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Lamborghini debuting limited-edition hypercar soon?

Rumor, anonymous sources, and Internet probing point to Lamborghini preparing a new limited-edition hypercar in the vein of the Centenario, Veneno, and Sesto Elemento. At the Frankfurt Motor Show last year, the carmaker's head of R&D told Car Advice, "Soon we will present to our most important customers a new version of what we call a one-off." The Supercar Blog reports Lamborghini did just that a few weeks ago at a private event in Italy. An anonymous source said the vehicle is codenamed LB48H, and looks like the 2017 Terzo Millennio concept. Assuming all of this is true, whatever's coming won't be a genuine one-off. Remember, the Sant' Agata brand made 40 Centenarios, four Venenos, and 20 Sesto Elementos. The only true one-off for recent sale was the 2012 Aventador J. According to The Supercar Blog, Lamborghini will make 63 of this newest revelation. We checked the production runs for every Lamborghini, no previous model got exactly 63 units. But the company started production in 1963 with the 350 GTV. The same way the Centenario referenced the 100th anniversary of Feruccio Lamborghini's birth, the LB48H could celebrate the company's beginnings in the second millennium — a natural tie-in with the Terzo Millennio (Third Millennium) inspiration. The name, and an Instagram post, bolster suspicions. Lamborghini's already said the next-gen Aventador due in 2020 and Huracan due in 2022 will get naturally-aspirated engines with hybrid power. We also know alphanumeric Lamborghini vehicle names identify aspects of the car. In the hybrid Asterion LPI 910-4 concept from 2014, the LP stood for longintudinale posteriore, as with current production models, the I stood for the Italian word for hybrid, Ibrido, the 910 for the horsepower. With the LB48H, we take the the L we know, we'll take the H for Hybrid. So what do the B and 48 represent? On June 18, Miguel Costa, who appears to head Lamborghini's Lisbon, Portugal dealership, published an Instagram post that said, "We made it possible! Soon!" For hashtags, he wrote, #masterpiece, #lamborghini, #lamborghinilisboa, and #lb48h. The #masterpiece and #lb48h hashtags soon disappeared from the post. When Jalopnik asked Lamborghini about the situation, the automaker said, "We are not confirming this." The Italian automaker uses these specials to preview design and technology elements headed for the range; the Centenario introduced rear-wheel steering that made its way to the Aventador S, for instance.

Lamborghini Urraco ownership is traumatic but awesome

Gene Ondrusek and his 1975 Lamborghini Urraco have a relationship forged in heartache. He bought the car on a whim in 1987 and had barely driven it when the timing belt snapped thanks to a bad previous engine rebuild. With the interior already a wreck, Ondrusek set off on a restoration that would take years to get the Lamborghini back together.
All of that time arm-deep in the car's mechanicals has turned Ondrusek into a pretty persnickety owner. Passengers have to remove their shoes before getting in, and he has a mat to protect the carpet on the driver's side. However, despite his fastidious temperament, this Urraco isn't a garage queen and gets driven often.
Ondrusek doesn't exactly make the Urraco sound like an unmitigated joy behind the wheel, either. The seating position forces the driver to sit at an angle, and with no power brakes or power steering, the wedge-shaped coupe is not exactly easy to handle at low speeds. Still, all that time fixing the car has clearly created a strong bond behind man and machine, and we think the wedgy, underappreciated mid-Seventies Marcello Gandini design has held up well. Get a feel for both the car and the owner's connection by watching this latest video from Petrolicious.

VW pulls Lamborghini and Bentley from the Paris Motor Show

It's been slightly more than a year since the news that Volkswagen had intentionally cheated on diesel emissions testing broke. Since then, the company's reputation and image have suffered and it has struggled to regain its footing and composure. The automaker is shelling out billions in fines, so cost cutting is inevitable. Today, Reuters reports that Volkswagen subsidiaries Lamborghini and Bentley won't bring their elaborate displays to the Paris Motor Show next week. Auto shows can cost automakers millions of dollars, especially for supercar and luxury car brands that constantly try to compete and one-up with each other. Much of the money and fanfare goes to catering the media, and if an automaker has nothing new to reveal it can be difficult to justify the expense. The company told Reuters that it plans to attend smaller events that focus more on potential buyers. The Volkswagen group as a whole has shifted it's focus, both when it comes to products and auto shows like Paris. Next week, the automaker will be focusing on electric vehicles and electromobility. The company plans to reveal a new EV with 373 miles of range, eclipsing both the Tesla Model 3 and Chevy Bolt. Volkswagen has plans for 30 new electric vehicles by 2025. Lamborghini and Bentley aren't the only major automakers skipping Paris. Ford, Volvo, and Aston Martin have all decided to save money and focus their efforts elsewhere. Related Video: