For Acceleration is astonishing, the sound is something to savour, and the Gallardo handles brilliantly, with immense traction, superb grip and virtually no body lean. Looks even better with the roof down, too.
Against Don't bother with the clunky clutchless manual paddle-shift gearbox. Running costs will be huge, because the car averages just 19.2mpg – and even less if you make use of its full performance.
There are better supercars out there, but there’s no denying the drama that the Gallardo gives you. In Spyder form, everyone can see you driving, too.
When asked to think of a supercar, chances are that most people will conjure up the image of a Lamborghini. In fact, we'd almost wager that, if you look up 'supercar' in a dictionary, it will say, 'see Lamborghini'. The Gallardo really is everything a supercar should be: astonishing to look at and amazing to drive.
Beyond the choice between coupe and open-top, there's not much to worry about - well, we're assuming that, if you can even consider buying a Gallardo, you can afford its sky-high running costs.
There's only one engine and trim, but if you want to avoid the almost inevitable waiting list, ask the dealer if there are any cancelled orders. Or, try shopping around specialists who may be able to get you into a Lambo more quickly – albeit probably for a premium.