We’re almost at the end of 2025, and ironically, in the age of electrification, it seems that the manual transmission is slowly regaining importance, at least in the performance segment. Porsche continues to offer them on its GT cars, and even Toyota refuses to let them die in the Supra. At the other end of the spectrum, three pedals are also making a comeback in the coveted V12 manual format. But if you want the last production model with the “Raging Bull” badge that sends power to the rear wheels exclusively via a properly controlled six-speed gearbox, then look to the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-2 50th Anniversario, the final chapter in Lamborghini’s analog era.
When the original Lamborghini Gallardo was launched in 2003, it marked a radical change for the brand. Jeremy Clarkson famously pointed out in his review that the Gallardo had regular doors and the footprint of a VW Golf, making it surprisingly practical and usable. This wasn’t the wild, theatrical Lamborghini with the flamboyant scissor doors that required considerable effort to get through town. With AWD, it was the Italian automaker’s first attempt at creating something you could actually drive on a daily basis without sacrificing the noise, performance or visual drama that made the emblem iconic in the first place.
The Gallardo was also Lamborghini’s first car developed entirely under Audi ownership. The brief was clear: to build a smaller, more accessible Lamborghini that still offers plenty of drama when you demand it. Belgian designer Luc Donckerwolke, the man behind the flagship V12 Murciélago, designed the little Lambo with sharp edges, a daringly low windshield and that unmistakable wedge stance. Under the engine cover sat a 5.0-liter V10 with 500 horsepower, paired with either an E-Gear automated manual transmission or the open six-speed transmission that became a hallmark of early 2000s Lamborghinis.
Over its ten-year production run, Lamborghini built over a dozen special variants and just over 14,000 Gallardos across two generations, making it one of the brand’s best-sellers by a wide margin until the Urus came along. Many Gallardos, as previously mentioned, were equipped with manual transmissions, but most were equipped with all-wheel drive. Lamborghini made far fewer rear-wheel drive Gallardos, making them significantly rarer and more appealing to drive.
This story really began with the 2009 LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni, a rear-wheel-drive Gallardo named after Lamborghini’s legendary test driver. It was this car that broke most radically with Lamborghini tradition, foregoing the front driveshafts and all-wheel drive and delivering 550 horsepower through a manual six-speed gearbox. Only 250 examples were made, all coupes, each with the distinctive white and gold stripe and number plaque. Today, these cars command a premium of $60,000 to $100,000 over standard Gallardos.
The reaction to the Balboni was so strong that Lamborghini decided to take this successful recipe into the mainstream and in 2010 added the LP 550-2 Coupé to the product range as a series model. It shared the drivetrain of the Balboni, but omitted the equipment and numbering of the limited edition. A Spyder variant followed in 2012.
At this point, the Audi R8 was also on the rise. Sharing its V10 engine and basic aluminum architecture with the Gallardo, it represented Audi’s version of the same idea: a supercar you could use every day. The R8 refined the formula with Quattro all-wheel drive, magnetic dampers and, most importantly, a manual transmission that remained available until 2015. But while the R8 was polished and understated, the Gallardo was rawer, louder and far more dramatic. The LP 560-2 50th Anniversario took that shared DNA and transformed it into something purer.
The LP 560-2 50th Anniversario, introduced in 2013, was a farewell greeting to Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary. Available in both coupe and spyder body styles, it combined the rear-wheel drive of the 550-2 with the revised body and interior of the later 560 series. Power came from a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engine producing 550 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque.
You could still choose between the automated electric transmission or the rare manual transmission, making it one of the last factory Lamborghinis ever to offer a clutch pedal. Production was limited to around 100 to 150 units worldwide, quietly marking the end of an era. Highlights included Bianco Opalis (pearl white), a black Alcantara cabin with Rosso Alala (red) contrast stitching and a fixed carbon wing. These cars rarely come up for sale, but here’s a video from Lamborghini Dallas that gives us a closer look at the LP 560-2 50th Anniversario.
After all, the famous Lamborghinis with manual transmissions paired with rear-wheel drive have always shaped the brand’s identity. From the Miura to the Countach, Diablo and the early Murciélago, every great model required the driver’s cooperation. Even as Ferrari and others began transitioning to semi-automatic paddle shifters, Lamborghini’s shifter remained a symbol of defiance and a link to a wilder era of supercars. The Gallardo carried that torch into the modern age, and that tradition effectively ended with the LP 560-2 50th Anniversario.
The Huracán that replaced it in 2014 ran exclusively with a dual clutch. Yes, it was faster and more sophisticated, but it lacked the engagement and analog feel of a real manual. Now they’re trying to fill that gap with aftermarket conversions, with shops charging large sums to retrofit modern Lamborghinis with manual transmissions. The Gallardo LP 560-2 50th Anniversario did not need to be retrofitted. Some examples actually left the factory with a joystick and rear-wheel drive, rewarding the driver with a satisfying metallic click that no modern paddle could ever replicate. It remains one of the rarest, most significant and most collectible Gallardos ever built.
Images: Automobili Lamborghini, Lamborghini Dallas
