2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder Convertible 2-door 5.0l, Pearl Orange, E-gear! on 2040-cars

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Bertone's Lamborghini-V12-powered minivan was ahead of its time

PARIS — Italian design house Bertone traveled to the 1988 edition of the Turin auto show (which was still a big deal in the late 1980s) to unveil a Lamborghini-powered design study. This wasn't unusual, as the two companies had worked together for decades, but the Genesis concept turned every head in the convention center because it was a van. Now it's turning heads again this week at the Retromobile Show in Paris. Bertone's styling and prototype-building teams allegedly spent a total of 30,000 hours making the Genesis look more futuristic than the minivans many kids carpooled to school in during the late 1980s, and much sportier. It needed to tick both boxes. It was a concept car, so it had captivate the public's attention, and it was powered by a 455-horsepower, 5.2-liter V12 borrowed from the Countach Quattrovalvole, so looking the part was a must. The mighty, front-mid-mounted 12 channeled its power to the rear wheels through a rather lame three-speed automatic transmission provided by Chrysler, which owned Lamborghini at the time. Sliding doors gave the rear passengers access to one of the more unusual interiors we've seen. There were two front-facing seats positioned over the rear wheels, and a single rear-facing chair in the middle of the interior. The front passengers faced forward, as you'd expect, but they could also move their seat cushion around to look at the folks riding in the back. Someone still needed to drive, so this configuration was best used when parked. While naming the concept Genesis was a little bit optimistic on Bertone's part, putting a Lamborghini engine in a minivan with butterfly doors was a courageous move. It was ahead of its time, too, because blob-shaped vans are a dime a dozen at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and they're almost universally welcomed as the transportation of the future. Bertone may not have had autonomous technology to play with, but it had a V12. Related Video:     Featured Gallery 1988 Bertone Genesis at Retromobile 2020 View 9 Photos Auto News Lamborghini Minivan/Van Performance Classics

Lamborghini builds 2,000th Aventador, production rate continues to climb

Last July, Lamborghini celebrated the assembly of its 1,000th Aventador. That was an impressive milestone for the $400,000-plus supercar, as its Murciélago predecessor took took nearly three years to accomplish the same feat. But the automaker's biggest and baddest bull has broken another milestone, as the Aventador celebrated its 2,000th vehicle produced last week. The Nero Nemesis (matte black) car rolled off the assembly line on June 6, destined to the garage of Thaddeus Arroyo, who lives in the States.
Originally launched as a closed-roof coupe at the Geneva Motor Show in 2011, the Italians introduced the open-roof LP 700-4 Roadster last fall at the Los Angeles Auto Show before allowing us to drive it in February of this year. Assembled in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Lamborghini's Aventador is currently running at a production rate of nearly five units per day.
Lamborghini has understandably been very pleased with its flagship, and customer demand shows no signs of faltering. According to the automaker, the waiting list for new car is longer than a year. Be sure to check out the press release below.

Lamborghini Cabrera spotted, ready to fill Gallardo shoes

Facebook user Marchettino (already a minor YouTube celebrity for his supercars channel) spotted the successor to the Lamborghini Gallardo throne out and about on public streets and was kind enough to snap a few photos of the machine. Word has it that a concept car precursor to the newest supercar will bow at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show this September under the Cabrera name. As you've likely already heard, the model is said to ride on the second-generation Audi R8 platform, complete with a composite aluminum and carbon fiber construction to reduce weight as much as possible. How light will will the Cabrera be? Lamborghini is reportedly shooting for a curb weight of around 3,300 pounds.
Power will likely come from a massaged version of the 5.2-liter V10 in the current Gallardo. Expect around 600 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque.
The vehicle in these photos looks to have abandoned some of the Gallardo's angles in favor or more organic lines, though it's possible body cladding is hiding the car's true design. Murcielago SV-style sills and side air intakes serve up quite a bit of aggression and the quad exhaust looks properly menacing as well. We can't wait to see the finished product.