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Ares Project Panther is a Lamborghini Huracan in DeTomaso Pantera's clothing

Ares is nothing if not ambitious. The Modena-based company specializes in low-volume, boutique reimagining of existing vehicles. That's not a terrible business to be in, if you can make money, and after all this is how many of the famous names in styling came about: Pininfarina, Ghia, Bertone, and Karmann. So far, Ares has announced many projects, including a two-door Bentley Mulsanne and a rebodied Mercedes-AMG G63 called the X-Raid, but the new Project Panther is the most ambitious yet. It appears to be a rebodied Lamborghini Huracan heavily inspired by the classic DeTomaso Pantera, although unlike that car it'll retain the Lamborghini V10 instead of adopting an American powerplant. Which is an odd choice, if you're into the Pantera – and frankly, an odd choice if you're into Lamborghinis. A completely unique body, not inspired by any other make, would certainly be a valuable one-of-one for a well-heeled car collector. But the Pantera? For years it was held in relatively low esteem, a relatively low-buck exotic that wasn't welcome at the local concours events. Its reputation has improved significantly in the last decade or so, but still, this is an odd marriage of convenience. At least it looks really sharp, with crisp lines and a classic Bertone feel without being too overly retro. Ares says the Panther is undergoing final testing at the company's facility in Modena, and will be available for purchase in late 2018. What's entirely unclear is how it all works. We assume a Panther buyer will need to drop off a brand new Huracan for conversion. What happens to the Huracan's existing bodywork? Perhaps part of the business model is making a pretty penny by reselling panels for wrecked Huracans. Who knows? Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Shuffle at Lamborghini sends CEO to Quattro GmbH

A management shakeup in Volkswagen Group's high-performance divisions will make Stephan Winkelmann (above) the new chief executive of Audi's Quattro GmbH on March 15. On the same day, former Scuderia Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali will replace Winkelmann as Lambo's boss. These changes are necessary because current Quattro chief Heinz Hollerweger is retiring. Rumors of these exact shifts cropped up in Italian media in December. Winkelmann began leading Lamborghini in 2005, and he has been at the helm for massive growth at the company. In 2015, the Italian supercar maker delivered a record 3,245 vehicles, and it had just set its previous best of 2,530 units in 2014. His new role at Quattro GmbH puts Winkelmann in charge of Audi's equivalent to M at BMW or AMG at Mercedes-Benz. The division is responsible for the Four Rings' R and RS production models, the Audi Sport customer racing program, and Audi Exclusive customization service. "In the future, the Audi Sport brand is to be positioned more clearly," the company's announcement said, which hints at one of Winkelmann's duties. Domenicali has been closely associated with Lamborghini rival Ferrari during his career and had years of experience within the automaker's racing team. He started in financing at the Prancing Horse in 1991 and moved to business planning for the Scuderia Ferrari F1 squad in 1993. He held many positions there and eventually ascended to the top as team principal in 2008. Domenicali resigned from leadership in 2014 because of the team's poor performance, but Audi quickly snapped him up as its as Vice President New Business. He now gets the reins of one of Italy's premiere supercar makers. Related Video: Stephan Winkelmann to be new CEO of quattro GmbH As of March 15, 2016, Stephan Winkelmann (51) will be the new CEO of quattro GmbH, a 100 percent subsidiary of AUDI AG, which produces and distributes the high performance R and RS models. Winkelmann was President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. since January 1, 2005. Heinz Hollerweger (62), the current Head of quattro GmbH, is to retire after almost 40 years of successful work for Audi. "With his experience from more than eleven years in charge of Lamborghini, Stephan Winkelmann will be a key contributor to the further growth of quattro GmbH," says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG.

Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato shows its off-road-friendly design

The all-terrain Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato is nearly ready to make its debut. The supercar's final (and most extreme) evolution will break cover on November 30 in Florida, and a batch of photos showing the coupe without camouflage reveals how designers SUV-ified a supercar. We've never seen anything quite like the Huracan Sterrato; at least not in showrooms. Lamborghini previewed the model in June 2019 by unveiling a close-to-production concept, and it's clear that the overall design hasn't changed much in the past three years. Sitting far higher than the average supercar, the Sterrato gets a pair of LED driving lights up front, wheel arch flares, specific side skirts, and roof rails. These styling cues were previewed by the concept, but the air scoop seemingly connected to the engine bay is a new addition to the look. Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato View 4 Photos It's reasonable to assume that there's much more going on than meets the eye. We're impatient to find out how Lamborghini modified the Huracan's suspension system for off-road use, for example. And, there's no word yet on what the model is powered by. Our crystal ball tells us it's a version of the standard car's naturally-aspirated, 5.2-liter V10 but it's too early to provide horsepower and torque figures. The Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato is scheduled to make full its debut at Art Basel show in Miami, Florida, on November 30, 2022. It will be the last evolution of the Huracan; its successor is due out in the coming years. Official details remain few and far between, but an unofficial report claims the upcoming new model will land with an 850-horsepower gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain built around a twin-turbocharged V8 engine. The birth of a new segment? The idea of a supercar that keeps going after the pavement ends is unconventional; for decades, supercars were bound to roads while SUVs and pickup trucks were designed to go off-road. There have been a handful of notable exceptions to this rule, the mega-obscure Mega Track built in France in the 1990s comes to mind, but the idea didn't catch on until recently. Volkswagen-owned Italdesign Giugiaro alchemized the Lamborghini Gallardo into an off-roader called Parcour at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and Audi followed-up with the Nanuk concept later that year. Fast-forward to 2022 and Porsche wants a slice of this segment, too: it's preparing a 911 on stilts called Dakar. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party.