2005 Lamborghini Gallardo on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Last Lamborghini Diablo of the 20th century heads to auction

Even among rare sports cars, some examples are simply more special than others because of their place in history, and for Lamborghini fans this 1999 Diablo SV might be something truly exceptional. Silverstone Auctions claims this is the final Diablo SV and arguably the last "true" Lambo before Volkswagen Group's complete takeover. This Diablo SV left the factory on December 21, 1999, which made it the final Lamborghini of the 20th century. At that point, VW Group already had financial control over the Italian sportscar maker, but Silverstone Auctions claims the German company really asserted its power starting in 2000. Whether you want to consider this the final "true" Lamborghini or not, it's still a fantastic looking sports car. This right-hand drive example has covered about 32,200 miles and underwent a chassis and suspension restoration in 2013. Silverstone Auctions believes this is the only Diablo to wear this three-coat Pearl Red/Orange exterior color, and the interior upholstery is a mix of black leather and Alcantara. Silverstone Auctions will sell the Diablo at the Practical Classics Restoration and Classic Car Show in Birmingham, England, on March 6. The company expects the sportscar to sell for 150,000 to 170,000 pounds ($218,000 to $247,000 at current rates). We're curious to see if the car's place in Lamborghini history has any effect on the sale price. LAST 'TRUE' LAMBORGHINI FOR AUCTION A special 1999 Lamborghini Diablo SV, believed to be the very last Lamborghini to leave the Sant'Agata factory before Volkswagen took full ownership, will be auctioned at Silverstone Auctions' sale at the Practical Classics Restoration and Classic Car Show. An important piece of Lamborghini history, the car is also believed to be the last Diablo imported into the UK as well as the last Diablo SV off the production line. It is estimated at between GBP150,000 and GBP170,000 and will be offered in the sale taking place at the NEC, Birmingham on 6th March. 'V12 SVR' left the factory on the 21st of December in 1999 immediately before Lamborghini shut down for the Christmas break and their celebrations to mark the end of the Century. For the previous few months the Volkswagen Group had been in financial control of the company but the end of that year marked a turning point. From the beginning of 2000 Teutonic efficiency began to replace the magic of Italy in terms of the bloodline, style and general madness of the Italian supercars.

1971 Lamborghini Miura SV is PoloStorico's first restoration

Lamborghini is fitting in at the annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, trotting out a fully restored 1971 Miura SV. This is not just any Miura, though. It's been the subject of a complete restoration courtesy of Sant'Agata's young restoration arm, PoloStorico. Wearing chassis number 4846, this Miura SV was introduced on the Bertone stand during the 1971 Geneva Motor Show – the company's new Countach was on the main Lambo stage. According to Lambo, this car is "truly a one-off," featuring parts from the Miura S alongside pioneering features that would be seen on later SVs. But who cares about its history – just look at this thing. Lamborghini has gone mad restoring this Miura, with PoloStorico inspecting each individual body panel and then finishing all of them in this beautiful Verde Metallazata – literally green metallic. The company claims that every component was restored or replaced, and that "exhaustive research" went into the process. But why Amelia Island, and why now? The head of PoloStorico has the answer. "This is the year in which the Lamborghini Miura celebrates its 50th anniversary," Enrico Maffeo said in the official statement. "This car not only illustrates the iconic appeal of the Miura, widely acknowledged as the forerunner of modern super sports models, but is also a perfect example of the expertise available in Lamborghini PoloStorico in providing the most authentic Lamborghini restorations." This Miura SV marks the first completed project for the PoloStorico team. Based on the few images we've seen, it's the start of something big for Lamborghini's vintage models. Related Video: LAMBORGHINI POLOSTORICO CELEBRATES MIURA 50 ANNIVERSARY AT AMELIA ISLAND WITH RESTORED MIURA SV 1971 GENEVA SHOW CAR Sant'Agata Bolognese, – The original Lamborghini Miura SV shown at Geneva motor show in 1971 has been the subject of more than a year's restoration by Lamborghini PoloStorico, and is presented as a finished project at the Amelia Island concours event (USA) from 10 to 13 March. The Lamborghini Miura SV (Super Veloce), chassis #4846, was the pre-production model for subsequent Miura SV production. Unveiled at the 1971 Geneva motor show on Bertone's stand (while Lamborghini showed its new Countach), the car was truly a one-off, carrying over parts from the previous Miura S and introducing new features that would be seen on later SVs. Lamborghini PoloStorico was appointed a year ago to fully restore chassis #4846 to its perfect original state.

Lamborghini may offer rear-drive Huracan

Lamborghini may not offer a manual-transmission option on the new Huracán - so few customers were asking for it on the preceding Gallardo as it was - but don't think that it won't pursue ever more hardcore variants. And that will reportedly include a rear-drive version.
Speaking with journalists at the Pebble Beach unveiling of the new Huracán Super Trofeo, Lamborghini CEO Stefan Winkelmann is reported to have said, "We did it with the Gallardo so it might be an option. We are a four-wheel-drive super-sports car [manufacturer] but why should we not do a rear-drive option?"
The rear-drive Huracán would naturally shed a few pounds off the all-wheel-drive version's curb weight, but the question is just how much. There is said to have only been so much of the AWD system that Sant'Agata was able to strip out of the Gallardo to make the rear-drive Balboni edition after the fact, but if the Huracán was engineered from the get-go for both drivetrains, the rear-drive version could prove that much more thrilling to drive.