Frankfurt 2011: Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo Stradale

I've always been somewhat of a Lamborghini fanboy. Maybe it harkens back to a time in my younger days when I would play with models of the then famous Diablo. Either way, I was excited as heck to witness a Lamborghini Press Launch for the first time ever, and the team from Sant'Agata did not disappoint.

For our faithful readers who may not have had the chance to see a Lambo show first hand, I can tell you that the atmosphere surrounding their floor space is intense and electric. Everyone is clamouring to get a shot of any vehicles their camera lenses can set their focus on. Pre-launch for me, it was taking photos of two Lamborghini Aventadors which were flanking the main veiled attraction.

As you can see, two models in one shot is the name of the game for Lambo. They employ absolute stunners on their booths and as a marketing ploy to draw in the mostly male journalists present, it definitely worked for me! One in grey and the other in white, I found the former impressed the most with it's sharp hood edges on show and the strong muscular stance immediately evident. The Aventador isn't new news anymore but it has gone on to become a critic's marmite; some love the ferocious power and electronic wizardry but a select few have criticised Lamborghini for losing their playful spirit. I'm in the lover-camp, and in the flesh the Aventador ticks all my boxes.

But the main attraction was the unveiling of Lamborghini's latest Gallardo flagship, and for the occasion Mr. CEO - Stephen Winkelmann - came out to give the press a talk about what Lambo have been up to and where they see the brand.

And with the help of the aforementioned models, the covers came off...

...and we were treated to a fantastic sight of the Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo Stradale. In fact this Rosso Mars red supercar, topping the current Gallardo range, was unveiled to the motoring press the night before but Car Throttle were unable to make it. No worry, as we got to witness the car in all its glory on centre stage.

This latest version of Lambo's Gallardo sports the customary V10 engine which has now been tuned to 570bhp and is good for a 0-62mph sprint in a rapid 3.4 seconds. The car itself weighs only 2,954 pounds and styling wise, the first thing that is evident is the massive carbon fibre rear spoiler.

Its main job is to keep all four wheels on the ground and in particular to make sure that all power can be transmitted to the tarmac. It honestly is so big, I'm sure I could sleep on the thing, and some might call it a step too far. As this is a "suped up" Lambo, I can attest to the sheer insanity of it, and is this not what the haters wanted from Sant'Agata in the first place?

Only 150 of these super special Gallardos will make production and if you can get on the list, you can get your own Super Trofeo in either the Rosso Mars, Grigio Telesto or Bianco Monocerus. We would recommend the grey or the red to really bring out the accents and design cues this Stradale has to offer. In terms of fitting in to the current line-up, the STS has no qualms parked next to the current flagship Aventador and I'm sure that all 150 units will be flying out of Italy.

My first Lamborghini launch experience. And what an experience it was.