Lamborghini
Besides their espressos, Italians are very good at making supercars, and the legendary Lamborghini is one example, one of the two most well known and incredibly respected Italian carmakers. Ask any gearhead about their dream car, and they’re very likely pointing to either a Lamborghini or a Ferrari, which is an unsurprising answer, given the rich heritage and the long history of the two brands competing to create the ultimate car.
But we’re here to talk about one in particular, and that’s Lamborghini. Their iconic models have inspired countless people all over the world, making them dream with open eyes of speeding down the road behind the wheel of some of the most powerful cars ever created.
But which of these Lambos have made the greatest impact, which ones have been dreamed about the most, is a question we’ve been thinking about a lot. To simplify it, we’ve set out to make a ranking of the 20 best Lamborghinis of all time. And yes, it’s a subjective opinion, it’s ours.
20. Lamborghini L33 Tractor
Lamborghini L33 Tractor / classicdriver.com
When you think that all that lineage started with a simple tractor, you can’t help yourself but include the L33 Tractor, the first machine that Lamborghini ever produced.
It’s by no means a supercar, it’s not even a car, but it’s the first vehicle that came out the production line of Lamborghini, then called Lamborghini Trattori.
But Ferruccio Lamborghini, a known collector of super cars of the era, including Ferraris, only needed a spark, and that came when Enzo Ferrari criticized him for being a tractor driver and knowing nothing about sports cars, which led to Lamborghini deciding to create his own cars, a decision that eventually started the legendary competition between the two.
19. Lamborghini Urus
Lamborghini Urus
Making the transition from the L33 Tractor to today’s modern Urus is easy, since there’s not a huge difference between the two. We only included the Lamborghini Urus on this list because we included the Tractor and it felt like the logical thing to do.
We do believe that the Urus shouldn’t be in Lamborghini’s lineup though, but we can’t ignore it either. And when you think that it’s already one of, if not the best selling Lamborghini ever, maybe what we think doesn’t matter as much as what the clients think.
We’re joking, of course. It does matter. The Urus is the least Lamborghini ever made, least than even the Tractor. But it’s still a Lambo, and a powerful one for sure.
18. Lamborghini Sián FKP 37
Lamborghini Sián FKP 37
The Sián FKP 37 is another weird creation of Lamborghini, but not in the same sense as the Urus. With this one, it’s about the transition from the wild and roaring V12s the brand has always used to the hybrid nature of the Sián. This is Lamborghini’s first hybrid car, and probably a hint of how the future ones will look and sound like.
The Sián FKP 37 is based on the Aventador, mixing a 6.5 liter naturally aspirated V12 with a 48V electric motor. The result is interesting to say the least, with a total of 808 horsepower, making it the most powerful production car that Lamborghini ever produced.
17. Lamborghini Estoque
Lamborghini Estoque
The Estoque is an unusual Lamborghini, a unique four door sedan unveiled in 2008 at the Paris Motor Show, featuring a 5.2 liter V10 under the hood, and priced around $230,000.
Unfortunately, or fortunately for the purists out there, the plans to push this model into mass production were canceled one year later, in 2009. Therefore, it remained a concept car.
16. Lamborghini Jarama
Lamborghini Jarama
Not all Lamborghinis look fierce and unstoppable. Some, like the Jarama, are undeniably cute and tranquil looking, at least when you look at the exterior design.
Under the hood, the Jarama featured the same V12 heart that most of its brothers and sisters always had. The car was a grand tourer built to the US manufacturing standards. It was introduced in 1970 at the Geneva Motor Show, and impressed with its fine lines and elegant nature.
15. Lamborghini Veneno
Lamborghini Veneno
The Veneno is Lamborghini’s gift to itself for its 50th anniversary, a unique car that brought together all the little details that make up the brand. It’s based on the Aventador, but it’s so far away in its uniqueness that it seems like something completely separate.
The styling is unlike anything Lamborghini has done so far, and given its very limited production of only 12 units and the $4 million price, it’s the one that probably stands out the most.
But there were also 9 other roadster models that were even more sought after. Priced at $8.3 million, the Veneno Roadster is the most expensive Lamborghini ever made.
14. Lamborghini LM002
Lamborghini LM002 / silodrome.com
If we didn’t tell you, you probably wouldn’t even think that the LM002 was a Lambo. It’s probably the oddest creation coming from the mighty raging bull, but it’s definitely a lot better than Urus is ever going to be.
The square shape resembles more a Land Rover Defender in its former times than a Lamborghini, but with a V12 under the hood, it rightly got named the “Rambo Lambo”. But that moniker applies only to the exterior, because on the inside, the real Rambo wouldn’t have liked it, as it features too much luxury and creature comforts to be deserving his name.
The radical SUV was released back in the ’80s, and it impressed with its over the top appearance, the way each Lamborghini, minus the Urus, does.
13. Lamborghini Jalpa
Lamborghini Jalpa / motortrend.com
The Lamborghini Jalpa was the first ever to use a V8 engine, and it was supposed to fall in the affordable car category, but when the production was halted due to faltering sales, Lamborghini realized it had failed.
Jalpa was still a wonder of a car, never letting down when it came to speed, handling, and road manners, but somehow, it was underrated and eventually, forgotten.
But since the general opinion doesn’t necessarily state the truth, we’d say Jalpa was served an injustice, as the car itself was one of the greatest Lamborghinis out there, and deserves a lot more praise than it received.
12. Lamborghini Urraco
Lamborghini Urraco
In response to Ferrari creating the Dino, Lamborghini produced the Urraco, after Marcello Gandini’s design. Like the Jalpa above, it was supposed to be a more affordable sports car, and its production spanned eight years, from 1973 to 1979, releasing three models in total, the P200, P250, and P300, all powered by a 2.0 liter, 2.5 liter, and 3.0 liter V8 respectively.
The Urraco was, at least in the eyes of some, the predecessor of the legendary Countach, and judging by its wedge shape, it makes sense.
11. Lamborghini Espada
Lamborghini Espada / goodingco.com
The Espada was Lamborghini’s take on the GT car, and it was a highly successful one, despite not being known for producing such cars. The production of this vehicle spanned a full decade, from 1968 to 1978, with more than 1,200 units produced.
Though mostly forgotten today, Lamborghini Espada featured enough room for four people, a front mounted V12, and rear wheel drive. What impressed the most is the Espada’s ability to be different, with a superb elongated body ending with glass panels in the back. The shape was so not Lamborghini that it makes it unique.
The beautiful car was named Espada, which in Spanish means sword, and that’s reflected in its body shape. Over the 10 years it stayed in production, it received numerous upgrades, and three distinct models were produced, the S1, S2, and S3.
10. Lamborghini Reventón
Lamborghini Reventón
With only 21 units ever produced, the Reventón was one of Lamborghini’s rarest vehicles, sold to their most loyal customers, with one of those 21 kept in Lamborghini’s museum.
The car shared the same engine with the Murciélago, a V12 capable of 641 hp and of pushing it to a top speed of 211 mph. Despite not being available to the general public, the Reventón shaped Lamborghini’s future decisions when it came to design.
9. Lamborghini Sesto Elemento
Lamborghini Sesto Elemento
Sesto Elemento was another limited edition Lambo, with only 20 units leaving the factory between 2010 and 2012. The name of this model boasts about the most important part of this car, its carbon fiber construction, with Sesto Elemento referring to the atomic number of carbon.
The $2.92 million car came with a 6 speed automatic transmission, all wheel drive, and plenty of power to go as fast as 221 mph, and from 0 to 62 mph in only 2.5 seconds. Those figures are surely helped by the huge amount of carbon fiber that went into producing this car.
8. Lamborghini Huracán
Lamborghini Huracán
The Huracán entered production in 2014 and it still produced even today, in its several variants. The length of this production run should tell you enough about this Lamborghini’s success. The Italian engineers took all the good stuff that made the Gallardo great, improved on them, and created the Huracán.
Thus, Gallardo’s younger brother brings a mid mounted 5.2 liter naturally aspirated V10, gorgeous looks, and more than enough luxuries inside, despite being what Lamborghini calls, an entry level model. How is one of the best performing cars in production today an entry level model eludes our understanding, but we’ll pretend we fell for it.
7. Lamborghini 350 GT
Lamborghini 350 GT / goodingco.com
The 350 GT was the first ever production car from Lamborghini. It came right after Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to stop making tractors and wanted to show Enzo Ferrari he did know a thing or two about cars.
