[musufasa]

The more research I do, the more undecided I am getting. I still have a little bit of time since I am not buying until beginning of next year.

I originally wanted a Pre-LP and could save $20-25k but decided I wanted to find a low mileage LP instead. LP having a little more power and e-gear fixes. (Don't want a manual) Also figured that since it was newer that maybe they were a little more well made and had some smaller kinks worked out?

Now I am going back to thinking I want a Pre-LP Gallardo again. One reason being I like the Pre-LP sound better. Also heard some opinions that a reasonably ran car with some mileage (35k miles) could be a better option than a low mileage garage queen (Less than 5k miles). Reasoning being that the car was actually used, so any defective parts have been found and replaced and also the hoses would not be falling apart like one that may have been kept in the garage too long.

Could use some more opinions / knowledge on which of these opinions might not carry any weight as I am driving myself crazy. I am sure most answers will be to buy whatever.

 

[Russk]

The only benefit to getting a pre LP is the exhaust note. That’s it, every other aspect has been improved Upon.

 

[musufasa]

The only benefit to getting a pre LP is the exhaust note. That’s it, every other aspect has been improved Upon.

Besides saving some money, do you think there is any merit on looking for a higher mileage well maintained car compared to a mostly garage kept one? Would be a 2009-2011

I will be putting around 3k miles a year on it myself.

 

[Sakura]

I would avoid e-gear issues. You don't want a car with weak trans unless you are handy or have access to good indy. Stretch a bit.

 

[musufasa]

I would avoid e-gear issues. You don't want a car with weak trans unless you are handy or have access to good indy. Stretch a bit.

Would buy a manual but I can't drive em for ****. 😅

 

[GrayFoxMGS]

I would avoid e-gear issues. You don't want a car with weak trans unless you are handy or have access to good indy. Stretch a bit.

In my circle of friends we have 4 Gallardos. 3x of which are E-gear and 1x manual. Take a guess which one had transmission issues?

It was the manual. It had a broken shift linkage and was stuck in 3rd gear. Don't drink the "E-gear bad" Kool Aid. The 3x Egear Gallardos (1x pre-LP and 2x LP cars) have been flawless over the years we've owned them while the pre-LP manual left my buddy stuck.

 

[Sakura]

In my circle of friends we have 4 Gallardos. 3x of which are E-gear and 1x manual. Take a guess which one had transmission issues?

It was the manual. It had a broken shift linkage and was stuck in 3rd gear. Don't drink the "E-gear bad" Kool Aid. The 3x Egear Gallardos (1x pre-LP and 2x LP cars) have been flawless over the years we've owned them while the pre-LP manual left my buddy stuck.

Yeah well...not saying that I don't believe you, but 4 is very small number for statistical analysis 🤷‍♂️That parts either failed or they don't. Maybe your friends are just very lucky

 

[Russk]

Besides saving some money, do you think there is any merit on looking for a higher mileage well maintained car compared to a mostly garage kept one? Would be a 2009-2011

I will be putting around 3k miles a year on it myself.

There’s nothing wrong with a well maintained car that has some mileage on it. I still wouldn’t go above 30,000 miles.

 

[DiabloClyde]

Look, fact of the matter is these cars are incredibly easy to drive and rack up miles on. My Gallardo is a daily driver if I wanted to be, an easy hop in and go to the store car. The Diablo, not so much. To put 3000 miles a year on this car will be easy but anyone putting 3000 or more miles a year will certainly need to maintain it. The key here is records. If someone put lots of miles on your car and did not maintain it with solid records avoid that car. End of story.

While I’m still fairly new to the Gallardo, the biggest thing I see in these cars is proper oil maintenance. It is so easy to take a wrong measurement on the oil or to forget entirely before going too low (they eat oil). Someone who is fastidious with oil maintenance means their car will last a long time. LP vs Pre, you’ll have to decide!

 

[GrayFoxMGS]

Yeah well...not saying that I don't believe you, but 4 is very small number for statistical analysis 🤷‍♂️That parts either failed or they don't. Maybe your friends are just very lucky

Of course sample sizes are going to be small, we're talking Lamborghini's here. They aren't Camrys . If we're looking at failure rates, I can hardly remember seeing more than a handful of posts about transmission failures for either Egear or manual. Combined with the fact that Egear cars are far more plentiful, wouldn't you expect to see a much larger proportion of Egear failures if they're as "weak" as people claim?

