2016 Lamborghini Aventador on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen Group sales down 15% in pandemic year, but EV sales up 214%

FRANKFURT, Germany — German automaker Volkswagen said its global sales fell 15.2% during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but showed significant recovery toward the end of the year. The company more than tripled its sales of battery-only vehicles. Global sales for all of Volkswagen's brands amounted to 9.3 million vehicles. The fourth quarter showed a smaller decline of 5.7% and within that quarter the month of December was still further improved, showing a shortfall of only 3.2% from the same period the year before. Volkswagen said Wednesday that sales fell the most in Western Europe, by 21.6%, while China, the company's largest single market, was down 9.1% Sales of battery-only cars jumped 214% to 231,600 from 73,700 across all the company's brands. The company's electric sales leaders included the Volkswagen ID.3 compact, with 56,500, the Audi E-Tron SUV with 47,300, and the high-end Porsche Taycan with 20,000. Volkswagen said that its sales fell by less than the overall market, meaning it had slightly expanded its market share. “The COVID-19 pandemic made 2020 an extremely challenging year,” said group sales chief Christian Dahlheim. “The Volkswagen Group performed well in this environment and strengthened its market position." Volkswagen Group's brands include Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, SEAT, and Skoda as sell as truck makers MAN and Scania.

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 racer unveiled [w/video]

While Lamborghini doesn't quite have the motorsports history of Italian marques like Ferrari or Alfa Romeo, the bullish brand is no stranger to the track. The company's latest challenger for racing supremacy is the Huracan GT3, which is competing in the Blancpain Endurance Series in Europe this year. Where previous Lamborghini racers saw development from outside companies – like Reiter Engineering for the Gallardo GT3 – the company brought much of that work in-house for the Huracan. Although, the motorsports experts at Dallara did help craft the aerodynamics here. Unlike the production version, the GT3 is purely rear-wheel drive, and the engine remains a 5.2-liter V10. However, it's hooked to a six-speed sequential gearbox. All of the adjustments to go racing, allow the GT3 to tip the scales at 2,732 pounds, a healthy reduction over the already light, 3,135-pound dry weight of the regular Huracan and even around 80 pounds less than the Super Trofeo one-make racer. That said, due to the balance of performance in motorsports, the FIA might still adjust the final number for competition. Lamborghini's Squadra Corse team will be racing in these vibrant lime green Huracans in Blancpain, but if you want to compete against them, the price for the GT3 is set at 369,000 euros ($427,400) before taxes. The company's official press release only mentions European motorsports, but earlier rumors suggest the brand might also offer the car to squads in the United SportsCar Championship. So, we might see them on track here in the future. The clip below gives a glimpse of what Lambo's latest racer can do in race trim. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. WORLD PREMIERE OF LAMBORGHINI HURACAN GT3 BY AUTOMOBILI LAMBORGHINI Sant'Agata Bolognese, 21 January 2015. Automobili Lamborghini has presented the new Lamborghini Huracan GT3, in a world premiere at its headquarters in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The unveiling ceremony was carried out in the presence of media, customers and partners from around the world. The GT3 competitor makes its debut following that of the new Huracan LP 620-2 Super Trofeo, which will be the protagonist of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo in Europe, Asia and North America from this year. Starting in 2015, the Huracan GT3 will line up in the Blancpain Endurance Series that runs over five venues in Europe, among which is included the famous Spa-Francorchamps 24-hours race.

Lamborghini's Huracan quicker than its costlier Aventador?

Car and Driver threw a leg over the Lamborghini Huracán and rode it hard all around the 16-turn Circuito Internationale Nardò, next to the banked oval that's brought us many a top-speed video. On the way to discovering the bull calf sweetly eclipses the Gallardo it replaces, CD also discovered that - comparing their own tests - it is faster from zero to 60 miles per hour than its paterfamilias, the Aventador.
Now, we should all know that 0-60 tests are an imprecise discipline, but CD's Eric Tingwall torched the sprint in the Huracán in 2.5 seconds - yes, faster than a whole lot of other very expensive super-coupes. In the magazine's last instrumented test of the Aventador Aaron Robinson ran 3.0 seconds, and for more Aventador perspective we can compare Motor Trend's 2.8 seconds, also scored at Nardo, Road & Track at 2.7 seconds and Lamborghini's estimated 0-62 mph time of 2.9 seconds. Any way you chop that up, 2.5 seconds beats it. A bit of a shock, then: Lamborghini lists the Huracán's 0-62 mph time as 3.2 seconds.
We'll get a more precise idea of the discrepancy when more tests come online, but for the moment - and in this one respect - we've got the $241,945, 602-horsepower Huracán showing its angry backside to the $397,500, 691-hp Aventador. Even if it remains true, though, we're not sure it matters; in a figurative case of Predator versus Alien, it's arguable that the only way to be wrong is not to own one.