Another day, another Gallardo: Lamborghini presents the LP 560-4 Bicolore

Angie Voluti wrote a few months about the naming advantage of Italian car companies in her article, ‘What’s in a Name?’, and Lamborghini’s latest special edition Gallardo LP 560-4 Bicolore provides a perfect example.

Bicolore, sounds sexy, even a little risqué and definitely interesting, but translate this into the Queen’s English and you end up with ‘two-colour’, ‘bi-colour’ or perhaps ‘two-tone’. Sounds a bit naff doesn’t it? And perhaps something that might have been seen plastered down the side of a 1970’s Ford Capri.

But the Italians and specifically Lamborghini can get away wish such reprehensible laziness, because, well it’s jaw-droopingly gorgeous.

The LP 560-4 Bicolore appears just a month before the world debut at Geneva Motor Show of Lamborghini’s V12 replacement for the Murciélago (the LP 700-4) and is currently on show at the 2011 Qatar Motor Show. Curiously in the American markets it will be known as the LP 550-2 Bicolore, but essentially it’s just a Gallardo LP 560-4/LP 550-2 with some fancy paint and colour coded interior trim.

Cynics might be thinking this is just Lamborghini’s attempt to steal away some of the limelight from Pagani’s new Huayra, but Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini has something to say about such an accusation, “With the Gallardo LP 560-4 Bicolore, Lamborghini demonstrates once again the extreme, uncompromising and unmistakably Italian nature of our brand. The super sports cars from Lamborghini combine volcanic energy with design that is as unique as it is stylish.” Erm, …see?

With its new Bicolore model, Lamborghini is offering a coloured exterior finish matched with the black on the upper area of the body to give the Gallardo a new, more aggressive personality. From the window-line upwards (including pillars, roof, engine hood and rear spoiler), the vehicle is decorated in Noctis Black – a pastel black that contrasts perfectly with the lower area of the body, available in a choice of five colours: Giallo Midas, Arancio Borealis, Grigio Telesto, Bianco Monocerus and Blu Caelum.

The exterior appearance is enhanced by Skorpius aluminium-alloy rims with 15 thin spokes that are forged to minimise unsprung weight and are finished in titanium gray enamel. And, the air intakes and front spoiler have a high-gloss black finish, as does the upper section of the rear diffuser.

The Gallardo LP 560-4 Bicolore comes with the same 552 bhp 5.2-litre 90 degree V-10 engine as fitted to the standard LP 560-4, capable of propelling the Bicolore from 0-62 mph in 3.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 203 mph.

No word yet on a UK price, but if you have to ask…

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