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LAPD now on patrol with its own Lamborghini Gallardo

Last year, the Dubai Police made news by purchasing a string of supercars to act as patrol vehicles around the city. Apparently, a generous family in Los Angeles thought that the LAPD needed to keep up with the Joneses, because they recently donated use of their Lamborghini Gallardo. Unfortunately, you won't be seeing the Italian coupe in any high-speed chases, as it's being used exclusively for display at charity events.
The Lamborghini has arrived courtesy of Nathalie and Travis Marg, proprietors of telecommunications contractor Light Source 1 Inc. They approached the force with the idea to use the supercar because "they admire what the LAPD does for the community," said LAPD Sergeant Frank Preciado to Autoblog. Galpin Auto Sports was tapped for the custom wrap to make it look like a police car, and according to Sgt. Preciado, the police force can use the car indefinitely. Importantly, the LAPD says no tax dollars have been expended on this vehicle.
The LAPD Gallardo will be on display to the public at Los Angeles County Air Show on March 21-22, and Sgt. Preciado said the police have already received many inquiries to display the car at other events. The police have even set up dedicated Twitter and Instagram accounts to promote its newest addition. Too bad it won't be catching speeders anytime soon.

Chinese automaker readies a Lamborghini Urus fake

Do you love the absurd angular looks of the Lamborghini Urus, but don't have anywhere near the $200,000 needed to buy one? We have good news, then. A Chinese automaker is building a knockoff that costs about a tenth the price. Of course, you'll probably have to go to China to own and drive it. According to carnewschina.com, the vehicle in question comes from Huansu, one of several brands under major Chinese automaker BAIC. The company's name translates to "Magic Speed" according to the news outlet, as well as a Google translated version of PCAuto, a Chinese car news website. The model name is reportedly called C60, but it also has the name Hyosow on the back. It certainly hits the design on the head. Or at least 90 percent of the head. The silhouette of the grille is nearly identical, but it picks up a quartet of LED foglights on each side. The massive hexagons in the Lamborghini's grille are replaced with slats. The headlights are similar with individual LEDs, but the shape is much simpler. Continuing around the side, the Lambo's triangular fender vents have morphed into something that looks more like a shovel. The doppelganger lacks some of the sharp creases of the Italian car, and the resemblance really starts falling apart at the back. The large taillights of the Huansu have some of the angular lighting designs of the Lamborghini, but they aren't nearly as striking as the Lambo's narrow elements. There aren't any big vents, and the diffuser is far more boring on the Huansu. All that being said, though, this sucker is a blatant knockoff, regardless of how accurate it is or isn't. Despite a name like "Magic Speed," we don't expect this C60 Hyosow will have much of it, since it will reportedly have just a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 195 horsepower. At least it will be practical, housing between 5 and 7 people depending on how it's equipped. And of course, it's way cheaper. Converting Car News China's price estimate to U.S. dollars, the Huansu will only cost between $15,000 and $24,000. It may be a shameless knockoff, but we have to admit it probably isn't going to cost Lamborghini sales. People with Toyota Corolla money aren't on the verge of buying a supercar anytime soon. The official reveal of the SUV will be on June 6 at the Chongqing auto show, according to PCAuto. Related Video: News Source: China Car News, PCAuto Lamborghini Crossover SUV chinese copy

Watch a Lamborghini change color thanks to thermochromic paint

German artist Rene Turrek went from being a punk kid using spray paint to illegally tag walls to a global celebrity artist working with clients such as Mattel and Nikon. He may have become a little more corporate, but he still finds a way to do some playful work for himself. Recently he has turned his attention to creating incredible paint jobs on some pretty cool cars. Turrek released this video last week of his Lamborghini Gallardo, which at first just seems like a pretty purplish color. But a little bit of water splashed on the hood reveals an awesome tribute to that most awesome of crimefighters, Captain America. Turrek isn't some sort of nerdy witch. The car is coated in thermochromic paint, which reacts to temperature changes. When not activated, the Lambo is disguised as a mild-mannered purple supercar. A cup or two of warm water thrown on the special paint and it becomes translucent, revealing the car's true colors. After a few moments the paint becomes opaque again. Turrek calls the work 'The First Avenger.' We've seen a similar use of the paint on a R33 Nissan Skyline, which allowed the car to turn from orange to black and back to orange again. This isn't the first superhero supercar Turrek has produced. He also created a BMX X6 that looked blue under normal conditions, but revealed The Incredible Hulk on the hood when hit with warm water. Unfortunately the disappearing effect fades once the paint is exposed to too much sunlight, so to keep the paint job safe these cool cars would have to be kept in the dark. And at $400 a pint, Thermochromic paint can cost thousands of dollars to coat a car. It may not be the most cost-effective way to enhance your ride, but certainly one of the coolest. Related: Video: