DISCLAIMER: I have no agenda here. I love both cars and will not try to justify my move from a GT to a Gallardo. I have never driven either car on the track. I drove the GT for about 1300 miles in many different conditons, including my favorite canyon drive. I have driven the Gallardo about 350 miles on the same roads, including the canyon drive. Okay, for what its worth, here it is:

Power:

The GT has immense thrust, and it just gushes out like a fire hose all the way up the tach. The gearing is very tall; it's amazing that the monster motor still pulls those tall gears without a whimper. 60 mph comes in first gear, allowing for those incredible 0-60 times you see in the mags. Immense fun to drive, especially when you add in the whine of the supercharger. Torque is stupendous, from way down low. There is the slightest delay in throttle response due to the supercharger.

The Gallardo is a different animal altogether. The throttle response in much more sharp than the GT; there is no lag between touching the loud peddle and blast off. Reminds me of my sport bike. Amazingly, this makes the Gallardo "feel" faster than the GT sometimes, especially in normal street driving. The torque is not equivalent to the GT and you can't feel it like you can the GT, down low. However, I was very impressed with the flexibility of Gallardo engine compared to a 360 (which I found to be zingy and pipey).

Seat of the pants power analysis: Gallardo wins for throttle response and sharpness, GT wins for torque at ANY rpm.

Engine sound:

The GT has that cool supercharger whine, and the engine note is very unique from other American iron because of the short route from engine to exhaust. It sounds great.

I had the dealer put a Tubi on the Gallardo before delivery, so this isn't a fair comparison. However, I must say that it makes the hair on my neck stand up when I fire it up. I mean, that baby BARKS! The small bore V-10 makes a high pitched wail that no big bore V-8 can match. Also, the GT redlines way lower than the Gallardo.

Unfair advantage: Gallardo

Handling:

The GT is super user friendly. The controls are surprisingly light and easy to master on the first drive. Clutch work is like driving a Honda, turn in is razor sharp, the breaks are superb, and the steering feel is very reassuring and communicative. Makes you feel like a hero driver, even if you're not. Outward visibility, however, is scary. The car is wide, and your passenger is always cringing away from the shoulder, wondering when you are going to hang a tire off.

The Gallardo's controls feel heavier and more deliberate than the GT, although still not bad. The steering ratio feels a tad slower and the wheel effort is higher in the twisties. Turn-in is not as sharp, although this may be an alignment decision made at the factory. The Gallardo is head and shoulders above other sports cars I have driven, but not as keen and responsive as the GT. Keep in mind that I drive the car 7/10ths, and I have yet to explore the limits of the Gallardo. Your experience may vary. Outward visibility in the Gallardo is superior in every way to the GT.

Advantage: GT

Ride Quality.

The Ford guys worked magic. The GT is stiff without being harsh. The Gallardo is stiff. Period.

Advantage: GT

Build Quality

The GT was fast tracked from inception to final product, and frankly, it shows. Kudos to Ford for the brass to build the GT, but another year of product development would have helped. The car kind of has a kit car quality to it.
In fairness to Ford, I think they invisioned the car as a limited production race car first, and a consumer product second. They succeeded. It's pure heaven as far as vehicle dynamics go, but for the guy who likes tight body gaps and fully developed product design, the little things that aren't right on the GT will drive you bonkers. Lucky are the guys that don't sweat that stuff, but I'm not one of them.

The Gallardo is a jewel. Much better than I had anticipated. It may be the first flawless new car I have ever owned, and that is saying something with my compulsive pickiness. Reminds me of my NSX, or a Lexus that I owned, except better. In terms of fit and finish, the comparison between the GT and the Gallardo is not even close.

Advantage: Gallardo

Gawk factor (faces plastered against windows, people hanging out of car windows, crowds at gas stations, thumbs up, etc.)

Believe it or not, it seems that the Gallardo is even more of an attraction than the GT, and that is saying something! The whole "pimp factor" thing bugs me, and I personally find it the least attractive facet of exotic car ownership, but then I again, I've been happily married for twenty two years and have two kids. However, for those who like to be seen and noticed, the Gallardo outdoes the GT.

Looks/Design

Yea, right. Like I'm going to open that can of worms. Both look great parked and on the road. Both make you happy to be a car guy when you see them coming your way.

Overall experience:

I guess the best way I can sum it up is with an analogy to food; the GT is like a perfectly prepared T-Bone steak with baked potato and corn on the cob -- hearty and satisfying. The Gallardo is like the best italian meal you can dream of, zest, passion, flair. In both cases, you leave the table happy for what you experienced. For me, the biggest difference between the two is exactly what you might expect -- the GT is all about American racing heritage and big bore, stump pulling grunt, combined with VERY athletic vehicle dynamics. The Gallardo is a celebration of a passion for the mechanical art of the automobile, from the wail of the the V-10 to the cache of the Lamborghini name, to the absolutely inspiring attention to product quality. It is a true exotic, at least as I have defined that term since drooling over the Countach in Motor Trend in junior high.

Finally, when I talk about the Gallardo and passion in the same sentence, save your comments regarding the Lamborghini-Audi connection. I'm perfectly comfortable with the marriage, and welcome it based on Audi's engineering prowess and recent domination of endurance racing. If owning a Lamborghini is a better experience because of Audi's involvement, I'm on board.

Hope the reader finds this to be of some interest.

so, what part of az will i see you pass me by??
i must take pics of you and the g, smokin some rubber.

that post made me get butterflies in my stomach...

i think you described the experiences of both surprisingly accurately...

Im glad my dad decided not to get the GT now....congrats on your new G!!!

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How do you piss off a Ferrari Owner?...Ask him why he couldn't afford a Lamborghini!!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We all know that. Definitions may also. IMO I hardly think the Gallardo qualifies as an exotic car.

Intriguingly unusual or different; excitingly strange

Great review Mitty, I enjoyed reading this

Mitty's review of the two is pretty good.

I had somewhat of a different experience with the two. The GT is MUCH faster than the Gallardo. Other than that I give everything else to the Gallardo. I unfortunately don't have the privilege of being able to own any of these cars, but because of my friend, am able to drive them. I had to bug the hell out of my friend to get a Lambooo, and he finally gave in a few months back. He had the GT before that, and liked it alot, but the G is a whole other story. He absolutely loves this thing.

The Gallardo to me looks much better, handles better, sounds 100x better. You can actually take it on a long trip and be Ok, if you're small. Unfortunately I'm not. The Gallardo is very stiff, but to me that's a good thing. You never feel out of control. At high speeds the Lambo feels much better than the GT did.

They are both cool cars, but I personally never really liked the GT. I always thought it was overpriced. On the other hand, a Lambo has always been a dream of mine, and will continue to be until I'm able to have one for myself.

As far as the Wow! factor, the Lambo takes it hands down. The GT would cause a little bit of a stir, but the Lamborghini is ridiculous. It is amazing to watch people hang out of windows, get out of the car at stoplights, and even follow him home, just to get a glimpse.

Thanks Mitty - Great write up.

I drove a G recenlty and loved it. The 06 will be even better with a little more HP, tighter gears and steering and further improved suspension - nice to have a builder listen to it's customers.

compelling read. thanks for taking the time to drive the cars!