Lamborghini Gallardo Performante - The Italian Open

It’s the permutation game Porsche is so adept at playing. Bring out a model, then a soft-top version. Then make a lighter, more powerful iteration, and follow up with an open-top variation on that. Even so, all cynicism flies out the window when the results are as spectacular as the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante. In essence, this is a convertible version of the Superleggera, lighter than the LP 560-4 Spyder by 143 pounds, tipping the scales at 3,274 pounds. Apart from the crazy-beautiful looks, there are 5.2 liters of displacement developing 562 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque. That former figure is reached at a rather high-revving 6500 rpm, but that’s when those 10 cylinders start to howl in their addicting way, rushing the car from a standstill to 60 mph in under four seconds before hitting a top speed of 201 mph. There’s carbon fiber all around, carbon ceramic brake discs up front, a couple of lovely looking sport seats and, at press time, no idea how soon or how much. Expect it to be some time in 2011, and expensive enough to send a shiver down a bank manager’s spine.