2006 Lamborghini Gallardo Balloon White Over Nero W/white Stitching Carbon on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2021 Lamborghini Huracan Evo RWD First Drive | One smart, well-groomed bull

LE CASTELLET, France — Growing up in the 1990s, the Italian supercars I read about sounded like the automotive equivalent of kayaking over a waterfall — thrilling, unforgettable, and potentially very hazardous. The industry's elites were often described as cramped, unpredictable, and generally finicky but extremely rewarding for the few skilled enough to tame them. It's a stigma that still hovers above the supercar segment like a dark cloud in 2021, yet with a handful of notable exceptions, it hasn't been accurate in many years. It takes little more than a lively jaunt in a 2021 Lamborghini Huracan Evo RWD to spot how Italy's unique breed of road weapon has evolved over the past few decades. Autoblog has spent time in the Huracan Evo before, but it was in an all-wheel-drive model that we put through its paces on the Willow Springs track in Southern California. Fast-forward to 2021, and I'm in a rear-wheel-drive coupe on the picturesque winding roads surrounding the Paul Ricard circuit in Southern France. I couldn't sneak my way onto the track for a few laps because Super Trofeo and GT3-spec variants of the Huracan hogged it all weekend. Several carmakers positioned all over the automotive spectrum have used the Evo designation. In Lamborghini-speak, it denotes not a rally-bred sports sedan but an evolution of the Huracan with subtle design tweaks that add downforce and increase the amount of cooling air channeled to the engine bay. It still looks like a Huracan, but you don't need a magnifying glass to tell the updated model apart from its predecessor, especially from the back. Lamborghini saves scissor doors for its V12-powered models, like the Aventador S, so the Huracan's swing out like in a normal car's. Once inside, the first thing you notice is that it feels like a proper luxury car. The cabin is dominated by Alcantara, leather, and a type of carbon fiber called Forged Composites (which was developed in-house by the brand). It's all very well put together; the fit and finish is excellent. In the driver's seat, you face a digital instrument cluster whose layout changes depending on the driving mode selected (they're called Strada, Sport, and Corsa, respectively) and a three-spoke steering wheel with a switch that lets you select the three aforementioned profiles. Even a supercar needs technology in 2021. Stuffing a mammoth engine in a lightweight chassis hidden under an attention-grabbing body is no longer enough to lure enthusiasts.

Leno hops behind the wheel of Adam Carolla's 1968 Lamborghini Islero

The Last time Adam Carolla was on Jay Leno's Garage with his 1966 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2, the vintage Italian ran out of gas while out on the drive. Leno has found endless humor in this since, and continues to rib Carolla about not driving his cars enough. With the famous comedian and podcaster's return to JLG, he has switched Italian supercar brands to show off his recently restored 1968 Lamborghini Islero. One of just 125 made, the Islero is a rare piece of Lambo history. The styling is a bit of a departure from the brand's early GTs with a more angular shape and pop-up headlights. The rear is also especially beautiful, with four exhaust outlets poking out like stingers. Underneath the hood is the Italian brand's famous and aesthetically beautiful V12 with four liters of displacement. Take a short ride in this sports coupe and listen to Leno's constant needling of Carolla right up until the very end.

Lamborghini could be sold or spun off from the Volkswagen Group

Volkswagen is reportedly considering a sale or stock listing for its high-end Lamborghini brand. The German automaker is looking to fold the Italian supercar brand into a separate legal entity, reports Bloomberg, which cites "people familiar with the matter" who don't want to be identified "because the deliberations are confidential and no decisions have been made." Any of this sound familiar? The goal of spinning off Lamborghini would be to stockpile more cash and other resources for VW's massive planned push into electric vehicles. Back in March, reports circulated that Volkswagen's "Vision 2030" corporate plan might include plans to focus on the brand's core brands — VW, Audi and Porsche. That means the futures of fringe players like Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, motorcycle brand Ducati and design firm Italdesign (and note this isn't a comprehensive list of brand's under the expansive VW Group umbrella) are up in the air. VW, according to the report, is targeting a market value of $220 billion, which is a big jump from the brand's current $89 billion valuation. Bloomberg pegged Lamborghini's valuation at around $11 billion back in August, buoyed by sales and profits generated by the introduction of the Urus sport utility vehicle. On the flip side, Lamborghini is currently grappling with how best to update its supercar lineup in the face of ever-increasing emissions regulations.