Lamborghini's greatest hits under Stephan Winkelmann

Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini's hugely charismatic CEO, has left the company to take up a position at Audi. His successor? Former Ferrari F1 boss Stefano Domenicali.

He leaves Lamborghini then, in a far grander state than when he joined, nearly 11 years ago. He has overseen the extreme swelling of the Gallardo range, the evolution of the Murcielago and its Aventador replacement, as well as all manner of concepts. These have ranged from the crackers - see Egoista and Veneno - to the controversial, including a hybrid and an SUV.

Scroll through the gallery to see some of his highlights, from the most key evolutions of the Gallardo to the crazy concepts we know and love Lamborghini for. You'll agree that he leaves one heck of a legacy...

What we say: “Just two years after the Gallardo came the drop-top, complete with a fully-automatic folding roof and carbon fibre engine cover.

“Thanks to some extra chassis strengthening - required when you dismember the roof - the 0-62mph sprint slowed a tad from four seconds to 4.3, but top speed, with the roof down was a hair raising 190mph. Plenty fast, if you’re asking.”

What we say: “An angry right foot sees the Gallardo reach out and hungrily smash forwards through the horizon.

“The 0-62 dash takes 3.4 seconds, and 0-124mph occurs a smidge over 10 seconds after that. The old-school standard-fit six-speed e-Gear gearbox is fast but jerky, whipping your head back to the headrests when changing up, but gloriously blipping downchanges with the kind of barking huff that’s pure racecar.”

What we say: “The Reventon was a coach-built Murcielago. It came in a limited number of 20, at a shade under £1m each.

“By leaving the mechanical package basically untouched, Lambo could avoid a lot of the expensive R&D process. But the Reventón did bring a breath of fresh air to Lambo’s design, allowing then design chief Manfred Fitzgerald to develop themes that would emerge in the Aventador.”

What we say: “The steering feels lighter, more communicative, instantly more textured than the four-wheel drive car.

“You realise that the 4x4 car is operating through a thin film of mechanical interference necessitated by driveshafts and their subsequent torque. The uncorrupted steering is a joy. The car feels darty, lively, more connected than any Gallardo ever made. More awake.”

What we say: “The moment Lamborghini’s last V12 range-topper was properly let off the chain. The ‘standard’ Murcielago arrived at the turn of this century, but it wasn’t until 2009 that we saw the might of the LP670 SV.

“Lamborghini officially claimed a 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds, but that might have been a tad conservative. Top speed? 213mph. Also, there was prodigious noise, and much, much wing.”

What we say: “A true and extreme research prototype to demonstrate with jolting commitment the spiralling benefits of light weight (under 1,000kg) through advanced materials and lovingly brutal design discipline.

“Unlike the other, more superficial, of Lambo’s side projects, it was never supposed to be sold. But when a clamour pressed money into Lamborghini’s hands, the firm relented and built 20. Tragedy is, it’s too radical to be road-registered.”

What we say: “This is the meanest car in Lamborghini’s current range, built using a carbon-fibre monocoque and draped with aluminium and CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced plastic) panels.

“There’s a four-wheel drive, bespoke ISR seven-speed paddleshift transmission and bodywork that scares small children. We love it dearly.”

What we say: “The Aventador J was the first spin-off from the new-gen V12. It was a one-off.

“Lambo’s management at the time was having a disagreement with the VW Group, having been banned from making public some future plans. So instead they designed, built and sold the Aventador J in six weeks flat before its unveiling.”

What we say: "This is 'the Lamborghini for everyday use, for the family,' we’re told. It is intended to be used as a daily driver, emit a lower CO2 figure than rivals, have space for four adults, for luggage and - shock! - for shopping.

"Thankfully, Lamborghini has tempered this utility by targeting a 600bhp power output and permanent four-wheel-drive with traction control. Best strap up those eggs, then."

What we say: “The Veneno re-establishes a key part of the Lamborghini mythology in the decade from the mid-Sixties. The Miura, Countach and Silhouette weren’t about racing or science.

“They were about histrionics and theatre, about making us all go weak at the knees. Lamborghini’s supercars freely acknowledge what we all secretly know: we love supercars because they put drama above lap times, art above science.”

What we say: “This was Sant’Agata’s ode to celebration, selfishness, and fighter jets: welcome to the very antithesis of the VW Up, the Lambo Egoista. It is said to represent “hedonism taken to the extreme”, and as the name suggests, only has space for one inside.

“But there’s a 600bhp V10 underneath, LED lights, and, um, antiradar material on the body. Superb.”

What we say: “The naturally aspirated V10 conjures music from its mechanics, and hurls itself forwards in a vicious lunge. All the components feel well calibrated, making the Huracan an easy car to get to grips with.

“Traction is boundless, and although not as sharp as the Ferrari 488, or punchy as the McLaren 650S, it’s convincing enough to sit at the top table.”

What we say: “The Asterion’s total power output is a thumping 907bhp. It’ll do 185mph all-out, and accelerate to 62mph in just over three seconds, while coughing out 98g/km of CO2s.

“A real-world range of 30 miles on pure electric power is a hell of a party trick. Finally, a claimed overall combined average of 282mpg sounds like silly talk.”

What we say: “The Super Veloce, or ‘super speed’, is a faster version of the Aventador. Which means it’s faster than a very fast thing. Faster in every respect, too: more power, less weight, much more downforce.

“So it goes, stops, and grips more than the car that already puts on some pretty insane performances on track.”