The result, the 350 GT, was an instant success, marking a very important and historic step in creating the brand as we know it today. But it wasn’t important only for Lamborghini, as this was the car that fueled all that competition between the two Italian sports car makers, thus shaping the two best car brands in the world.
The 350 GTO wasn’t spectacular in regards to what we have today, but it did exactly what Ferruccio intended it to do at the time. It was powered by a 3.5 liter V12, producing 280 hp, and despite the lack of Lamborghini’s signature looks, it did fare well against the Ferraris of that period.
6. Lamborghini Aventador
Lamborghini Aventador Roadster
The Aventador was the car everybody expected. Lamborghini delivered it to the world in 2011, and by 2016 it had already sold 5,000 units, more than they even planned to do.
It’s the latest and greatest iteration that started from the design of the legendary Countach, and became, in the eyes of many, the best Lamborghini ever created. The timeless design is sure to be remembered over decades, like the Countach is remembered and still cherished today.
The Aventador’s production was halted in 2022, after offering the world many thousands more units than were ever planned, and went out in glory, roaring its 6.5 liter V12 once more.
5. Lamborghini Gallardo
Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera
Another one of Lamborghini’s best selling vehicles was the Gallardo, with over 14,000 units produced between 2003 and 2013 and more than 20 different variations of the original.
The Gallardo, with its mid placed V10, was one of the raging bull’s most important cars, cheaper than the Murciélago, impressive in road performance, and a favorite of the masses. If you can call masses those who’re rich enough to buy a Lamborghini, that is.
4. Lamborghini Murciélago
Lamborghini Murciélago 670 SuperVeloce
The Lamborghini Murciélago was the successor of the iconic Diablo, produced between 2001 and 2010, and what was to become the flagship of the brand during the 2000s.
This model was like a connection between the brand’s past and its future, keeping the old V12 that was manufactured in various forms since the introduction of the 350 GTO, but also bringing novelties like all wheel drive and paddle shifters.
It was one of the greatest Lamborghinis ever produced, and possibly one of the most spectacular too, especially when it comes to driving. Some would say it’s the best Lamborghini in terms of driving experience. It’s also the first cars produced under the new ownership of Audi.
3. Lamborghini Miura
Lamborghini Miura / wolfango.it
The Miura P400 is probably the most history rich car that came from a Lamborghini factory. It’s also widely accepted that this is the first super car ever created, one that went beyond anything Lamborghini made before and after.
Produced between 1966 and 1973, its design didn’t follow trends or company politics or what the world thought it wanted. The only thing that made Miura what it is was the idea to create the ideal car, as close as possible to perfection.
This was the model that made Lamborghini take a huge leap into chassis and aerodynamics development, putting them on a path to even more success with their future models, which unfortunately, lacked the true beauty of the Miura, except for maybe two. The following two.
2. Lamborghini Diablo
Lamborghini Diablo
The first Lamborghini to reach the 200 mph mark and one that managed to make so many fans all over the world was the Lamborghini Diablo, which is unsurprisingly, the Spanish word for Devil.
The Diablo also came with countless new features inside, such as power steering, adjustable seats, and electric windows. Though not well received initially due to internal problems in the company, the car eventually became a legend.
It underwent several changes during its production run, and became one of, if not the best super car of the 1990s, an exotic sight that everybody would have wanted to see at least once in their lifetime.
1. Lamborghini Countach
Lamborghini Countach
The Countach is, in our opinion, the best Lamborghini ever created. There’s no other car in history that has had the same influence this one had. Released in 1974, the Countach amazed everyone with its futuristic aesthetic, and became the dream super car for many generations.
Despite lacking the curves of the Miura, the Countach exerts a beauty rarely seen in a car. It’s with this model that the popular wedge shape of later Lamborghinis was born, and it will probably remain unsurpassed for many more years to come.
And powered by a 375 hp V12, it also had the guts to compete with almost any other car in existence back then, until it was dethroned by the Diablo.
Final thoughts
There is no best Lamborghini, but we can all agree that the Countach, the Diablo, and the Miura fit the description best. They weren’t impressive only from a technological point of view, but they had a beauty that wasn’t matched by anything but a few other cars, which were usually Ferraris.
There were a few models that made history for Lamborghini, with the later models only following in the footsteps. There are of course particularities, like the Urus, which nobody knows what footsteps it followed, because it seems so far away from what a Lamborghini represents. Or used to.
