When curtains were raised from the Gallardo Superleggera at the Geneva Road show this year it created huge ripples in the auto enthusiast world. Ofcourse it was an entry level super car and still requires some serious work. But still the car seems much more than its already sporty looking Gallardo and it would have definitely taken a lot of time and effort from a team of designers to come up with the Superleggera. What do you think!
There must have been a group of designers who took all the time in the world to create something this awesome or was it just one mans vision which brought this out. You may think that I have gone crazy dubbing such brilliance as a single brains work but then you have to be with me when you see the following pictures.
Lamborghini Gallardo LS Picture Gallery
So which car do you think is shown in these images? The All-new Superleggera. If that’s what your answer is, let me tell you that I and you are on the same platter. Its amazing how these designs resemble the Superleggera but then in reality they are the images of a futuristic Gallardo LS designed by Michael Leonhard way back in 2004. The Man then created a design envisioning a future of the Gallardo and incidentally the actual product which came out this year bears a lot of semblance to his ‘now old’ designs.
Here’s the story Michael sent us:
The Lamborghini Countach is one of my favorites in the list of supercars. And I think many designers dream of designing a Lambo one day. In late 2004, some time after the release of the Gallardo I had an idea/vision how a performance version could look like. The result was the Gallardo LS (Leonhard Special) concept.
The concept consisted of an extensive aerodynamic-package made of carbon including a large rear wing, rear diffusor, side skirts and a front spoiler. Further multiple spoke aluminium wheels and special “Gallardo LS” trim to make the car more distinctive. I sent the files to several Lamborghini related websites (clubs/enthusiasts) for showcase.
When Lamborghini presented the Gallardo “Superleggera” I was pretty surprised ’cause this car was quite similar to what I envisioned over 2 years before. From the wheel-style, to the monochrome layout and carbon parts. Sticker side-trim and the design of the rear diffusor are quite close to what I was proposing with my Gallardo “LS”.
The man wants no credit neither is he claiming that his work has been copied without his sanction. All he wants the world to know is that he had a vision three years back and his efforts weren’t really appreciated at that point in time. How the hell on this earth did his unappreciated work turn into a virtual reality? All he wants is an answer!
As far as I am concerned, I am with him for these pictures reveal the truth, if you guys tend to agree or think that there is an element of ingenuity you are free to leave an opinion here, but do give your opinion for all he wants is deserved gratitude and that’s how modest the man is!
Here is a link to the Superleggera Gallery
Images of Lamborghini Gallardo LS is really amazing.
thats is what the problem is... these pictures deserve to be of the Superleggera and Michael should have been credited as the designer but all one can do now is to watch and appreciate
I don’t want to say that the Superleggera is a copy of my LS. Cause there are several details that differ on each design.
But there are also some design elements that are similar and closely which is very surprising ...
I don’t see it.
The LS has a similar, but not nearly identical, stripe on the doors.
The entire rear of the car is different.
The taillights on the LS have body color trim pieces seperating the individual signal elements, the Superleggera has no cover/trim around the taillights.
The LS has vertical slits below the taillights where the Superleggera has honeycomb.
LS rear valance says Gallardo, the Superleggera says Lamboghini.
LS has rectangular exhausts, the Superleggera has round.
rear under-body diffuser on the LS has large channeling walls, the Superleggera has a smaller, more refined and tested look to it.
rear wing on the LS looks like a mail order boy-racer carbon fiber wing, the Superleggera has a much more stylized and integrated unit.
LS has a two-piece 18 spoke black and chrome wheel design, the Superleggera has a one piece, brushed aluminium 15 spoke design.
LS has raw carbon fiber ground effects front, sides, and rear; the Superleggera has one piece front bumper with body color side skirts and flat black diffuser on the rear.
LS has hood louvers, the Superleggera does not.
LS has body color headlight covers, the Superleggera has none.
LS has gray honeycomb mesh below the headlights, the Superleggera black.
LS has orange (or red, I’m color blind) marker lights on the front fender, the Superleggera’s are clear.
Those are just the differences that jump out at me. The LS seems to me like a high school Lamborghini version of a riced out Civic. The Superleggera much more integrated and refined looking, by supercar standards anyway. Considering that these two are based off of the same car, they couldn’t be much more different in concept and execution.
Fireslack even i can go ahead and compile the list of differences and the post no way mentions that both are identical, its just that we have drawn a comparison and sparingly enough there are a few similarities for which we demanded an explanation... even Michael no way mentioned that the cars are exactly the same he just highlighted that he created something similar three years ago.... but even then we don’t practice yellow journalism and it was good on your part to clearly differentiate the two!!
Give me a break! Explain what? Look at a standard Gallardo and then compare to the LS and Superleggera. The only change that is remotely similar is the stripe on the door, and even they are very different. The Superleggera looks like a bona fide Italian supercar, the LS more like a high school import tuner wanna-be. Its like comparing Fetuccini Alfredo to Mac and Cheese.
i have to agree that from a certain distance the ls and the superleggera look alike. i think this effect comes mainly from the black and white look of both cars; wheel-style, wing and this stripe.
btw - lamborghini is using the mail order boy-racer carbon fiber wing on the gallardo gt3: http://static.blogo.it/autoblog/lamborghini_gallardo_gt3_1.jpg
u need to take a break mate... there is no one who is vehemently comparing here... yet u mention that stripe part... where did the lambo designers stumble upon that idea of a side stripe... it was Leonhard who did it three years ago.... Cheers!!
Dear friends, i think the post isn’t about the differences, its about the similarities. Designers of the Gallardo Superleggera apparently have taken cues from the design of Gallardo LS. The least they can do is admit it.
We are not talking about that the Superleggera is a 1:1 copy of the LS. Cause this would be ridiculous.
To have a more concrete view and comparison on this theme I set both cars side by side.
I deleted gadgets like light covers, front spoiler and sideskirts on the LS to make the comparison of both designs (further of design elements) more obvious.
The side stripe, rear diffusor and wing stayed.
Follow the link and see yourself:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n199/leonharddesign/ls_vs_superleggera.jpg
I have also compared the restyled Gallardo versions of some automotive refine companies (eg. Hamann, etc.www.au). And I found nothing
that looks alike the LS or the Superleggera concerning rear end treatment, side decoration, overall appearance.
I guess the link you gave now proves my point to fireslack!!! thanks Leon
Oh wow you posted a few new pics of your revised LS to make it look more like the Superleggera to prove your point? All you did was take off all the tacky looking stuff to make it fit what you are trying to say. The only things that you did to the LS were obvious details, like adding a wing, adding a stirpe. Everyone does that. The only way you could claim the Superleggera to be a copy or your car, by any stretch of the imagination, would be if you had done something profound with your design, and you haven’t. I’m not trying to say your version looks bad, it looks great. You should be ashamed of yourself, though, for trying to take credit for the looks of the Superleggera.
If you start with a Gallardo, there are only so many things you can do to make it look different and yet be easily identifiable as a Gallard. The only similarities come from that fact that they are the same car!
Fireslack he shouldn’t be ashamed of what he did for it is you who wants to prove that he is claiming a major similarity , he just wanted a comparison.
Heights of pivoting the slant and then contravening it all by yourself. i would advise you to go through the post and not the pics. once again so that you comprehend the true jist here.
I never said he should be ashamed. The LS is a perfectly good looking car. But you are all trying to give him credit where none is due. You claim that Lamboghini somehow took some of his ideas and used them on their car, but none of his alterations are original. They have all been done before on different cars. Nothing is compelling or ground breaking. Hood louvers? IROC Camaro. Tall wing? Any number of modified Japanese cars. Headlight covers? GTS makes more headlight covers than I care to name.
You guys are the ones posting pictures and telling you story. And for what? Do you want everyone to feel sorry for you and say, ”gee Leo, they sure did rip you off.”? Maybe you expect Lamborghini to hold a press conference and say that Leonhard gave them the inspiration for the car and hand him a big check? Honestly, what is it you guys want? You are the ones that wanted everyone’s opinion in the matter. I didn’t stick my nose where it wasn’t wanted, you just didn’t like my answer.
There had been a lot of talk about this, but in my opinion, the similarities of the two models are just too much.
