1:18 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Super Trofeo Black/Blancpain #1 die-cast replica from Autoart
Published:
August 11, 2011
Product: Few cars in the world look or race faster than Lamborghini’s Gallardo, a premier exotic Italian supercar built up the road from Ferrari.
So when Lamborghini announced a special Super Trofeo Blancpain Edition in conjunction with the luxury watchmaker Blancpain, the world expected something spectacular. That’s just what it got and now Autoart has delivered an equally special black 1:18 die-cast car decked out in a spectacular Blancpain watch livery.
First a little history: the Super Trofeo racing series is touted as the fastest spec racing series and runs on road courses around Europe. Only Lamborghinis race in the series, which is the only racing series that allows all-wheel-drive. All the racers are based on the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 with its monster 5.2-liter V10 that creates 570 horsepower.
Lamborghini says it’ll do 0-62 mph in 3.4 seconds and achieves a top speed of nearly 200 mph. Much of that is engine; much of it the four-wheel-drive; and the rest is modest weight at 2,954 lbs., giving the Gallardo an ultra-light 5.18 lbs. per hp power-to-weight ratio. Real supercar territory!
All that is why the real car is so awesome, but it’s the looks and lines and well-executed features of the Autoart model that will help it race off your shelves.
Performance: First there’s the paint job: a luscious deep black with white Blancpain logos on the massive windshield and carbon-fiber-look rear wing. It’s also on the nose and tail, plus the doors and roof, which feature a white, gray and black square with the logo and a red and white No. 1 on it. Better yet is the detailed watch graphic also printed on the hood and doors. Stunning!
Beyond that, the visuals include Lamborghini chief test driver and racer Giorgio Sanna’s name on the rear quarter windows and white Pirelli tire logos at the car’s corners, plus imprinted on the PZero racing slicks.
Making this edition special are that rear wing and vented engine cover and an accurate reproduction of the real car’s Skorplus wheels. The real racer also has carbon-ceramic brakes and the model’s version look great with silver discs and bronze-look inner rings with black Lamborghini labeled calipers.
The front radiators look realistic and there’s detailed wiring and a battery under the easy-to-remove front hood. Lights look excellent front and rear too.
Autoart creates another finely detailed interior with a single racing seat complete with side head restraints and exacting belts and buckle. There is the extra support roll-cage bars along the doors and roof, plus a flat-bottomed racing steering wheel and realistic looking gauges inside. Plus the doors with their reflective outer mirrors and molded in sliding window vents, open wide for gawkers to get a good look inside.
The transmission tunnel and much of the interior floor and doors also have a carbon-fiber-look finish to add realism.
That vented engine cover pops off too and exposes a nicely detailed V10 with Lamborghini logos on each head cover. Likewise there’s good engine detail underneath.
Overall, for the $149.95 retail price, this is generously finished and detailed.
Marketing: This stunner could turn heads and stimulate sales just from its looks. But why not create an Italian car display with Ferraris and Lamborghinis, Maseratis (even Fiats) in die-cast and plastic. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Italy’s unification, so hang an Italian flag and create a display just inside your door to hook newcomers and the faithful.
Or if you have a slot-car track you could set up the display in that area and also promote Italian slot cars too. Everyone wants to race an Italian supercar!
Remember to include display cases and if you have slots, be sure to promote slicks and additional magnets.
VITAL STATS
Product: Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Super Trofeo Black/Blancpain #1
Maker: Autoart
Scale: 1:18
Stock No.: 74110
MSRP: $149.95
Availability: Gateway Global; call 866-288-6278
BOTTOM LINE
Supercar
Gorgeous look
Top-notch detail
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