ThyssenKrupp Magazin

TK Magazine | 1 | 2004 |
GALLARDO 69
By Rüdiger Abele | Photos ThyssenKrupp Drauz, Lamborghini
Take 384 aluminum sheet, extrusion and cast parts, 864 punch rivets,
and 181 screws. Then shoot the rivets into the light metal at
the right position, draw 115 meters of welding seam, pull the
screws tight at the right place, add glue where needed, and voila: the
body in white of a Lamborghini Gallardo.
Of course it’s not really that easy – aluminum processing is a
complex affair. Yet ThyssenKrupp Drauz GmbH, in the southern German
city of Heilbronn, has gathered so much expertise in car body manufacturing
during its long corporate history that Lamborghini entrusted it
with the complete production of the body in white for this very fast car.
And why not? Drauz has already cooperated in the manufacturing
of the aluminum bodies for Audi’s A2 and A8 models, and the ultimate
proof of the quality that Drauz produces is proved by the fact that its artful
constructs for Lamborghini are ready to go straight into the ultramodern
paint plant at Audi.
TASTY INGREDIENTS FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE DELICACY
Before we go into the production details, though, let us take a look at
the finished product: the Lamborghini Gallardo is a very high-performance
sports car, just 1.16 meters high, a vehicle whose look alone
tells you that this is a car that is meant to go very fast.
But let us consider its technical data, anyway, since it is a rather
tasty ingredient in this automotive delicacy: the engine yields an imposing
500 horsepower (368 kW) from 10 cylinders with altogether 5.0
liters cubic capacity, which take this roughly 1,600-kilogram sports car
A lightly dressed
Italian sports car
built for speed
ThyssenKrupp Drauz manufactures
the aluminum body in white
for the breathtaking Lamborghini Gallardo