Ever since Lamborghini came under the stewardship of Audi purists have lamented that its cars are too tame, too safe and unlike the raging bulls of old. Well for those people we proudly present the Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder: a 5.2-litre, V10-powered ragtop that, unlike most other Gallardos, does without the front driveshafts. That's right, the 542bhp (550PS) super sports car sends all its power to the tarmac via the rear wheels.

Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said this particular model "will appeal in particular to a very special group of customers that enjoy a spirited driving style and also like to experience the sheer pleasure of open-air driving".

Unlike Lamborghinis of old the LP 550-2 Spyder should not send you backwards through a hedge at any opportunity though. The engineers in Sant'Agata worked overtime modifying the car's dynamics to account for the change in drive. These modifications include specific damper settings, adapted aerodynamics and a reworking of the ESP stability control system. Purists may argue that such systems have no place in super sports cars but when you consider the ESP system has a specific program that allows larger drift angles you can begin to accept them.

Drifting aside the LP 550-2 Spyder comes with some impressive stats. Despite the inevitable weight increase over the Gallardo coupé the rear-wheel drive drop top still only tips the scales at 1,520kg, meaning a 0-62mph time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 198mph.