2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Coupe Just Serviced March 2014 Low Miles Viola Ophelia on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Shuffle at Lamborghini sends CEO to Quattro GmbH

A management shakeup in Volkswagen Group's high-performance divisions will make Stephan Winkelmann (above) the new chief executive of Audi's Quattro GmbH on March 15. On the same day, former Scuderia Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali will replace Winkelmann as Lambo's boss. These changes are necessary because current Quattro chief Heinz Hollerweger is retiring. Rumors of these exact shifts cropped up in Italian media in December. Winkelmann began leading Lamborghini in 2005, and he has been at the helm for massive growth at the company. In 2015, the Italian supercar maker delivered a record 3,245 vehicles, and it had just set its previous best of 2,530 units in 2014. His new role at Quattro GmbH puts Winkelmann in charge of Audi's equivalent to M at BMW or AMG at Mercedes-Benz. The division is responsible for the Four Rings' R and RS production models, the Audi Sport customer racing program, and Audi Exclusive customization service. "In the future, the Audi Sport brand is to be positioned more clearly," the company's announcement said, which hints at one of Winkelmann's duties. Domenicali has been closely associated with Lamborghini rival Ferrari during his career and had years of experience within the automaker's racing team. He started in financing at the Prancing Horse in 1991 and moved to business planning for the Scuderia Ferrari F1 squad in 1993. He held many positions there and eventually ascended to the top as team principal in 2008. Domenicali resigned from leadership in 2014 because of the team's poor performance, but Audi quickly snapped him up as its as Vice President New Business. He now gets the reins of one of Italy's premiere supercar makers. Related Video: Stephan Winkelmann to be new CEO of quattro GmbH As of March 15, 2016, Stephan Winkelmann (51) will be the new CEO of quattro GmbH, a 100 percent subsidiary of AUDI AG, which produces and distributes the high performance R and RS models. Winkelmann was President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. since January 1, 2005. Heinz Hollerweger (62), the current Head of quattro GmbH, is to retire after almost 40 years of successful work for Audi. "With his experience from more than eleven years in charge of Lamborghini, Stephan Winkelmann will be a key contributor to the further growth of quattro GmbH," says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG.

2018 Lamborghini Huracan Performante First Drive | The Banshee of Sant'Agata

Lamborghini didn't need to build the Huracan Performante. The folks in Sant'Agata could have just rolled out another special-edition Huracan - Superleggera, Tricolore, probably even Mostaccholi - and sold every one. Instead, they gave the junior Lamborghini a trick active aerodynamics system and updated everything enabled by new levels of downforce and more grip from the latest-generation of tires. And then just to prove it's not messing around, Lamborghini went out and set at new production-car Nurburgring Lap Record. The Huracan Performante is a statement. This is Lamborghini's way of saying that its future will not just be high-tech, but the kind that brings world-class performance. And it will be loud. Very loud. Sound is the most defining characteristic of this car. In the era of turbocharging, everything else is too quiet. Quiet is not a problem in the Performante. In track-ready Corsa mode (one of three settings), the exhaust drowns out everything, even your internal monologue. And it's not just loud, it sounds like an honest-to-god racecar. Making a V10 sound not just decent, but back-of-the-neck-hair thrilling, would have been enough. But as we've hinted, there's more to the Huracan Performante. So how did we get here? Lamborghini rolled out the Performante title to define all-encompassing performance. So the all-wheel-drive system stays, the engine gets tweaked, some weight goes out, and Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva (ALA, or Lamborghini Active Aerodynamics) comes in. Fun fact: Ala means "wing" in Italian. We've covered most of the details in earlier posts, but to quickly review: ALA uses internal flaps at the front splitter and on the rear wing to alter airflow, either running for maximum downforce or creating a stall effect that lowers drag. At the rear, the system channels air through the wing struts, and using each side independently aids the handling. The increased downforce, plus sticky new Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires, necessitated a retuning of the suspension. Through new springs and anti-roll bars, vertical stiffness is up 10 percent, and roll stiffness increases 15 points. The engine gets a new intake and exhaust, plus titanium intake valves that allow more lift. The improved breathing is good for 630 horsepower, 28 more than before, with 443 pound-feet of torque. And to tie it all together, the integrated chassis control system (Lamborghini calls it ANIMA) was recalibrated.

Low-rider Lamborghinis, motorcycle gangs and Yakuza make Underground Hero a must watch

Japan's Yakuza are some of the most dangerous and feared criminals on the planet, known for a disturbing level of commitment and honor. Just do some research on yubitsume to see what we mean.
Underground Hero: Love To Hate Me is a video from Luke Huxham, that takes a look inside Yakuza car culture, showing that these dangerous criminals aren't all that different from normal enthusiasts when it comes to their cars. Focusing on Shinichi Moroboshi, owner of a modified Lamborghini Diablo and someone we wouldn't be interested in angering, it focuses both on his life in the Yakuza and just what drew him towards the Diablo.
There's also an interesting look at Japan's modding culture, where neon chassis lighting is still alive and well. The effect it has on these cars, mostly from Lamborghini, is actually pretty dramatic, almost classy. The video also focuses on Bosozoku, in this case, Japanese motorcycle gangs. These aren't your Harley-Davidson riding Hell's Angels, rather, these riders lean toward tricked out Hondas and Suzukis (heavily modified cars are also a staple of Bosozoku culture).