With around £120,000 to spend, new car supercar owners are suddenly spoilt for choice. There's the Ferrari 360 Modena, the Porsche 911 GT2 and now Lamborghini's 'baby', the Gallardo.

The Gallardo has an all-new V10 engine developing 500bhp, four-wheel drive and a gloriously attractive aluminium body. That Audi-honed four-wheel drive makes it a more practical, all-weather supercar than the Ferrari. In terms of handling, performance and sheer sense of occasion, the Gallardo is right at the top of the game.

Lamborghini is now owned by Audi, and boy does it show. The Gallardo feels solidly built and tight, with high quality components in evidence throughout. Lamborghini claims that some customers drive the bigger Murciélago more than 10,000 miles a year - way above the norm for the supercar sector - and that they remain reliable.

That seems plausible but don't underestimate the cost of running a Gallardo. You'll get 10-12mpg, tyres cost a fortune and frequent servicing is required at the sole UK dealer (in London). The e-gear paddle-operated gearbox is about £7,500 more than the manual, not as involving to drive and likely to cost more to maintain in the long run.

Lamborghini Gallardo rivals
Porsche 911 Turbo
Aston Martin DB9

Lamborghini Gallardo road tests
Lamborghini Gallardo SE - December 7, 2005
Lamborghini Gallardo July 4, 2003