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Lamborghini prototype's exhaust suggests Aventador Performante is in the works

Lamborghini made waves with the introduction of its Huracan Performante, and more specifically, its stunning Nurburgring lap time that challenged million-dollar hypercars. Now, based on these new spy shots, it seems Lamborghini will build upon the success of the Huracan with a Performante version of the bigger, more powerful Aventador. Although the early roadster and later coupe look stock, they feature an exhaust that gives away what's under the skin. At the back, we can see the standard center-exit exhaust used on every normal Aventador, and even the previous top-tier Aventador, the SV. But above that is a strange metal box with slats and a pair of circles cut out. This box appears to hide the car's real exhaust. And if that's the case, they're positioned in the very same location as on the smaller Huracan Performante. Using the Huracan Performante as a model, we expect the Aventador version will make more horsepower than the regular Aventador S. The Huracan Performante made 28 more horsepower than the standard all-wheel-drive version, so we wouldn't be surprised to see just as much of an increase for the Aventador, which would put it at about 770 horsepower. The Aventador Performante will also likely use the Huracan's fancy active aerodynamics that can adjust downforce on the left and right sides independently in corners, and naturally there will be a giant wing at the back. Another interesting thing to note about these prototypes is the use of both a coupe and a roadster. We've seen a nearly production-ready Huracan Performante Spyder out testing, so it wouldn't be out of the question for Lamborghini to do the same for the Aventador. But it's surprising to see Lamborghini testing one this early when we only ever saw Huracan prototypes in coupe guise ahead of the coupe's full reveal. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lamborghini Aventador Performante Spy Shots View 15 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Lamborghini Convertible Coupe Future Vehicles Supercars

Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini utilities await approval from German parents [w/poll]

A cursory look at the top of the automobile market would suggest that the world's carmakers are gunning it full steam ahead into a new stratosphere of ultra-luxury and high-performance utility vehicles. After all, companies like Bentley and Maserati are preparing to launch their very first crossovers, while established players like Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover keep producing ever more expensive sport-utes of their own. But that's not the case across the board.
Rolls-Royce, for example, has yet to receive the green light to start working on its proposed CUV project. Though the dimensions of its sedans may already eclipse those of some crossovers, this would be the first time that Goodwood would produce a utility of its own. But while the British automaker's financial performance may have earned it a degree of autonomy, the final call may still come down to parent company BMW, which just might be waiting to see how Bentley fares with its upcoming crossover - and how much money it brings in to the Volkswagen Group - before deciding on whether or not it should proceed.
However, Rolls-Royce may not be alone in waiting for its German parent company to approve its high-priced ute. It's been two and a half years since we first laid eyes on the Lamborghini Urus (pictured), but the Italian automaker reportedly has not yet received approval from its parent company Audi and the greater Volkswagen Group to proceed with development and production. Envisioned to share its platform with the next Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and the production version of the Bentley EXP 9 F concept, the high-riding Lamborghini was originally set to reach production as the marque's third model line in 2017. But while Audi drags its feet - potentially waiting to see how the Bentley version pans out - the Urus' launch keeps getting pushed back, if it's ever to be made at all.

Lamborghini Miura from 'The Italian Job' is for sale

Just one month ago we posted on "The Ultimate Lamborghini Miura" going up for sale, a 1968 Miura that had been turned into a built-to-race Miura Jota. This one might be even better, and it is certainly more famous: the 1968 Miura P400 from the opening scene of the movie The Italian Job. Two Miuras were used in that opening scene and some aren't sure that this is one of the actual movie cars, but most sleuths believe it is – and the story of its history since filming is so wild, it could have come from the movie. Iain Tyrell, the owner of Cheshire Classic Cars in England, said he received a tip last Christmas that the Miura was in Paris. The coupe's owner led him to a secret, underground parking garage and gave him three hours to verify that it was indeed from The Italian Job, a challenging task since no one knew what happened to the car since Paramount Pictures returned it to Lamborghini at the end of filming in 1968. It seems that Lamborghini sold the Arancia-colored coupe to an Italian dealer, and it had four owners up to 2005 when Norbetto Ferretti bought it. Ferretti is not only one of the founders of the Ferretti shipbuilding group, he is the son of the dealer who bought the Miura from Paramount after the movie - and neither Ferretti nor any of the car's previous owners realized it. Octane magazine ran a 15-page feature in its March issue with all the forensic details matching this car to the movie car, however, even the magazine says it can't be sure. A different classic car broker recently put it up for sale, but that broker still doesn't believe it's the movie car. Top Gear called the film car "the coolest car in the world" in 2004, and if it is the real deal it's said to be worth more than one million pounds, or $1.5M US. Tyrell and his partner Keith Ashworth have listed the car for sale, the price "POA," which means "price on application" in UK-speak. In layman's terms that means, "Bring money." In the video below you can see the star of the show in the movie's opening scene. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.