Painted in a bright ‘Kermit the frog’ green, the Gallardo Spyder was always going to get attention. People would stop and point, cars would follow just to a get a closer look but nothing prepared Big Dave and I for the collective hysteria of the local Primary school playground as we rumbled past. Of all the cars I’ve been in this is THE one for getting noticed (if that’s your kind of thing). With only a few hundred cars at most hitting the UK’s roads each year it’s unlikely to ever reach the level of familiarity of other supercars so owners will have to get used to this level of attention for some time to come.

Even my wife, not known for her love of supercars, surprised us both with her view of the car. ‘It’s dinky, quite good looking and the green’s not that bad’ she mused before letting us go off to ‘waste our day’ in the car.

Those who follow the history of supercars will know that the flamboyant,troubled Italian former tractor manufacturer was taken over by Audi in 1998. The germanic influence has taken time to work its way through but is now firmly stamped right through the Gallardo. The stunning exterior is designed not by an Italian but by a Belgian and the interior would make any A6 driver feel immediately at home, being packed full of the sorts of goodies that Ferrari drivers can only dream about. Indeed, there are so many buttons and switches on the main console, they get in the way of each other. The coolest buttons were the rear facing camera (allowing you to see cars disappearing behind you at pace) and the nose raising button (which jacks up the front fairly violently to defeat the bane of any supercar’s life - the road bump). The German DNA also gives you the confidence that everything will keep working - something that’s not been a strong feature of Lambos in the past.

Don’t think, however, that all this germanic practicality will mean you can easily go for a long weekend in this car. I’ve not checked the extras list but not unless you can get a towbar and trailer you have little chance in taking any luggage. The Gallardo has the smallest amount of space I have yet seen - there’s no cabin space for bags and the measly front boot could take just 7 footballs. Still, if you can afford this car you’re probably also able to buy your clothes once you get to your destination.

There’s almost a Jekyll and Hyde feeling to the car. Inside, cocooned with the hood up, Sat Nav on, sound system playing the crisp tones of some middle of the road station, you could be forgiven for forgetting that you are in a car that looks as mad as a box of frogs on the outside. Only the rock hard suspension and jerky steering at low speeds reminds you that this is no ordinary car…

Lower the rear window, plant your right foot down and the deep roar of the V10 engine putting 520bhp down through the permanent 4 wheel drive system simply catapults you forward. Using the sequential e-gear paddles each upchange is sharp and fast right up to the 8000 rev limit. Likewise, each downchange is accompanied by an automatic ‘blip’ of the engine to smooth progress. The brakes are also phenomenally strong (but do tell your passenger before demonstrating this as I almost rebroke my mate John’s dodgy collar bone going from 60 to 0 in about 3 cars lengths).

Even though conditions were damp the Gallardo’s four wheel drive made the car always feel surefooted and easily able to cope with the bags of power on tap. Top down and the car came alive as the sense of speed increased. The heater does struggle to keep you warm as the cockpit suffers from more swirls and eddies of air than I’ve experienced in other soft tops like the Ferrari 430. Also, a word of warning - watch putting the top back up. If you are over 5ft 10 you’re going to have difficulties as it moves into place. Needless to say, Big Dave was squashed. He never learns.

So what have we got? Maybe a candidate for an every day supercar? After all it is ballistically fast, exotic, comfortable and reliable. It even has 4 wheel drive thrown in for good measure.

Answer - not quite. It’s just a bit too exotic to nip down to the chip shop in. It’s massive turning circle and minimal storage make it just a bit too impractical to go shopping at the supermarket. It’s also just a bit too darn expensive to risk parking at night in town or at the football.

But if you’ve got a long day trip to make on your own then it’s no contest. Regardless of the weather conditions I would be reaching for the keys of the Gallardo. And I would suspect that wind, rain or snow it would start first time, every time.