The Lamborghini Gallardo was produced by the Italian manufacturer between 2003 and 2013 under parent company Audi, becoming Lamborghini's best-selling model with 14,022 units built. Named after the 18th-century Spanish bullfighting breeder Francisco Gallardo, the car was powered by a V10 engine and served as the stable-mate to the V12 flagship Murciélago during most of its production run, before transitioning to companion the Aventador. The original Gallardo used a 4,961 cc 90-degree V10 producing 500 PS at 7,500 rpm, with the later LP 560-4 facelift model adopting a new uneven-firing 5.2-litre V10 producing 560 PS. The Gallardo was replaced by the Lamborghini Huracán in 2014.
In 2007, Reiter Engineering — which had previously produced the Murciélago R-GT and the Diablo GTR Super Trophy race cars — developed the Gallardo GT3 for entry in the FIA GT3 Championship. The extra aerodynamic components were all bolt-on parts in conformity with the cost-effective GT3 regulations requiring that the finished car closely resemble its road counterpart. Brembo racing brakes and OZ Racing wheels were fitted. The car was converted to rear-wheel drive for GT3 competition, unlike the standard all-wheel drive road car, though the all-wheel drive configuration was retained when racing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo one-make series. In GT3 specification, the V10 engine generated a maximum of 520 PS at 7,800 rpm and 510 Nm at 4,500 rpm.
The Gallardo GT3's debut in the FIA GT3 Championship produced immediate results. In the inaugural 2007 ADAC GT Masters season, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP520 GT3 driven by Christopher Haase, Gianni Morbidelli, and Jos Menten for Reiter Engineering won the drivers' championship with 214 points, while the team took the team championship with 332 points, winning six of the ten races including the season finale at Hockenheim.
Reiter Engineering also won the 2010 ADAC GT Masters season with Peter Kox and Albert von Thurn und Taxis driving a Gallardo LP560 GT3. The pairing won five races and finished on the podium in ten of the fourteen races, clinching the title with 147 points, 18 ahead of second place.
In Japanese Super GT competition, the Gallardo was entered by the Japan Lamborghini Owners Club (JLOC) in the GT300 class from 2007. The car was adapted for the different regulatory framework, with power limited to 300 PS through air restrictions and the drivetrain converted to rear-wheel drive. The aerodynamic package was also different from the FIA GT3 specification due to looser GT300 rules. The car became consistently competitive during the 2009 season.
The Gallardo Super Trofeo race car also made an appearance at the 2012 Race of Champions.
Reiter Engineering continued developing the Gallardo racing program until the road car's production ended and beyond. The final motorsport iteration, introduced in 2014, was the Gallardo Reiter Extenso R-EX, which extended the car's competitive life after the introduction of its successor, the Lamborghini Huracán GT3. The Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo, the 2013-specification one-make race car, featured adjustable aerodynamic devices, a ten-position rear wing, and improved front brake cooling via remodelled brake ducts compared to the 2012 car. A road-going version of the Super Trofeo race car, the LP 570-4 Squadra Corse, was produced in a limited run of 50 units in 2013 and reflected the racing car's aerodynamic development.