East Meets West: The Story
I recently had the good fortune to arrange a photoshoot with a rare, heavily modified Gallardo. Braco has owned his Gallardo for a good six years now, and he has made quite a few changes to his Bull since taking ownership. Visually, this Gallardo now sports a GST front bumper, and has a CF spoiler (ala Superleggera). The GST front lip and roof has been painted matte black, headlamps and rear lights have been blacked out, and wheels have taken the gangsta route. Eagle eyed readers will also notice that the Bull has been spec’d with the optional side emblems. Under the hood, work has been less extensive; an ECU re-map and a change of lungs (a Quicksilver exhaust system replacing stock) giving a power hike of 20bhp. Whilst the extra 20bhp procured from this is not that noticeable, the aural presence that the Gallardo now has is incredible.
Braco also recently acquired a Nissan Skyline GT-R, and as you probably would have guessed, he has also put his personal touch to his machine. Whilst the exterior hasn’t yet been tweaked very much, quite a few upgrades have been made under the skin. I don’t know all the details, but I do know that the GT-R has gone through a Stage II upgrade and is now putting out around 700bhp. Couple these numbers with its demure looks, Braco’s GT-R is definitely a sleeper.
On Location
So; the shoot was a last minute decision – we spoke about it briefly over some drinks on Thursday, and decided to get the shoot done on Friday night. I was excited. I was very excited. I’ve never shot two machines together before. For me, this was a rare double whammy! We met up in KL, and made our way to my ‘regular’ location. Unfortunately, there were some power outages in some of the areas, and the photoshoot did not go as well as I planned for. If Braco agrees, I will definitely try to arrange a second session with his monsters; this time in the day, just to avoid bad lighting (although weather could always screw things up).
We only managed to make it to two seperate locations, and as we wrapped the shoot up with a few more shots, and parked the cars at a quiet bus stop, I decided to have my first run in the Gallardo. As usual, the Bull is low-slung, which means you have to drop your rear into the frame first, before sliding the rest of your body into the cockpit. Driving position was erect. Atmosphere strained. Burbling V10 at the back of my head… intense. Once in the Gallardo’s cockpit, you will notice the beauty in the details. The ambient glow from the dials, beautiful stitched leather details, futuristic A/C vents; I could sit in here for hours, just basking in the glorious interior.
Feelish Bullish
One thing I did notice is that this first generation Gallardo actually felt a little bit more spacious than the LP560 I drove some months back. Acceleration was less intense compared to the LP560, and shift time felt noticeably slower. Brakes were CCB, so it took a little time to adjust to the bite and response. That said, the drive was very intense. Ride was harsh, and felt actually a little bit harder than the LP560. You could feel every dip in the road; your buttocks on the receiving end of every surface imperfection. Floor the pedal in this, wait as the E-Gear drops two, and you'll get a kick in the pants sensation with aural drama to blast into the horizon. This feeling will stay with me for a very long time…
I’ve yet to drive any older Lamborghinis, although I’ve read that modern day Lambos are easier to drive. The Gallardo is an amazing machine to drive, but the truth is, I never felt 100% at ease when driving them. To me, the Lambos command some sort of respect; they're comfortable when cruising, but you're always on edge, just to make sure nothing goes wrong.
...and then I stepped into the GT-R.
GODZILLA, the Rocket
Inside, the sensation is immediately different. It looks much bigger from the outside, but as you hop into the driver’s seat, the car shrinks around you. Instantly, I can feel that the GT-R is much more… accommodating than the Gallardo. The seats are comfy (although the leather not as plush), the dials are mechanical, purposeful… less beautiful than the Gallardo. There is no glorious feeling in this cockpit, and everything is done the conventional way; as you would in any Japanese sedan. And that’s where the pleasantries end.
At this juncture, I must admit that I’m not a driver’s driver. I’m not yet at the level of taking corners fast. As you can probably guess… I’m the straight-line guy. 0-100 runs are what stirs my loins. And in this 700bhp monster…. @##*&$^!! This GT-R took my perception of a supercar, tore it to pieces, sat my arse down, and helped me redefine the word “fast”. Damn, this thing was fast. Plant your foot down and there is nary a hint of lag, before the GT-R just tears off into the horizon. I've driven some fast cars, and this was the fastest of them all.
Now back to the GT-R... 'normal' cruising speed is at 160km/h (3000rpm). Flooring the pedal at this speed, my eyes peeled back as I watched the speedo climb rapidly towards 280km/h (5200rpm). The acceleration in this GT-R is not one that I can easily describe... this thing does a 160-280km/h sprint faster than most cars can do a 0-100! In fact, this car is so powerful that you have to adjust your driving style so you don't get into an accident! When taking any corners in the Lambo, I had to stamp on the brakes, turn in, and as I exit the corner, it was already 'safe' to accelerate. I didn't have the guts to try this in the GT-R; brake, turn, exit, then accelerate. When you do have to stop, the Endless brakes (that Braco's retrofitted on this) provides tremendous bite, with zero hint of fade. I actually prefer the feel of the steels on the GT-R than I would CCBs.
Conclusion?
Now comes the age old question - if you could only choose one between the two, which would you go for? It's a tough choice. Both the Gallardo and GT-R have polar opposite characteristics. The Gallardo is Italian; soulful, gorgeous, full of drama and excitement. The GT-R is mechanical, purposeful, a very well oiled machine. Both are different to drive, and whilst the Gallardo brings some humility to a driver, the GT-R makes the driver feel like a superhero. Each machine has its pros and cons...
Luckily for Braco, he has the best of both worlds.
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