2007 Lamborghini Gallardo, 1 Celebrity Owner, 2300 Miles, Egear, Celeste Phoebe on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen posts quarterly profit despite drop in sales

Volkswagen returned to profit in the third quarter as surging Chinese demand for luxury cars helped offset a 1.1% drop in vehicle deliveries due to the pandemic, sending its shares as much as 3% higher on Thursday. The German automaker's return to the black comes amid spiking coronavirus cases in Europe that led governments in France and Germany to order their countries back into strict national lockdowns on Wednesday. "The coronavirus remains a central problem," Volkswagen Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter said in a conference call with reporters. "This situation now is anything but relaxed." But Witter said the group expected the economic recovery to continue and did "not anticipate any nationwide lockdowns in larger markets." Witter said the takeover of U.S. truck maker Navistar International by Volkswagen's trucking unit Traton was an important acquisition, but the "current economic climate will not make this easy." Volkswagen reiterated it expects to post a profit for the full year, saying its business "recovered noticeably" in the third quarter as sales in China of premium vehicles, including Audi and Porsche sports cars, rose 3%. The quarterly performance was also aided by a series of cost-cutting measures launched earlier this year. Volkswagen said its net liquidity rose to 24.8 billion euros from 18.7 billion at the end of the second quarter. Excluding one-time items, third-quarter operating profit was 3.2 billion euros ($3.8 billion), down from 4.8 billion euros a year earlier, but up from a second quarter loss of 1.7 billion. In a note to clients, Jefferies analyst Philippe Houchois described the results as a "solid performance with strong cash, but relatively muted in the context of the (auto) sector recovery." Last week, German rival Daimler reported a record 24% jump in Chinese demand for its Mercedes-Benz cars, boosting its margins in the third quarter. Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot manufacturer PSA Group both also posted solid results this week. Witter said Volkswagen could not say for sure whether it would meet EU CO2 emissions targets this year, adding "it will be a tough race." At 1030 GMT, Volkswagen shares were up 2.9% at 129.20 euros. Related Video: Earnings/Financials Audi Bentley Bugatti Lamborghini Porsche Volkswagen

Lamborghini Huracan Superleggera tests new wheels for a dash through the snow

The top-end Lamborghini Huracan Superleggera was caught testing in the snow this week. While most of the car looks similar to the test vehicles seen at the Nurburgring, there are a few differences. Most notably with the wheels. This is the first time we've seen a Huracan with these spindly five-spoke wheels, which look sharp, and are probably lightweight. They also wear bright red center-locking wheel nuts. This is a distinct difference from earlier prototypes that wore conventional wheels with five lug nuts. As for the rest of the car, there isn't much new to report. The large front and rear vents and rear diffuser remain the same, as do the relocated exhaust and giant rear wing. What is a bit odd is that this winter tester appears to be missing the deep chin spoiler and side scoops of the Nurburgring cars. We assume these pieces were removed only on this test car, since even the standard Huracans feature the large side scoops. Lamborghini probably removed these bits of body work to avoid damaging them in deep snow. When the Superleggera is finally unveiled to the public, we expect it will likely have at least 611 horsepower, like that of the Super Trofeo race car. This would also make sense since the standard model already makes 602 horsepower, so an extra nine shouldn't be a stretch. The Superleggera will also bring the total model count for the Huracan to five, now that the company has revealed the rear-drive LP580-2 convertible. Considering the fact that the previous head of Lamborghini hinted there might be a total of five models, there probably won't be any other Huracan variants coming. Related Video:

Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder opens up in Frankfurt

The Lamborghini Huracan is still a fairly fresh member to the supercar scene, but at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Lamborghini is giving its wealthy clientele an open-air variant of the V10 with the newly unveiled LP 610-4 Spyder. The introduction finally gives the brand a natural successor to the discontinued Gallardo Spyder. Mechanically, buyers are still getting a Huracan with its 5.2-liter V10 pumping out 602 horsepower (the 610 in the name is in metric ponies) and 413 pound-feet. A seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox routes power to all four wheels. Performance is quite brisk, with the sprint to 62 miles per hour coming in 3.4 seconds and to a top speed of 201 miles per hour. One thing the hardtop obviously can't match is the power-retracting roof that can open up in just 17 seconds at speeds up to 31 mph. Lambo's designers didn't just take a saw to the top and go sip an espresso, either. The roofline is thoroughly resculpted behind the seats both for improved aesthetics and to direct airflow around the occupants. When the roof is down, it's easier to spot the new nacelles that run down the rear of the supercar. Ducts in those bits help reduce turbulence, and they look great too. Another cool touch is that the rear glass is power operated and can be opened to let the V10's roar into the cabin. The first Huracan LP 610-4 Spyders arrive in spring 2016. Lamborghini is setting prices in Europe at 186,450 euros before taxes ($210,111 at current rates). The actual US figure could be somewhat different, though. Related Video: