Thanks, i cant wait to get back to miami and drive it

 

Looks great Ed, welcome to 6speed....made you an avatar as a welcome gift

 

Thanks, I love it.

 

DAM !!!!

 

Hey Ed,

It'd be interesting to see your impressions of the 360 after driving the G. I did it exactly opposite; I picked up an '06 Giallo Midas G after having a 360 Spider for about 6 months. I found myself driving the G more. I'm not sure if it's because it's newer to me, but the power is simply incredible.

I still enjoy driving the 360, as it seems more refined than the G. Also, I enjoy the 6 speed in my 360 over the E-gear in my G. I'm sure that I'll be driving the 360 a lot more in the summer since it's a convertible.

Lastly, if your moniker is an indication, we must have very similar taste in cars, as my daily driver is an S4. That's a great car to drive when I don't want to worry about parking and the roads.

 

Both the Gallardo and the 360 are incredible cars but I knew that before I drove either of them. Both of mine have sequential transmissions so I can't speak to the differences within the models. I have driven stick versions of both and they are very fun to drive but I don’t have enough seat time to comment substantially. Comparing between the two cars is probably meaningful. The 04 Ferrari is the product of several generations of their transmission. It is very good. It shifts smoothly and reliably. Passengers prefer it. It is more reluctant than the Gallardo to accept first gear on deceleration (or to choose it on its own if you choose not to downshift as you brake). The Gallardo shifts rougher, especially in Sport mode. It is great when you are pushing the car, kind of difficult at low speed. Neither is better, they just work better in different situations. The 05 Gallardo has a revised system that is smoother. I don't mind the harder shifts in the 04's but I think for the sake of marketing, particularly to an American audience, making it as smooth as possible makes sense.

I am 6'5" which is an issue in both cars. I couldn't wear a helmet in either. I can't see traffic lights in either without bending forward but I have the same problem in my Land Rover and most other cars that I have owned. The Ferrari has more room. Much better leg room. The roof is also padded which is more comfortable if you hit it going over a bump. If I were going to drive the Ferrari a whole lot, I would get the sport seats. I may take some padding out of the Lamborghini's seat.

Driving them is very different. I think that they feel similarly fast. You feel a lot more in the 360, which I like. The Lamborghini suffers at times from some Audi numbness. The Ferrari feels much lighter, handles better, etc. In a straight line, they feel very similarly quick. The torque in the Gallardo is noticeable but it is geared a lot higher. I find myself using 6th gear in the 360 but very rarely do I use it in the Gallardo. Also worth considering, the Gallardo is much more difficult to maintain a constant highway speed in. If you want to go 75-90 you have be very careful because it gets to 110-130 with very little throttle input. The Ferrari goes pretty much however fast you tell it to. The Gallardo has a Tubi and it sounds great. Of course the V8 in the Ferrari is just out of this world. At idle it is very quiet, at full throttle it is unbelievable. I will probably put a Tubi system on it just to amplify it but I love the sound of the 360.

No one over misses the Gallardo when I drive it around. You get stares, camera phones, dropped jaws, all of it. It makes passengers pretty uncomfortable. I have not had another car crash from seeing it but a few have come very close. The most annoying thing about the attention is when you drive on the highway, even if there are barely any cars; they are going to be as close as they can get to you. It is not uncommon to get completely surrounded by cars on an otherwise empty highway which feels like a very compromised position. The Ferrari barely gets any attention. You can sit beside a car at a stoplight and them not notice that you are there which feels crazy when you get out of the Gallardo into another car that is very similarly rare.

Other random things - The Gallardo's stereo is better. The Ferrari is easier to see out of. The Ferrari's trunk is bigger. The Ferrari takes longer to warm up to operating temperature. The Gallardo headlights work better. Both dealers in Atlanta have been great to deal with even though I didn't buy the cars from them. My girlfriend prefers the 360, so does her dad, and my parents as well. My male friends prefer the Gallardo. The fit and finish of the 360 is better but the Gallardo is not bad. AC works better in the Lamborghini. The Ferrari feels more solid but it also has a lot fewer miles. The Ferrari smells better, as Ferraris tend to.

I love them both. I don't prefer to drive either over the other. I have had some offers to buy the Gallardo lately. Buyers are getting eager since they are only importing 300 or so in 07. I may sell it if I can get strong money. If I do, I will get another one - Possibly a spider. It is nice to have one that is flashy and one that isn't. I won't pretend to be an expert on all of this but these are my experiences. I will answer anyone’s questions if you have any. Hope this is what you guys were looking for. Thanks for reading and have a great day.
Thanks,
Ed

 

Great comparison, thank you .

Gary

 

Awesome comparo, much appreciated! Lucky you get to own and review both, some great info there