IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

TIME flies when you are having fun, and nobody knows that better than Lamborghini president Stephen Winkelmann.

In the less than 10 years he has been at the helm, he has propelled the carmaker from a tattered loss- making also-ran to a company that is a profitable contender in the super luxury segment.

And he has none of the frown lines to show for it.

Instead, he makes running a car company look easy. He is unaffected, completely unstuffy and affable not only to journalists attending launch events but also to his staff, including the minders of the test cars.

"I want to make Lamborghini the best company to work for," he declares.

It isn't too shoddy now. In the first quarter, Lamborghini delivered 850 cars - 8 per cent more than in the same period last year, which happened to be a record year.

Mr Winkelmann is confident Lamborghini will emerge unscathed from the economic turbulence in the United States and its ripple effects.

Sales this year will be driven largely by the new LP560-4, a Gallardo that appears at first glance little changed from the time the model first appeared six years ago, but is in fact an extensively reworked product.

From the ground up, it gets new front and rear suspension systems: new springs, shocks and an additional track rod in the rear. Along with them, a tuning that brings forth new damping characteristics.

This is a clear improvement from the word go. The car is far less jittery than the original coupe, hunkering down to offer a high level of stability and, at the same time, an unbelievably decent ride comfort for a supercar shod with 19-inch wheels.

The steering is now less assisted and feels more direct. Round after round on the Las Vegas Speedway, which incorporates high-speed banks and a twisty inner circuit, the LP560-4 holds up brilliantly.

It is extremely easy to pilot for a car in its league, thanks partly to its superfast electronic stability program.

In Auto and Sport drive modes, the program is idiot-proof. But in Corsa mode, the dynamism of the Gallardo takes on a distinctive edge. It lets you stray a little before reining you in.

If you think you are an ace, you could, of course, turn the ESP off completely.

On public roads, the LP560-4 is well behaved. Its new and quicker transmission program seems more able to adapt to the rigours of real- life motoring, and the jerkiness of the E-gear clutch actuation seems less pronounced.

At below 3,000rpm, the car is also pretty quiet. To maintain this, drive in Auto, although you lose the sweet-sounding engine blipping that accompanies downshifts in Sport and Corsa modes.

All-round visibility for such a low-slung vehicle is excellent too (the reverse camera makes parking a cinch).

In all respects, this car is as friendly a daily commute as a Porsche 911. Perhaps with a slightly better ride.

Just 10 years ago, it would have been unthinkable for a Lamborghini to be this friendly.

The brand hasn't gone soft, mind you. In fact, its cars are now faster and more powerful than ever before.

The LP560-4 is even more deadly than the Superleggera, a lightweight Gallardo launched last year at $918,000.

Besides changes to the suspension, steering and transmission, the car?s heart is remodelled. It is now a direct-injection unit with variable valve-timing and friction reduction.

So although its displacement has gone up from the original 4,961cc to 5,204cc now, it is less sinful. In fact, its carbon dioxide emission is 18 per cent lower than before.

Sure, the Gallardo is still not a sipper by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a fair deal for something that hits 100kmh in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 325kmh (from four seconds and 315kmh in the original).

Besides being 20kg lighter than the first Gallardo, the car comes with a new Thrust mode (launch control) that helps you clock the insane century sprint.

But even without it, the car is very, very lethal. And being able to enjoy such a lethal machine without having to have the skills of a race-car driver is such a rare privilege.

The LP560-4 is so well-sorted that most people will be able to have fun with it.

Its all-wheel-drive system typically sends 70 per cent of torque to the rear wheels, although the car will redistribute if it senses slippage in any wheel.

On the track, the car's massive brakes withstand abuse admirably.

With no fewer than eight pistons controlling the 365mm front discs and four pots for the 356mm rear, the Gallardo sheds speed calmly and flawlessly most of the time.

It does, however, betray some tail-end nervousness if the pedal is not stomped on with full commitment.

While there is some fade in latter rounds on the Speedway (and there were many, many rounds), it does little to shake your confidence in the tarmac-hugging and easy-to-drive car.

On the road though, it is still a challenge to brake smoothly in city traffic.

The car's design has been given subtle but effective tweaks to bring out Lamborghini's edgy and futuristic lines.

The new headlamps are really low profile now. In fact, they are the slimmest they can go without breaching legal requirements of major markets.

From behind the clear covers peek highly efficient bi-xenon lamps. And beneath each lamp are 15 LEDs forming Y-signs, design cues which are replicated in the rear lamps.

The LEDs are day-running, like the ones in the new Audi A4. They give the car a whole new persona.

The Gallardo's rear undergoes a more noticeable change. It now resembles the back of the wild Murcielago Reventon.

The interior boasts Lamborghini's new-found quality in fit and finish - a benefit of Audi ownership since 1998.

The cabin is all well put together, with the minor exception of the air-con vents, which are a tad too plasticky and flimsy for an ultra-premium supercar.

But that hardly detracts from the new car's main propositions: speed, driveability and stunning styling.

It is more than a viable alternative to Ferrari's F430, which it meets head-on.

And if you think about how the two brands have evolved so far, how Ferrari has been around much longer and how it has spent billions on Formula One to raise its stature, you marvel at how Lamborghini has done so much with so little.

I am sure that is partly why Mr Winkelmann is such a happy camper.

christan@sph.com.sg

LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO LP560-4
Price: $890,000 with COE
Engine: 5,204cc 40-valve direct-injection V10
Transmission: Six-speed paddle-shift E-gear
Power: 560bhp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 540Nm at 6,500rpm
0-100kmh: 3.7 seconds
Top speed: 325kmh
Fuel consumption:
22 litres/100km (city)
Agent: Lamborghini Singapore

This article was first published in The Straits Times on 14 June, 2008