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Monterey 2008: Lamborghini featured at Pebble Beach
Filed under: Concept Cars, Time Warp, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Lamborghini, Misc. Auto Shows 
Click above for high-res gallery of the featured Lamborghinis at Pebble
While Pebble Beach is perhaps best known as a place to honor classic American and European cars, sports cars have always held a special place in the hearts of the Concours committee and judges. With 45 years under its belt, Lamborghini is certainly deserving of a special place on both counts. As a featured marque here at Pebble, Lamborghini was extremely well represented with a selection of exquisite rare examples. Nine vehicles were on display being judged by 40-year test pilot Valentino Balboni among others.
The lineup of seldom-seen Lambos included the earliest known Lamborghini 350GT, the earliest known Miura, the earliest Miura SV, the Miura Roadster fresh from a yearlong restoration that swapped its army green paint for the correct blue metalflake, a 350GTS, 350GTZ by Zagato, an early LP400 Countach, and three one-off concepts - the 1990 P140, 1996 Raptor, and the Gallardo Concept S. A truly spectacular selection of models representing the fabled Italian marque. Check out the gallery below and follow the jump for the full press release.
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading Monterey 2008: Lamborghini featured at Pebble Beach Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Monterey 2008: Concorso Italiano takes flight
Filed under: Motorsports, Time Warp, Euro, Lamborghini, Maserati, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, FIAT, Lifestyle 
Click image above for high-res gallery from Concorso Italiano 2008
The festivities continue around the Monterey Peninsula. We've already shown you pics from Gordon McCall's party and from the Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance, but today's coverage picks up an Italian accent. The Concorso Italiano is one of the largest annual gatherings of all things Italian, be it music, cuisine, fashion, tourism, and of course cars. Previously held at the nearby Bayonet Black Horse Golf Course in Monterey Bay, this year's gathering took place at the Marina municipal airstrip. Just like the past 20-something years, this year's Concorso brought out some stunning examples of Italy's finest, cars designed with passione and intended to be driven con brio. And just like in previous years, a few non-Italian cars that bring that same driving thrill were invited in for the party.
While the tarmac didn't offer the same soft picnic grove as the golf course, the organizers tried their best to make up for it with plenty of shady tents to visit filled with vendors, food and fun. Concorso has always been more laid back than some of the other judged events during the week, and even with the slightly more rigid airport setting there was still a feeling that you were at more of a car club meet than a genuine concours. Check out the gallery by clicking one of the images here and you'll hopefully see what we mean. The usual Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, and Alfas were joined by a bunch of Lancias, DeTomasos, Fiats, and a smattering of "others" that included German, Japanese, American, and British cars. Our favorite stop was the supercar lineup that featured two MC12s, two Veyrons, an Enzo and an F50. We even spotted Valentino Balboni, Adam Corolla and Jay Leno while we were there. Click away and enjoy.
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Veno supercar from Poland looks like someone we know
Filed under: Concept Cars, Etc., Euro, Supercars, Lamborghini 
Click above for a gallery of the Veno.
Apparently, dreaming up a new design for a rarefied vehicle is too difficult for Veno Automotive, a Polish spinoff of UK-based Heros Capital Ltd. Rather than relying on design experts, with their fancy degrees and engineering knowledge, the company cribbed the Lamborghini Reventon so closely that we predict flying lawsuits.
Veno's car not only looks like a Lamborghini, the company claims it will perform like one, too. Underpinning the bodywork is supposedly a chassis that can make use of more than 1,000 horsepower. Coupe or convertible flavors are planned, with a low yearly volume of about 15. Carbon fiber will make up the bodywork, carbon-ceramic brakes are part of the package and there's an array of tech like night vision and an on-board computer with internet access. Power will initially come from Audi's 4.2 liter V8 in various levels of tune, and the company suggests that it will be able to wrest some LS9s from General Motors, a claim that's as plausible as space aliens at the White House. If V8s don't whet your appetite, there's also some idle chatter about an electric version. Our impression is that this car is just talk right now, and the pictures of the office look staged to some degree, so while the story is making the rounds, we wouldn't get our hopes up for anything real.
