2009 version of Lamborghini introduced at the 2008 Geneva auto show “LP560-4″ LP for “longitudinale posteriore”, meaning the longitudinally mounted engine sits behind the driver, 560 for 560 PS (“pferdestarke”, a primarily German unit of power), and 4 for four-wheel drive…

The 2009 Gallardo gets a whole shedload of visual tweaks cued in part by the radical, so-exclusive-they’re-only-making-20-of-them Lamborghini Reventón shown at last fall’s Frankfurt auto show. These include more angular, more efficient front air intakes; new headlamps; and a rear end that sports new taillamps, updated exhaust outlets, and a revised bumper and diffuser. The new bodywork, Lambo says, improves the car’s aerodynamic efficiency by a hefty margin. The car also gains Audi-style, multi-LED running lamps on the front fascia. Inside, the instrument panel has been changed, as has the center console.

The Gallardo LP560-4 coupe is available to order now, and deliveries will begin later this spring, likely at a price approaching $200,000. If the rollout of the LP640-spec Murciélago coupe and roadster is anything to go by, expect a Gallardo LP560-4 spyder to follow shortly.

And now Mechanically…! The V-10 jumps from 5.0 liters to 5.2—not surprisingly, it now matches the displacement of Audi’s V-10—resulting in that bloated power figure you read above: 560 PS, or 552 horsepower, up from 513 horsepower in the current car. Torque is also up, from 376 to 398 pound-feet, although it now peaks at a lofty 6500 rpm versus 4250. (The horsepower peak remains at 8000 rpm.) The engine gains direct injection, as well as a claimed 18-percent increase in fuel economy, as if any Lambo owner, most of whom probably own oil fields, cares about such a thing.

The extra horses have tacked on an additional 6 mph to the Gallardo’s terminal velocity, which means the LP560-4 can now surpass the 200-mph barrier before topping out at 202 mph. Acceleration is even more pulse quickening, with the LP560-4 charging from 0 to 62 mph in a claimed 3.7 seconds, 0.3 second faster than before, aided, no doubt, by an estimated 44-pound weight loss and a quicker-shifting automated manual transmission.

We recorded a 0-to-60-mph romp of 3.5 seconds in our test of the 523-hp Gallardo Superleggera, a more hard-core version of the current car, so we’re going to bet that 3.7-second figure is a shade pessimistic. Lamborghini also claims gains in handling and stability from revisions to the suspension and four-wheel-drive system.

See some snaps of this version…

Lamborghini’s Jet fighter “Lamborghini Reventon” has been finally released at the Frankfurt show 2007.

The Lamborghini Reventon is a road vehicle with an extreme specification and, at the same time, a limited edition masterpiece – a coherent style, angular with sharp lines, inspired by the very latest aeronautics.

Lamborghini prides itself on being the extraordinary manufacturer of extreme super cars without compromise. The Reventon is the most extreme of all, a true automotive superlative.