Lamborghini Gallardo goes rear-wheel drive

If there’s one thing the Gallardo LP 550-4 doesn’t need, it’s an injection of insanity! But that hasn’t stopped Lambo’s engineers from developing a wild limited edition in honour of its most renowned test driver.

The clue to the major modification is in the name  – the LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni. The ‘550’ standing for the power output and the ‘2’ indicating the number of driven wheels - making this is the only Lamborghini that sends power to the rear tyres rather than all four corners.

Every element of the LP550’s set-up has had to be recalibrated to account for the two-wheel drive transmission, including revised spring and damper rates, new tyres and modified aerodynamics.

Around 30kg has been cut from the standard car’s kerbweight too, and with power coming from an identical 5.2-litre V10, it takes 3.9-seconds to shoot from 0-60mph and on to a tantalising top speed of 199mph.

The special edition is marked out by white and gold stripes running over the bodywork, and a bold interior featuring white leather on the seats and centre console.

Only 250 examples will ever be produced, guaranteeing the car’s exclusivity. But you better be quick - its price tag of £137.900 is almost £3,000 cheaper than the more commonplace LP 550-4.