Lamborghini Diablo Vt Replica on 2040-cars

Auto blog

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.

Veneno Roadster, One:1, One-77, LaFerrari, P1, Veyron headline 25-car Bonham's auction

Bonhams is holding a no-reserve auction in fall 2019 that includes some of the most valuable and sought-after supercars of the past decade. The lot of 25 beautiful collector items includes a Lamborghini Veneno Roadster, a Koenigsegg One:1, an Aston Martin One-77, a Ferrari LaFerrari, a McLaren P1, and a Bugatti Veyron. The collection, which was seized from a corrupt politician from Equatorial Guinea, is valued at roughly $13 million. If selling off future classics that are still in their infancy as collector items seems strange, it's because this is not a straightforward situation. These cars will be sold off by the State of Geneva, not a person. The collection was previously owned by the vice president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang, but the cars were seized when he was placed under investigation for money laundering and unfair management of public interests. These 25 cars, which were located in Geneva, were first sequestered in fall 2016. A trial court ordered them sold off, and the money earned from the sales would be invested in social programs that benefit Equatorial Guinea. And so, Equatorial Guinea is about to see an influx of cash, as every vehicle is valued in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars. The rarest might be the Koenigsegg One:1. One of only six remaining, it has 371 miles on the dial, and is valued at roughly $1.8 million. The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster, one of nine in the world, is a close second. It has 202 miles logged, and is valued at about $5.1 million. The Aston Martin One-77 is another rare bird. It is example No. 35 of 77, holds a 7.3-liter V12 engine, and is valued at about $1.4 million. A McLaren P1, Ferrari LaFerrari, and Bugatti Veyron 16.4 round out the top of the list. The remaining cars are not fully detailed, but they include examples from Mercedes-Maybach, Bentley, Maserati and Porsche. The auction will take place on Sunday, Sept. 29, at the Bonmont Golf & Country Club near Lake Geneva. For more photos and information, visit Bonhams.

Audi R8, Lamborghini Huracan could get twin-charged five-cylinder

Engine downsizing and forced induction are some of the biggest trends in automotive powertrains today because. They offer the chance to reduce emissions and boost fuel economy, while possibly maintaining power. The shift is already happening to performance cars with turbocharged four-cylinders finding their way into the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and future Porsches. Now, there are rumblings of a tiny chance for a similar change coming for the Lamborghini Huracan and Audi R8. Why the new powertrain? China. While the market there might have slowing growth, it's still a major country for auto sales. The annual taxes on cars there also happen to be based on engine displacement, and there's a 40 percent rate on those over 4.0-liters, according to Car and Driver. The obvious answer to this conundrum is to build a smaller displacement, forced induction engine for the R8 and Huracan. Car and Driver points to the new turbocharged and electrically supercharged, 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder from the recent Audi TT Clubsport Turbo concept as a possible solution. Audi's e-turbo technology runs off a 48-volt electrical system and lithium-ion battery to produce a total of 600 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque in the prototype. With this mill, horsepower would barely shrink compared to the R8 V10 Plus and Lambo, but it actually makes more peak torque than their 5.2-liter V10s. While this is all theoretically feasible, take the possibility with a big grain of salt for now. According to Car and Driver, Quattro GmbH's Stephan Reil says that there's no work currently underway to fit the twin-charged five-cylinder, "but it has been talked about." That means such a vehicle is likely years away, if ever. In the meantime, a diesel version of the e-turbo setup is on the way the in the SQ7. Related Video: