1980 Lamborghini Diablo on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Like an iPhone S, the 2017 Lamborghini Aventador S adds speed and features

When most automakers introduce a new generation of vehicle, it represents a dramatic change in performance or design. Don't tell Lamborghini that – while the company calls its new Aventador S a new generation, the reality is that this is Sant'Agata's facelifted flagship, complete with some modest visual tweaks and a couple of new pieces of technology. In fact, it's closer to Apple's product cadence of introducing an S model of the iPhone before an all-new model. Those aesthetic changes include a new fascia that Lamborghini claims is more aerodynamic, while the vertical ducts on the outside of the lower intake optimize airflow around the front tires and those huge front wheels, while channeling more air toward the rear radiators. In back, there's a restyled diffuser, and a neat hexagonal exhaust outlet. Above that, there's a three-position active rear wing. All told, Lamborghini claims front downforce is up 130 percent while "overall efficiency" in high-downforce mode increases 50 percent and low-downforce mode improves 400 percent. New for the Aventador is a trick four-wheel steering system, a first for a series production Lamborghini. The idea with the system is like other four-wheel-steering. At low speeds it turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction of the fronts, tightening the Lambo's giant turning radius. At high speeds, the system works in reverse by turning the rear wheels in the same direction as the fronts and providing improved stability. But none of these style and tech changes are worth a damn without that big lump of fury in the Aventador S' middle. Like previous versions, there's a 6.5-liter V12, but its output is up to an SV-matching 740 ponies – torque is unchanged from the LP700-4 we tested in 2015, at 509 pound-feet. Max engine speed is up from 8,350 rpm to a wild 8,500 rpm. The result? Zero to 62 miles per hour in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 217. Prices for the 2017 Aventador S start at an eye-watering $421,350 and – we're guessing – can creep up near $500,000 with a few carefully selected carbon-fiber accents and Ad Personam options. Lamborghini is planning to start deliveries in spring 2017. Related Video:

The Lamborghini Huracan Performante lapped the Nurburgring in under 7 minutes

Lamborghini just released new footage of its Huracan Performante at the Nurburgring, and along with it some big news. The car managed to lap the 'Ring in a stunningly quick time of 6:52. That time puts it ahead of the Porsche 918 Spyder's record of 6:57 by a massive 5 seconds. It's also just 4 seconds shy of the Radical SR8LM, which barely qualifies as a street-legal car. Though the Huracan Performante isn't the first Lamborghini to crack the seven-minute mark at the Nurburgring, it's done it by the largest margin. The Aventador LP750-4 SV was the first Lambo under 7 minutes with a time of 6:59.73. Lamborghini hasn't released specifications for this new Huracan, but it reportedly produces 630 horsepower from a V10 engine, which is substantially less than its slower 740-horsepower Aventador SV sibling. Odds are it was helped on the track by lighter weight, and the reported active aerodynamics on-board. Check out the video above in its entirety. And then check back during the Geneva Show to see the full reveal of this monstrously fast Lambo. Related Video:

2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Review

For seven years, Lamborghini sold the Gallardo alongside the Audi R8. And despite sharing more with the Audi than most Italians would like to admit, the Gallardo was a true Lamborghini. Meanwhile the Audi R8 was every bit the stoic German. How did the Gallardo do it? Emotional distance. As cliche as it sounds, the Lamborghini felt more temperamental, although not always in a good way. That fiery disposition made it salacious at mere idle and a baying brute at the limit. The Gallardo's successor, the Huracan, incredibly is even closer to the R8 under the skin, but is galaxies apart from the Audi in terms of impression and intent. The R8 already has a reputation as an everyday supercar, faster than a speeding bullet, able to carry small groceries in a single trunk. With the Huracan, we wanted to find out if it offers the same benefits without dampening that scalding Italian attitude. That difference from old to new starts with subtlety: the Huracan's "dynamic wedge" shape doesn't boast; there isn't a single clingy component demanding your attention. The package fits together so well that you can't just look at one thing, you have to look at everything. There are details atop details, from the Y-shaped LED daytime lamps to the side glass that tucks into the body like an alien canopy. The designers worked to build in enough downforce that the Huracan wouldn't need active or moving aerodynamic devices. So whereas the Gallardo Superleggera looked good with a wing, putting such spoilage on a non-competition Huracan should incur one of those NHTSA-sized, $14,000-a-day fines. There are some hitches to just getting in and driving. There's no reflexive ease to the start and transmission procedures. We always need to remind ourselves of the steps to the dance and "Oh, that's right, pull this for Reverse." Lamborghini changed the shape of the Audi buttons lining the waterfall console, but it looks too close to the A4. The Italians also carried over that funky two-step process of pushing a button and turning a knob to control fan speed. The Huracan ditches Audi's stalks on the steering column by placing buttons on the wheel. The result is fiddly, but okay. It's a fine office, though. The cabin trim feels like eight different shades of Black Hole, and you sit so close to the ground that Lamborghini should offer a bucket-and-pulley system on the options list. The seats are firm and supportive where they need to be, and comfortable everywhere.