[Source: Carscoop] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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VIDEO: Lamborghini gets a bath courtesy of city fountain
Filed under: Videos, Supercars, Lamborghini 
Click above to view video after the jump
We received over a dozen tips about a hot video including a Lamborghini Gallardo (good start) and some aqueous material of the municipal kind, so we had to see the motion pictures for ourselves. We pictured a hot yellow Lambo crashing into a huge fountain, or some scantily clad young lady giving the Italian supercar a bath, but we got none of the above. What we did see is some guy using a blue bucket to transport water from a homely looking city fountain and dousing it on his prized Gallardo. To complicate the news-worthiness of the video, it looks like it was captured with a camera phone, it's shot from across the street, and the guy doesn't even seem very excited about saving $4 at the local car wash. But, you asked for it, so we've provided the video after the jump for your enjoyment (or indifference). Power to the people! Thanks for the tip, everyone!
[Source: Auto Market]Continue reading VIDEO: Lamborghini gets a bath courtesy of city fountain Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Rare Lamborghinis to be featured at Pebble Beach
Filed under: Time Warp, Lamborghini 
Click above for a high resolution image
Every year in August the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance gives car enthusiasts a chance to see exceptional automobiles together at the same place at the same time. With Lamborghini as a featured marque this year, it was inevitable that some of the best of the breed will be on the 18th fairway in just a few days. The earliest known 350GT (Lamborghini's first model), the earliest known Miura, and several one-off examples will be on display. As a bonus, Valentino Balboni, Lamborghini's legendary test driver, will be serving as a class judge. More information can be found in the press release after the jump, and look for our coverage of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance as we report live from Monterey next week. Continue reading Rare Lamborghinis to be featured at Pebble Beach Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Lamborghini opens 20,000-sq-ft Vegas showroom w/fashion show
Filed under: Lamborghini  If Las Vegas were a car, what car would it be? If you answered "Lamborghini", you're in the same boat as us. The city and the exotic automaker share the same combination of fast-paced excitement and unbridled showmanship. It's only fitting, then, that Lamborghini's latest showroom opened its doors on the Strip.
The newest of 34 dealerships in North America and 116 worldwide, the Vegas showroom, which includes the first Collezione Automobili Lamborghini fashion boutique, is spread across 20,000 square feet on two floors amidst the shops and restaurants at the Palazzo. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann was there to preside over the opening, which included a fashion show of the new collection. All they needs now is a Lamborghini craps table and they'll be all set. [Source: Lamborghini] Continue reading Lamborghini opens 20,000-sq-ft Vegas showroom w/fashion show Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Unique Lamborghini Zagato Raptor up for auction at Pebble Beach
Filed under: Concept Cars, Auction Action, Supercars, Lamborghini, Misc. Auto Shows, Special/Limited Editions 
Click to view a gallery of the Lamborghini Zagato Raptor
If you thought the Lamborghini Reventon was as exclusive as Bolognese supercars get, feast your eyes on the Zagato Raptor. The one-off concept car unveiled at the 1996 Geneva show took on the insurmountable task of supplanting the Diablo (on which it's based) on the bedroom walls of enthusiastic children worldwide. The concept car borrowed its mechanics from the Diablo VT, but while it retained the Lambo's 492-hp V12, in a gesture to insanity it did away with the traction control and ABS. The design, which Zagato appears to have echoed with the Spyker C12 concept, features the carrozzeria's signature double-bubble roof that tilts up with the doors not unlike the canopy on Pininfarina's Maserati Birdcage or Giugiaro's Quaranta concepts. The Raptor was developed in conjunction with Swiss sledding champion Alain Wicki (yes, he has his own Wikipedia entry), and while public reception was hot, the car was never put into production. All that remains is this one original show car, which is now going up for auction at Pebble Beach by the auctioneers at the Blackhawk Collection. Check out the images in the gallery below. Thanks for the tip, Jonathon!
[Source: Blackhawk Collection] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Wretched excess: Heffner Peformance builds 930-whp twin-turbo Lamborghini Gallardo
Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Supercars, Lamborghini 
Click above for high-res gallery of this TT Gallardo
Jason Heffner is in the business of building fast cars. We're talking about quadruple digit horsepower, spinning the tires at 100 mph and pulling-away-from-a-Bugatti-Veyron fast cars. You might remember watching a Heffner-powered twin-turbo Ford GT that could hit 222 mph in the standing mile. His latest project is this twin-turbo Lamborghini that's putting down 930 horsepower and 762 lb-ft torque at the wheels. This particular owner also wanted to cut some weight, and added a carbon fiber deck lid and rear diffuser, race seats, and lightweight wheels. Follow the jump to see the extensive upgrade list, or check out the photos below. Continue reading Wretched excess: Heffner Peformance builds 930-whp twin-turbo Lamborghini Gallardo Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Ultimate Fiero resurrection: Lamborghini Reventon replica
Filed under: Time Warp, Etc., Lamborghini, Pontiac 
What to do when you want the style of a Lamborghini without the obscene payment? Seek refuge in GM's stunted program of 1980s awesomeness, the Fiero, that's what. Armed with time and skill, a steel fabricator from Canada named Woody has done an incredible job transforming a $60 mid-engined Pontiac wedge into an amazing homage to the Reventon. Obviously talented, the finished Woodighini is going to be incredible, Woody's done a fine job of transferring the Reventon's proportions to the Fiero's chassis.
When you're rocking Sant'Agata styling, you can't make do with an Iron Puke or even the L44 V6. Woody's tucking a hotted-up GM small-block under the engine hatch, fed pressurized atmosphere by a pair of turbos. The blow-through carburetor is a bit too stone age for our tastes, but we're sure it's not going to stand in the way of this car being a wheeled rocket. Flat out amazing work, and it's likely to have the same amount of attention lavished on it by passerby as a real Lamborghini gets; it's sure had as much extreme care in its crafting as anything wearing the Bull.
[Source: Hub Garage(reg. req.) via Motorfoot]
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Edo Competition raises the bar with the Murcielago LP710/2
Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Supercars, Lamborghini 
Click above for high-res gallery of the edo competition LP640
German tuner edo competition is determined to leave no supercar untouched, and the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 is the latest to undergo the conversion. Starting with the 6.5L V12, edo adds high performance camshafts, upgraded cylinder heads, and new high flow air filters. The exhaust system is also reworked, including new headers, high-flow cats, and new mufflers. The result is 710 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, good for a 0-60 mph sprint in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 224 mph. Additional modifications include a conversion to RWD, 19-inch alloy wheels, and a new aerodynamically efficient adjustable rear wing. Follow the jump for full details in the press release and check out the gallery below.
[Source: edo competition]Continue reading Edo Competition raises the bar with the Murcielago LP710/2 Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Owner ships Lambo from Qatar to London (and back) for oil change
Filed under: Maintenance, Etc., Supercars, Lamborghini 
A wealthy Arab man, thought to be a Sheikh, recently had his black and gold Lamborghini LP640 flown 3,250 miles to London via Qatar Airways and trucked to a certified UK Lamborghini dealership last Friday for a fluid change, which cost him a paltry £3,552 compared to the £20,000 round-trip flight. That's a grand total of £23,552 ($46,644 USD) for a friggin' oil change.
Environmentalists are obviously not pleased with the owner's wanton display of conspicuous consumption. Airport workers at Heathrow also blasted the owner's excess after watching the car get the royal treatment on the runway. One commented, "This car doesn't have a carbon footprint - more of a crater," and another pointed out that it would've been much cheaper to just fly certified Lamborghini technicians to Qatar to do the service.
This type of behavior begs the question of how far one's personal choice extends in the face of the greater good. We're told the Earth is dying beneath our feet and it's all our fault, so should a Sheikh be allowed to ship his car around the world for an oil change while the rest of us stick compact flourescent light bulbs in our lamps and wait in line to buy a Prius? Perhaps the only act that could be more environmentally egregious than this is if he just threw out his exotic and bought a new one every 3,000 miles.
[Source: The Sun] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Surprise! Millionaires can still afford Lambos, profits rise
Filed under: Supercars, Lamborghini, Earnings/Financials 
Clickabove for high-res gallery of new pics of the LP560-4
It seems that well-to-do individuals who grew up staring at Countach posters on their bedroom walls are still finding a way to fulfill their childhood fantasies. Both sales and profits are up at Lamborghini, with most of the increases coming from emerging markets, including the Middle East, China and Hong Kong. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann believes that the key to its recent sales successes is its policy of producing fewer vehicles than it believes it can sell, thereby keeping demand high. Winkelmann also noted that costs go down as production goes up, a further boon to increased profitability.
With Lambo's latest Gallardo LP560-4 about to hit its 114 dealerships, the second half of the year is already shaping up quite nicely. Ridiculously expensive options with high profit margins like $19,000 carbon-ceramic brakes are sure to help the bottom line too.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Russo and Steele to auction off rare 1971 Lamborghini Miura SV/J
Filed under: Time Warp, Auction Action, Lamborghini 
Most car enthusiasts know about the Lamborghini Miura, one of the most beautiful and desirable cars from the '60s and '70s, but few know about the one-off Miura Jota and subsequent SV/J models. The Jota was built in 1970 as an experimental car to test new ideas for the upcoming Miura SV. It featured a lightweight body with extra vents, a split sump engine (implemented on later SV models), "Megaphono" exhaust pipes, and a bevy of bespoke features. After the car was finished, it was sold to a loyal customer. Unfortunately, the Jota was involved in an accident and was completely destroyed when it burned to the ground. However, when several of Lamborghini's customers heard about the car, they asked if they could buy one of their own. Lamborghini decided not to officially build a production Jota, but they did offer conversions based on the SV model. The Lamborghini Registry lists only six "works" SV/J models, all featuring the Jota bodywork. The one seen here is chassis number 4892, and it will be auctioned off at the upcoming Russo and Steele classic car auction in Monterey. It's tough to tell what the car will go for since the SV/J models rarely ever change hands, but you can bet it won't be a paltry sum.
[Source: Russo and Steele] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Autoblog Night Watch: Novitec Ferrari 575 vs. EDO Lambo Gallardo
Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Euro, Videos, Supercars, Lamborghini, Ferrari 
Click above to view the video.
We've said it before, but it warrants repeating: it takes a special kind of crazy to take an epic supercar like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini and tune it like you would a Mustang or even a Porsche. Fortunately, Novitec and EDO are just such a breed of crazy. We've brought you news of the former's modified Ferrari 430 Scuderias and 599 GTBs and the latter's Lamborghini Superleggera, Maserati MC12 and Audi R8 (to name just a few), but never side by side. For that, you may follow the jump and thank those zany Germans for pitting a Novitec Rosso-modified Ferrari 575M Maranello against an EDO Competition-tuned Lamborghini Gallardo. You'll need four and a half minutes to spare, but not fluency in German... "vroom" is international.
[Source: YouTube via Autoblog.nl] Continue reading Autoblog Night Watch: Novitec Ferrari 575 vs. EDO Lambo Gallardo Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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EDO puts the Super in the Gallardo Superleggera
Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Supercars, Lamborghini 
Click above for a hi-res gallery of the EDO Gallardo SLE
Some things you figure are universal. Like time, for example. But for a tuning house that regularly takes the fastest cars around and tinkers with them just for kicks, time - say, production dates and acceleration numbers - might not hold the same meaning as it does for the rest of us mere mortals. Never minding that Lamborghini has ceased production of the Gallardo Superleggera to make way for the new LP560-4, German uber-tuners EDO competition has come out with a package for the stripped-out Raging Bull. With a simple twist of the ECU, a new catalytic converter and a carbon fiber air box, power is pumped up to 560 horses and torque to 398 lb-ft, dropping the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time down to 3.7 seconds and the top speed nudging 320 km/h (199 mph). EDO's also installed a variable-noise exhaust and dropped the right height by 15 mm and can outfit any of the 172 Superleggeras produced with custom-painted 19" three-piece modular rims. Check out the press release after the jump for the skinny and the images in the gallery below. [Source: EDO competition]
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Lambo Reventon exhaust gets plasma-sprayed ceramic coating
Filed under: Tech, Supercars, Lamborghini 
Click above to view the Lamborghini Reventon in high res
Automotive news moves fast. Sometimes faster than a Lamborghini supercar, even. Take the Reventon, which by now seems like yesterday's news. But after being revealed back in October 2007, Lamborghini has yet to begin delivering the $1.5 million supercars to their 20 eagerly-awaiting buyers. We would hardly have noticed, waiting for news of one rapped around a pole somewhere, until Lamborghini started announcing the selection of component suppliers for the Reventon. The latest: coating specialist Zirotec, which will be supplying its Diamond Black coating to the exhaust system on the Reventon. The material was developed for nuclear reactors, and uses zirconia-based ceramics to insulate extreme heat. The coating is plasma-sprayed to the exhaust tubing in order to protect the composite bodywork, and gives the tailpipes a unique black finish. The material is also used in racing cars and on the Koenigsegg CCX. Check the press release after the jump.
[Source: Zirotec] Continue reading Lambo Reventon exhaust gets plasma-sprayed ceramic coating Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Reventon style for future Lamborghinis, lightweight architectures planned
Filed under: Supercars, Lamborghini 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lamborghini Reventon.
