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At a time when most designers swear by curves and shapes which flow and merge,
the Lamborghini Gallardo created by Belgian stylist Luc Donckerwolke dropped in
2003 like the proverbial bomb. Look for curves in this vehicle and - except
where they are technically essential - you will look in vain. Edges and corners
define the front, sides and tail. Donckerwolke's courage in producing such
clear-cut shapes and his ability to combine them in a harmonious whole has
earned him the renowned red dot design award for the Gallardo and its big
brother Murcielaga, which has been following the same design concept since 2001.
As time went on, the sports car manufacturer from Sant' Agata, Bolognese,
launched a range of Gallardos including an open-top Spyder and the lightweight
and high performance "Superleggera". In 2008, the Italian firm finally carried
out some fundamental technical and optical modeling on its "small" sports car,
also improving the styling even further. The front section of the V10 racer, now
known as the Gallardo LP 560-4, has since been even more aggressive.
Known for its stylish finishing, ENCO Exclusive from the Saxon town of Chemnitz
has now created a customised carbon fibre glove for the Gallardo LP 560-4's lean
mean body. The GT3 design front bumper is 100% carbon fibre and has three large
gills on each side where the fibre strands are clearly visible. Two additional
carbon fibre finish aerodynamic components are available to fit both this and
the series bumper: the front splitter and the rear spoiler. The GT3 side skirts
may be unobtrusive, but they make the Lamborghini as a whole appear even bigger
and stronger. The boot cover for this mid-engine racer- what in normal cars is
the engine hood - is also ultra-lightweight but highly resilient carbon fibre.
The rear diffuser, wing mirrors and air vents in the boot lid are finished in
carbon fibre laminate. Top quality matt foil adds the finishing touches, giving
the angular Gallardo the look of a stealth fighter plane. ENCO Exclusive has
also had a field day with carbon look laminate in the interior. The inlay on the
wheel, the cover on the central console and dashboard and the handbrake shine in
silvery black - as do the door handles and openers.
Enco has also been at work on the 5.2-litre V10 engine. After some serious power
treatment, the ten-cylinder with its menacing roar now reaches not 560, but an
impressive 620hp. The maximum torque is now up from 540 to 575Nm.
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