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Lamborghini says it could build the Sterrato rally car at a profit

Automobile spent an hour working out the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato concept at the Volkswagen Group's Nardo test track. Naturally, the question of a production version came up. Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini's chief technical officer, told the magazine a customer version would be possible, only because "the provisional business case suggests that we can build this car at a profit." And the secret to making money on the car would be 3D printing. The composition of the Sterrato is 96 percent bone-stock Huracan EVO. Same naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 with 631 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, same all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering and torque vectoring, same 20-inch wheels. The exterior departures come in the handling software retuned for dirt and loose surfaces, a 1.85-inch lift, fender flares and a one-inch wider track, off-road tires backed by mud guards, aluminum plates front and rear. and those auxiliary LED lights. The cabin gets a titanium roll cage and five-point racing harnesses. Perhaps save for the software, the edits are cosmetic add-ons, and Reggiani said Lamborghini can fabricate "all restyled or new body panels, claddings, ducts, and splitters on 3D printers." The carmaker developed a kind of plastic especially for the cause, "a lightweight synthetic material which is in its final shape bolted or screwed onto the finished body." The Automobile piece said Lamborghini would need to assess the material's durability, and perhaps sort out a different solution for the "armadillo rear-window cover that messes up what view there is." There would also be the "jackhammer noise level" to attend to. Otherwise, the mag's assessment is that the Sterrato is "even more playful than its brethren, and the mere prospect of enjoying a long cold winter in a hard-core sports car is bound to make quite a few Lambophiles reach for their checkbooks." The case for the car is presented as the Sterrato forming one in a line of special edition Huracans that will maintain interest in the model until the replacement arrives in 2023 or 2024. Next year we'd get the hardcore Huracan STO, or Super Trofeo Omologato. A potential Sterrato could show in 2021, limited to between 500 and 1,000 units, sold for about $271,000 each. That's about $9,000 more than the 2020 Huracan EVO AWD coupe. A Huracan hybrid would be follow in 2022, a Huracan Superveloce providing the model's backstop before the successor.

Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 revealed, basically a retro Sian

Update: We've added some additional information from an interview with Lamborghini's Chief Technology Officer. Yes, the Lamborghini Countach really has returned, though only for a seriously limited run. Not only that, it's more of a retro Sian than its own unique model. But that also means it packs Lamborghini's most technologically advanced powertrain yet. According to Lamborghini's Chief Technology Officer Maurizio Reggiani, the car is meant as more of a "celebration" or tribute to the car that set the pattern for future Lamborghinis, rather than a revival or reintroduction of the model. Lamborghini really leaned into the retro cues on this new Countach, too. It's mainly based on the original prototype and production models. The prototype design cues come in with the louvred vents behind the side windows, the horizontal slit of a front grille and the way the rear window and engine cover blend together. Then there's a dash of the early production models with the enormous interpretation of the side NACA ducts. The wheels have a nod to later Countach models with circular openings between the spokes like past phone-dial wheels. And the rectangular headlights and trapezoidal wheel arches are just universal Countach touchstones. The car also features quad exhaust tips, which is unique among Aventador-derived Lamborghinis. The interior on the other hand is pretty much modern Lamborghini, though the seats get similar stitching to older models. Powering the Countach is the Sian's mild-hybrid 6.5-liter V12. It makes 803 horsepower in total, with most of it coming from the engine. In fact, 769 of those ponies come from the V12, while 34 come from the 48-volt electric motor. It gets its electrons from a lightweight and fast charging and discharging supercapacitor, though. The engine winds up to 8,700 rpm, and it's in the same longitudinal layout as Lamborghinis stretching back to, well, the original Countach. It's connected to a seven-speed automated manual transmission and powers all four wheels. Apparently, the powertrain was retuned for smoother shifting. But the company didn't sacrifice any performance, as Lamborghini claims a 0-62 mph time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 221 mph. It also features pushrod suspension with magnetorheological adjustable shocks, and carbon ceramic brakes with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers. Only 112 Countachs will be built. The number comes from the protoype's designation LP 112.

Lamborghini explains why the Sian is not a preview of its next design language

Lamborghini pushed the boundaries of its design language with the sold-out Sian, but its head designer explained the project's goal wasn't to preview future cars. The company's first hybrid model will remain its own thing. "With the Sian, with the coupe and now the Roadster, we have closed this project. It is a masterpiece, we have a very special color for each, but this language is just for the Sian. Whatever we design in the future, we will follow the design DNA of Lamborghini. Just to repeat the Sian one more time would be way too easy, the expectations here at Lamborghini are much higher, so the future is always open," design boss Mitja Borkert told Autoblog. Lamborghini will make 19 examples of the Sian Roadster, and 63 units of the coupe, numbers chosen because the company was founded in 1963. Borkert's team designed the model with a high degree of customization in mind to ensure no two examples are exactly alike. Once they're assigned a build slot, buyers will work directly with Lamborghini's designers and its Ad Personam personalization department to configure their car. "The Sian is really something I want to turn into a masterpiece. My personal promise is that each and every car will be completely unique in terms of look, in terms of color, and in terms of material," Borkert assured us. Lamborghini Sian Roadster View 13 Photos Meanwhile, work on the Aventador's replacement — whose name hasn't been revealed — continues, and we hear it's about a year from making its debut. Although it won't look anything like the Sian, Lamborghini previously confirmed the model will arrive as a hybrid in order to offer more power than its predecessor without summoning a dark cloud of disapproval from regulators. Technical details about the gasoline-electric technology it will use haven't been announced yet, but hybrid systems will play a large role in the company's future range. "This kind of hybridization will be fundamental in order to respect all of the rules, and to guarantee that our DNA is protected," affirmed Maurizio Reggiani, the head of Lamborghini's research and development department. He again stressed that getting rid of the V12 — or turbocharging/supercharging it — is completely out of the question.   Like every carmaker, Lamborghini was caught off-guard by the on-going coronavirus pandemic and the lock-downs enforced globally in a bid to prevent the disease from spreading.