

We remain in less-than-usual territory to talk about the LM002, Lambo’s first, and until the Urus, only utility vehicle. Penned in the late 1970s with hopes of selling it to companies in the oil exploration and production industry, as well as the military, the LM002 went into production in 1986, after several prototypes were tested.

A four-door pickup truck, it's also known as the "Rambo-Lambo" for its massive, squared-off design.

The LM002 was offered with two engines, starting with the 5.2-liter V-12 from the Countach. The naturally aspirated mill delivered 444 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. For those wanting more power, Lambo offered a 7.2-liter V-12 engine for powerboats. This engine generated a whopping 612 horsepower. The firm built 328 Rambo-Lambos from 1986 until 1993. Although it wasn’t particularly successful, the LM002 continues to be a popular curiosity.

Read our full review on the 1986-1993 Lamborghini LM002

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera

A spiritual successor to the Jalpa, the Gallardo saw the light of day in 2003 as Lambo’s first entry-level supercar in 15 years. Produced until 2013, it’s still the company’s best-selling model with 14,022 units sold. Lambo built countless versions and special-edition models, but none stands out as much as the LP 570-4 Superleggera. Fitted with sportier features and loads of carbon-fiber elements, the Superleggera made from 2010 to 2013 as a follow-up of the 2008 variant was the lightest iteration of the nameplate. It was also the most powerful thanks to its 5.2-liter V-10 rated at 562 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. Around 2,000 examples were built over almost four years.

Read our full review on the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera.

Lamborghini Diablo SE30 Jota

Also an iconic supercar, the Diablo replaced the Countach and remained into production from 1990 until 2001. Several variants were launched over the years, and the most notable and rarest is the SE30 Jota.

Essentially a race-oriented version, the SE30 had a mildly different exterior compared to other Diablos, but it was notably more powerful.

While the 5.7-liter V-12 generated 510 horsepower in the SV, it was upgraded to 523 horses in the SE30. Things took a wild turn when Lambo decided to offer a Jota specification of the car, a factory-made kit that turned the SE30 into a road legal race car. Power increased to 595 horsepower and 471 pound-feet, which made the Jota more powerful than even the Diablo GT. Only 15 of the 150 SE30 models were upgraded with the Jota kit.

Read our full review on the Lamborghini Diablo SE30 Jota

Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

While SV-badged Lambos are no longer a novelty, the Italian firm took things up a notch with the Aventador. Much like it did with the Miura and the Diablo, Lamborghini made the Aventador SV even more aggressive under the Jota badge, calling it the SVJ. Fitted with very aggressive and active aerodynamic features, more carbon-fiber than ever, and bespoke interior features, the SVJ also "runs" with a more powerful 6.5-liter V-12 engine under the hood. Rated at 759 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of twist, it’s the most powerful unit ever mounted in a Lambo. The upgrade gives the SVJ tremendous superpowers on the race track.

In July 2018, it set a new record for production cars on the Nurburgring with a 6:44.97-minute lap.

Read our full review on the 2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

Lamborghini Huracan LP 640-4 Performante

The Huracan Performante is essentially the more affordable equivalent of the Aventador SVJ. Actually, it’s the car that debuted Lambo’s extreme aero features, called the Aerodynamica Lamborghini Attiva (ALA) system. The Huracan’s 5.2-liter V-10 has been retuned to generate more power — 631 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque — while weight was cut down by around 88 pounds.

In 2016, the Huracan Performante lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 6:52.01 minutes.

At the time, it was the second-quickest production car in the world. As of 2018, it was surpassed by the Aventador SVJ and the Porsche 911 GT2 RS. Still impressive though.

Read our full review on the 2017 Lamborghini Huracan LP 640-4 Performante

1985 Lamborghini Countach LP500 S QV

Unveiled in 1974, the Countach took the supercar market by shock thanks to its looks and performance.

Although the Miura had set a very high standard before, the Countach's wedge-shaped design by Marcello Gandini made it look like a spaceship among the competition.

It was so popular that production continued until 1990. The most appealing version of the Countach arrived in 1985 as the LP5000 Quattrovalvole. Upgraded with new bumpers and other features, it also featured a fuel-injected 5.2-liter V-12 rated at 449 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. It’s by far the most famous version of the Countach, as well as the most collectible, alongside very early, wing-less variants of the supercar. It takes second place in my list, because... hell, I don’t need a reason, have you seen the way it looks?

Read our full review on the 1985 Lamborghini Countach LP500 S QV

Lamborghini Miura SV

Arguably the most iconic Lamborghini ever, the Miura sits at the top of my list. The car that essentially made the mid-engined configuration popular, the Miura was introduced in 1966 and remained in production until 1973. Three major series were made, the P400, P400S, and the P400SV, plus the Jota prototype, the subsequent SV/J factory upgrades, and the roadster concept.

While the SV/Js are basically the rarest Miuras with only six built, I'm going to go with the P400SV for this list, mainly because its history is less foggy and you can actually buy one nowadays.

The most famous non-SV/J Miura, the SV was presented in 1971 with revised engines, new carburetors, and mild upgrades inside and out. The 4.0-liter V-12 was beefed up to 380 horsepower and 295 pound-feet, while the gearbox now had its lubrication system separate from the engine. Lambo made only 150 SV models of the total production run of 764 units.

Read our full review on the 1971-1972 Lamborghini Miura SV