2013 Gallardo Lp550 Spyder! Black/black Fully Loaded Low Miles 5k Service Done on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volkswagen Group's Vision 2030 strategy could bring revolution to the brands

One would expect a corporate plan called "Vision 2030," looking 11 years ahead through wildly tumultuous times, to involve great change and numerous forks in numerous roads. According to Automobile's breakdown of Volkswagen's path forward, though, the plans contain some lurid potential surprises. The ultimate aim is return on investment, and that means ruthless reorganization of a conglomerate with eight primary car brands, two car sub-brands, and Ducati motorcycles. The first two Vision 2030 cornerstones Automobile mentions are near boilerplate: Production network restructuring, and "streamlining of key technologies." The latter two are the ones that could upend what we know as the Volkswagen Group: focusing on the Group's core brands — meaning Audi, Porsche, and VW — and transitioning to EVs, autonomy, and other mobility solutions. Based on the report, a quote from Audi's CTO referring to the Audi brand could cover how the Group plans to handle all of its brands: "We need to find a sustainable solution for the indefinite transition period until EVs eventually take over." The boutique divisions adjacent to carmaking, Ducati and Italdesign, look likely to be spun off. For the halo car brands — Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini — apparently shareholders want double-digit returns on investment, and the trio doesn't have long to hit the target. One eyebrow raiser is when the report states, "Bugatti is tipped to be gifted to [ex-VW Group Chairman] Ferdinand Piech." Piech fathered the Veyron during his tenure at VW, and it was thought he commissioned the La Voiture Noire, but he's lately stepped so far back from VW that he sold all his shares in the Group. Automobile quoted a senior strategist as saying of money-losing Bentley, "Why invest on a backward-looking enterprise when you can support a trendsetter? A proud history and excellent craftmanship alone don't cut it anymore." We guess no one at Ferrari, McLaren, or even Porsche got that memo. Bentley is reportedly close to being put in time out, and if brand CEO Adrian Hallmark can't right the Crewe ship, the hush-hush Plan B is to prop the Flying B up enough to lure a buyer. As for Lamborghini, caught between two masters at Audi and Porsche, even record-breaking numbers at the Italian supercar maker barely staved off sacrilege. It's said that VW brand CEO Herbert Diess considered putting a 5.0-liter Porsche V8 into the Aventador successor.

Hamann Nervudo is an angrier Aventador

Hamann Motorsport made a big splash at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show with a modified Lamborghini Aventador. The metallic orange monster has been rechristened the Hamann Nervudo, and packs an extra 60 horsepower and 34 pound-feet of torque, thanks to a few tweaks to the ECU. The other big mechanical change is an optional exhaust, which we're told exists solely to spit fire. Doesn't the Aventador do that already?
The big changes that transform the Aventador to the Nervudo, though, are on the surface. Hamann has made some significant aerodynamic adaptations, starting with a massive rear wing and a reformatted diffuser, with the latter made of unpainted carbon fiber.
Up front a two-piece, carbon-fiber spoiler creates a more aggressive fascia, although the overall effect is somewhat lessened, as Hamann has fitted what can only be described as flared nostrils to the Nervudo's front end. While we aren't crazy about the nose, the new side skirt and engine vents are both nice touches, particularly the scoop on the roof. Not surprisingly, the body enhancements are all available in carbon fiber. A set of multi-spoke whees from the Hamann Professional collection has been chosen to replace the stock Lamborghini items, with 21-inch hoops out back and 20-inchers in front shod in the requisite, ultra-sticky Pirelli tires.

New Lamborghini Aventador SVJ previewed in dealer's Instagram post

The new Lamborghini Aventador SVJ will officially be revealed Thursday evening at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but the limited-edition supercar has already been shown in an Instagram post. British Lamborghini dealer HR Owen has been posting teaser materials of the SVJ, or Superveloce Jota, on Instagram, and showed the full frontal image of the SVJ today. In the photo, the SVJ's distinctive front vents can be seen, as well as the shape of the new rear wing. For future supercar spotters, the front bumper vents, reminiscent of nostrils, will be a good way to tell the SVJ from lesser Aventadors. There's also a new front splitter and a re-engineered dual-pipe exhaust system with aerodynamic benefits. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The SVJ has already claimed fame with its record-breaking Nurburgring Nordschleife lap of 6 minutes and 44.97 seconds in the hands of test driver Marco Mapelli. This made the SVJ the fastest production car on the track, and the lap time is 15 seconds faster than a regular Aventador SV. Reports say the SV's 739 horsepower will be bested by 20 in the SVJ, for a total of 759 horsepower; some reports claim an even bigger jump to 780. All in all, the SVJ is likely to be produced in extremely limited numbers. Related Video: