Bad news, Lamborghini Gallardo fans: there’s one less of your favorite supercar on the road.
In the early morning hours of May 6th, what appears to be a Grigio Altair Metallic (silver) Gallardo suddenly caught fire in Shenyang, China. The blaze reportedly started near the intake on the left side of the car, Car News China reports, and soon the vehicle was covered in flames.
The driver, who is actually the Gallardo owner’s younger brother, was able to escape the vehicle with only minor injuries. Fire trucks quickly arrived on the scene to extinguish the blaze with foam, but it was too late for the poor Lambo, and the Italian thoroughbred more or less melted to the ground. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like this one will buff out.
According to local sources, the vehicle was only two months old, having been purchased new in China for 4 million yuan ($644,000). For reference, the 2014 convertible model sold for $209,500 in the United States, which shows you how expensive it can be to import, tax, and license these cars abroad.
Though Lamborghini is optimistic about the sales figures of the new Huracan, the Gallardo remains the brand’s most popular vehicle ever with 14,022 units sold over its 10-year lifespan.
First debuting for the 2004 model year, the Gallardo, which was named after a famous breed of fighting bull, equipped a 5.0-liter V10 with 493 horsepower. The engine grew to 5.2 liters and was tuned to 552 hp for the car’s second generation, and the third-gen version boasted a whopping 570 hp in ‘LP 570-4 Squadra Corse’ guise.
The last Gallardo rolled off the production line on November 25th, 2013.