Ultimately I think it boils down to the buyers preference for which transmission they prefer. I just dont buy the whole "Egear is weak" thing

 

[musufasa]

Thanks for the replies everybody! I will be insanely meticulous once I get the car. I am fairly OCD with cars and would be insanely worried about something breaking due to things I could control. I will definitely have to pay up a little more for one with perfect maintenance records to give me more peace of mind.

 

[sinking]

Besides saving some money, do you think there is any merit on looking for a higher mileage well maintained car compared to a mostly garage kept one? Would be a 2009-2011

I will be putting around 3k miles a year on it myself.

I'm biased since my LP has 50k miles, but I am a strong proponent of doing just this. The way parts fail is either early in the life cycle due to being poorly manufactured or late in the life cycle due to being worn out. If you go low miles you may still have some bugs to work out without the benefit of a warranty having your back. Also, these are modern cars. They are basically pointy Audi's. I really can't imagine my car drove any better at 5k or 10k miles, or will drive worse at 100k - 150k miles assuming I replace wear items like bushings and shocks when they wear out.

The only downside to buying a well maintained car with more miles that is priced appropriately is at some point you'll sell it and you will have a smaller audience due to that LOWMILESONLY!! mentality... but at least it's not a Ferrari that.

 

[Sakura]

Thanks for the replies everybody! I will be insanely meticulous once I get the car. I am fairly OCD with cars and would be insanely worried about something breaking due to things I could control. I will definitely have to pay up a little more for one with perfect maintenance records to give me more peace of mind.

Before you get the car, have an indy check the weak actuator for leaks. That part is around $20k to replace and common to break because it is part of conventional gearbox. Also, have them check the engine’s valve timing too just in case the previous owner drove it too hard. Good luck with your search!

 

[jchrisf]

Regarding preLP and e-gear, by 2008, they had revised the e-gear at least three times, so it got better. I also find e-gear very engaging. I do prefer a gated shifter, but you can buy a whole other car for the price difference. I have a great little 987.2 Boxster whose value would just cover going from e-gear to gated manual. I would rather have the Boxster on the side as a daily. Though, another option might have been a gated Audi R8. I hear the early V8 is actually the better value.

I have had my 2008 for 16 months now, and I have driven it 6000 miles in that time. I did have the e-gear actuator rebuilt, and a hydraulic hose replaced, but I did this myself and it is not that big a deal if you work on cars. An inexperienced mechanic can cost a you lot in their attempts to fix, and wind up hurting the car.

The sound comes from the even firing V10, which is a Lamborghini designed V10, not Audi. The engine changed in 2009 to the odd firing. The short answer is to drive both and see what you like. Also, the right LP might come along at a bargain.

Lastly, I would agree with Sakura and stretch a bit. Once you get down to it, you can probably afford more car than you think. Get exactly what you want so you do not wind up looking again in a year. Also, I would not attribute too much of a premium for what seems to be a great car, as some of the best garage queens or those with long service records still wind up needing maintenance.

 

[musufasa]

I can't find a better reviewed dealership than the Dallas location, so that is where I will most likely be looking to get one. Any other honest dealerships people recommend?

 

[GrayFoxMGS]

I can't find a better reviewed dealership than the Dallas location, so that is where I will most likely be looking to get one. Any other honest dealerships people recommend?

I brought my car from Lamborghini Newport Beach and the experience was fantastic. They're another one of the highest rated dealerships around

 

[musufasa]

I brought my car from Lamborghini Newport Beach and the experience was fantastic. They're another one of the highest rated dealerships around

I will put them on my radar as well.

 

[Russk]

I brought my car from Lamborghini Newport Beach and the experience was fantastic. They're another one of the highest rated dealerships around

I bought my first 2 from LNB and they were great to work with in every respect. I bought both cars sight unseen until they arrived in Honolulu.

 

[musufasa]

I bought my first 2 from LNB and they were great to work with in every respect. I bought both cars sight unseen until they arrived in Honolulu.

I don't know if my anxiety would let me do that! I know I would save a few grand not travelling and checking the car out first though. 😅

You had good experiences, but what if it wasn't what you were hoping for etc? Could you send back at your expense?

 

[Russk]

I don't know if my anxiety would let me do that! I know I would save a few grand not travelling and checking the car out first though. 😅

You had good experiences, but what if it wasn't what you were hoping for etc? Could you send back at your expense?

No doubt I tool a risk and was fortunate that it worked out so well. I never asked about what if I didn't like it. I did enough research to the point where I was satisfied. Also they sent me a bevy of photos once the car arrived.