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Volkswagen breaks 40-year-old sales record in 2012

The last time Volkswagen moved this many vehicles in America in one year, Richard Nixon was still a President in good standing, Let It Be was a radio hit and each car wearing the VW badge boasted an air-cooled engine. That's right, with a grand total of 580,286 vehicles sold in the US last year, the VW Group has broken its own four-decades-old sales record by 2,899 vehicles.
Of that 580k total sold, 438k were Volkswagens and 139k were Audi products - increases of 35.1 percent and 18.5 percent, respectively, in year-over-year sales. The ultra-premium members of the VW group also fared well; Bentley delivered 2,315 vehicles for a 23.3-precent increase, and Lamborghini delivered 520 units for a 52.9-percent jump. Bugatti, we're told is "right on track."
Jetta (pictured) sales paced the marque with 170k models sold, and Passat also finished very strong with sales of 117k total. Tiguan also racked up its best year on file, with 31,731 models shifted.

2023 Lamborghini Sterrato First Drive: Ridiculous obliteration of boundaries

DESERT CENTER, Calif. — Lamborghini knows something about its buyers: They like to be able to appear, and to perform acts that are, ridiculous. Normally, thatÂ’s meant scissor-hinged doors and unhinged performance on pavement. On occasion, though, Lambo has taken its boundary-obliterating show off-road – and not just because stability control spectacularly failed. The legendary LM002 was a V12-powered luxury pickup largely meant from Emirati sheiks to power-slide up sand dunes, while the brandÂ’s best-selling Urus is more than capable of doing silly things in places more rugged than the Starbucks drive-thru. And now, plowing sideways through a dirt track and into the pantheon of LamboÂ’s bat-shit off-road vehicles comes the 601-horsepower, V10-powered, $273,000, limited-edition 2023 Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato. It is lifted 44 mm or 1.73 inches for greater ground clearance and suspension travel. The track is widened by 30 mm up front and 34 mm in the rear, enough to require bolted-on fender flares. Its tickly underside is armored with aluminum skid plates. The body is safari-fied with nostil-like driving lights, roof bars to support a gear-toting rack, and a snorkel so it can breathe more readily when drawing lines in the sand. It looks less like a supercar and more like the getaway vehicle for a pair of tomb raiders, looking to sneak out of Giza ahead of the cultural police, and whatever curse the thieves may have uncorked. Just a few weeks before driving the Sterrato through  —  literally, through  —  the Southern California desert, I had been behind the wheel of its slightly-cheaper and alternatively-missioned sibling, the Huracan Tecnica, in twisty Italian mountain roads. With 30 more horsepower, rear-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-steering, a tuned exhaust system, and Bridgestone Potenza Race tires, it was surprisingly delightful and easy to drive quickly, even/especially through technical turns and blasting curves. The Sterrato was a whole different bullfight, but remarkably similar in its capacity to elevate my driving skills. It was so simple to drive well through bounding hairpins, arcing sweepers, and elevation-switching chicanes — usually utilized by dirt bike racers — that it was actually startling. I have driven all manner of trucks and SUVs in the sand, but IÂ’ve never had this experience with a “safariÂ’d” performance car. The Sterrato is a revelation in this respect.

Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica boasts STO power and RWD

Lamborghini is bridging the gap between the two core versions of the Huracan with a new variant called Tecnica. Unveiled ahead of the 2022 New York Auto Show, the newest addition to the line packs a 631-horsepower V10, rear-wheel-drive, and aerodynamic updates. Developed to be equally at home on the road and on the track, the Huracan Tecnica fills the space separating the EVO and the STO. "In an era of virtual experiences, [the Tecnica] pays homage to technical purity and physical sensation," explained company boss Stephan Winkelmann. Visually, it stands out from its siblings with a redesigned front end that gains Y-shaped accents inspired by the track-only Huracan EVO2, a redesigned splitter, and air curtains integrated into the bumper (a first for the Huracan). Lamborghini notes that it gave the engine lid a new look to improve visibility, and cool-looking hexagonal exhaust outlets add a finishing touch to the muscular design. One noteworthy addition to the exterior design is the fixed rear wing. It helped engineers increase rear downforce by 35%, yet it doesn't increase drag; in fact, the Tecnica has 20% less drag compared to the EVO. New underbody panels further hone the aerodynamic profile. The cabin receives the same basic suite of technology found across the Huracan range, including a digital instrument cluster and a touchscreen-based infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility, but the interface is exclusive to the Tecnica. Height-adjustable sport seats upholstered in Alcantara come standard, though several other upholstery options are available. Power for the 3,040-pound Tecnica comes from the same naturally-aspirated, 5.2-liter V10 engine found in the Huracan STO. It develops 631 horsepower at a screaming 8,000 rpm and 417 pound-feet of torque at 6,500 rpm, and it spins the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission linked to a pair of massive shift paddles. Lamborghini quotes a 0-to-62-mph time of 3.2 seconds; keep your foot down and the speedometer will display 124 mph in 9.1 seconds. Don't back off, and you'll reach the Tecnica's top speed of 202 mph. Rear-wheel-steering, torque vectoring, carbon ceramic brakes, and a modified Performance Traction Control System (P-TCS) help enthusiasts make the most of the 10-cylinder's output. Lamborghini adds that the suspension system has been tuned specifically for the Tecnica.