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Bertone goes bust

The famous Italian coachbuilder and designer Bertone may be on its deathbed. The company that penned the beautiful shape of the Lamborghini Miura has been facing financial hardships for months, and Autocar is reporting that the Turin, Italy firm has just declared bankruptcy. The last we heard from Bertone, it was showing the Jet 2+2 station wagon based on an Aston Martin Rapide at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The Turin-based carrozzeria became famous for its wild designs like the BMW Spicup concept, Lancia Stratos and the initial shape of the Lamborghini Countach. In recent years, it had been limited to creating mostly one-off vehicles. The company has slowly been shrinking recently. It sold its small factory to Fiat a few years go and let go of 165 employees and 10 interns in December. Bertone has been shopping itself in hopes of finding a new owner. According to PistonHeads, even with the money problems, the business generated 20-million euros ($27.9 million) in revenue in 2013 and has been working on projects in China. A Turkish firm was rumored to be interested in buying it for just $2.7 million, and GT Spirit claims that there are also seven Italian companies potentially interested in purchasing it. Bertone has a long and proud automotive history, and it wouldn't be surprising if it were bought just for the value of the brand – perhaps we haven't seen the last of its stylized B logo. Featured Gallery Bertone Jet 2+2: Geneva 2013 View 10 Photos News Source: Autocar via Pistonheads, GTSpiritImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL Design/Style Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Plants/Manufacturing BMW Lamborghini Lancia Concept Cars Luxury Special and Limited Editions Performance Classics bertone lamborghini miura Lamborghini Countach

Rear-wheel-drive Lamborghini Huracan coming to LA

We've got an invite to attend a "Lamborghini global product debut" in Los Angeles, and if an Autocar report is legit, it looks like that new car will be a rear-wheel-drive version of the Huracan. Despite touting all-wheel drive across its model range, Lamborghini did offer a rear-drive version of the Gallardo – the Huracan's predecessor – so a two-wheel-drive version of the new car makes a whole lot of sense. Autocar believes the RWD Huracan will be a lighter, more hardcore version of the already-good coupe. This new model is also tipped to be a limited-production car. The two-wheel-drive Gallardo was limited to just 250 units worldwide, and the same could be in store for this Huracan. Also, remember that Lamborghini does technically already make a rear-wheel-drive version of the Huracan: the LP 620-2 Super Trofeo racecar. What's more, Autocar says that Lamborghini could offer a rear-drive version of the topless Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder. Seems like an easy thing to do, especially if this RWD Huracan is, in fact, a more powerful, lightweight take on the entry-level Lambo. We'll know more during the Los Angeles Auto Show festivities, which kick off in just two weeks. Related Video:

Lamborghini Huracan LP580-2 is a purist's RWD, 571-hp dream

Purists rejoice: Lamborghini has revealed the new Huracan LP580-2, ditching the all-wheel drive system for a rear-drive setup and a slight decrease in power. Like the previous Gallardo LP550-2 (and Balboni edition) before it, the Huracan LP580-2 is based on the same technologies as the LP610-4 coupe and Spyder. Instead of 602 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, it produces 571 hp and 398 lb-ft to the rear wheels through the same seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Some might balk at the lack of availability of a manual transmission, but Lamborghini figures few (if any) would have ordered one that way at any rate. What the new setup means is more tail-happy handling, which the engineers in Sant'Agata have only encouraged that through specific tuning of the electronic systems. Equally as important is a lower dry weight of 3,062 pounds – 73 fewer than the all-wheel-drive coupe. To set the rear-drive version apart from its AWD counterpart, Lamborghini has restyled the front and rear ends and anchored it to the road on staggered 19-inch wheels coated in Pirelli PZero rubber. Aluminum calipers grip steel (instead of carbon-ceramic) rotors to keep it all in check. In measurable terms, that all comes down to a 0-62 time quoted at 3.4 seconds and a top speed at 199 miles per hour - respectively 0.2 seconds and 3 mph slower than the LP610-4. But the LP580-2 isn't about outright pace or bragging rights. Those are best left to the more potent and grippy model, and to the yet more powerful versions that are sure to follow. In the meantime, we can look forward to the getting a closer look at the latest version of the Huracan in the flesh at the LA Auto Show. Related Video: The rear-wheel drive Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2: the essence of driving fun - New dynamic design of front and rear - Designed and engineered to provide perfect rear-wheel driving fun - Weight reduction with recalibrated power management for highly-involving driver experience - 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds, top speed of 320 km/h Sant'Agata Bolognese/LA, 17 November 2015 – Automobili Lamborghini presents the Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2: a two-wheel drive version of the Huracan coupe. Specifically designed and engineered for its rear-wheel drive set-up, the Huracan LP 580-2's combines dynamic new looks with a package for an enhanced Lamborghini driving emotion.