Speaking at the old Fiat Lingotto factory in Turin, Italy, Volkswagen Group's Design Director, Walter De Silva, discussed the future of VW, Audi and Lamborghini, keeping light on specifics, but offering more fuel for the speculative fire surrounding the future of Lamborghini.
According to CAR, De Silva waxed poetic about the aura of the group's Italian performance arm, with Design Head Manfred Fitzgerald making it clear that the Reventon's pointed proboscis and heavily canted intakes - which were supposedly penned before the launch of the Gallardo LP560-4 -- will be the primary influence for the next generation of Lamborghinis.
As for the future underpinnings of the Murcielago, Chief Engineer Maurizio Regginai wasn't willing to give up much, but said that "the power to weight ratio is key, and everything we can do to get the weight down is vital to the project" providing further proof that the welded steel chassis of current Lambos is on its way out and that aluminum will find its way under the composite skin of future models. All-wheel-drive, which has become an integral part of the "Lamborghini DNA" will continue, but when asked about the future of dual-clutch transmissions, Regginai simply said, "we have top performance in 0-100 kph with our cars, I don't understand why we'd want to change anything."
[Source: CAR] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Lamborghini offers Versace edition LP640 Roadster
Filed under: Supercars, Lamborghini, Special/Limited Editions 
Click above for hi-res gallery of the LP640 Roadster Versace
Lamborghini has teamed up with Versace yet again to offer a special edition of the Murcielago LP640. If you're thinking this isn't a first, you're thinking right: Back in 2006, the two Italian houses of striking style teamed up to offer a small run of 10 LP640 coupes, and then produced an additional black roadster for a charity fundraiser. But now Lamborghini is offering the Versace edition LP640 Roadster to the public at large - that is, those who have the big bucks to cough up for one. As could be expected, the Versace edition is more about style than substance. The bright white exterior is plastered with Versace's Greek motif, while the interior gets special full-grain, hand-embroidered, ultra-soft, white nappa leather on the seats, dashboard and center console. The Versace edition also gets a transparent engine cover that showcases the V12 for the first time. The special edition, unveiled yesterday at Versace's Via Gesu 12 in Milan during Men's Fashion Week, was accompanied by a new range of Lamborghini Versace merchandise, including leather luggage, gloves, driving shoes and an assortment of other accessories. Check out the press release after the jump and the images in the gallery below to take in all the little touches that sets the Versace edition LP640 Roadster apart. [Source: Lamborghini] Continue reading Lamborghini offers Versace edition LP640 Roadster Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Siriusly: Lamborghini offering lifetime satellite radio subscriptions
Filed under: Tech, Lamborghini 
Buy a Lamborghini and be prepared to shell out big bucks... not just for the initial purchase (or the more likely financing arrangement), but for operational costs throughout the lifetime of the vehicle. Even before the warranty runs out, you're looking at big figures for gas, new tires, the inevitable scraped chin spoiler... At least Murcielago buyers have one less upkeep fee to worry about now, as Lamborghini has hammered out a deal with Sirius to provide lifetime subscriptions to its satellite radio service. A couple of obvious questions arise. For one, who would want to listen to the radio when there's a sonorous V12 revving behind your head? Aside from that, however, is the uncertainty over the future of Sirius service with its impending merger with rival service provider XM. We'd like to think that few LP640's will be sitting still long enough to worry about that, though. [Source: Inside Line] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Certified used Lamborghinis coming soon to a dealer near you
Filed under: Car Buying, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Lamborghini 
Click above for high-res gallery of the Gallardo LP560-4
Some folks out there simply refuse to buy a new automobile off the showroom floor. They cannot bring themselves to fork over the funds for an item that depreciates in value so quickly after pulling away from the dealer's lot. The world of certified used cars arose for these frugal minded individuals. Certified used cars offer sufficient warranty coverage, enough miles on the odometers to assure that they are not lemons and little to none of the instant investment nose dive. Now Lamborghini is joining the ranks of manufacturers offering pre-owned vehicles through its dealership network so wealthy super tight wads can feel a little bit better about splurging for a Lambo. This will also make it easier for those who have to be seen in the latest and greatest to trade up from old to new models.
The program begins in July and extends to all Gallardo and Murcielago models through a network of 31 authorized dealers. To be certified, however, the vehicle must meet a list of criteria. The car must have seen less than 22,000 miles with all maintenance fully documented. It also must pass a 150-point inspection performed by the dealer. Any non-OEM equipment (wings, stereos, Gumball 3000 decals) will not be accepted as they do not meet the required standards.
[Source: Inside Line] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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