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Lamborghini finds and restores the Miura used in 'The Italian Job' movie

Today is a historic day for fans of the film "The Italian Job." Lamborghini just announced it has found and completely restored the original Lamborghini Miura P400 used in the film's opening scene. And no, this one was never ceremoniously dumped off the side of a mountain and into a ravine. That was a second, different Miura that Lamborghini provided Paramount Pictures with — it had already been crashed, so was considered a perfect donor car for the scene. Of course, even a crashed Miura is worth some serious cash these days. The orange Miura in question here is #3586, and is verified as the one driven by actor Rossano Brazzi (playing Roger Beckermann in the film) and stunt driver Enzo Moruzzi on the Great St Bernard Pass. We'll put the video right here for you, since those who haven't seen it need to, and those who have most certainly want to watch it again now. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Lamborghini's in-house restoration unit, Polo Storico, did all the work to certify and restore the Miura. It's been a long-time coming, too — this Miura has been off the map since the filming ended and Lamborghini sold the film car to someone in Italy. The car was found in The Kaiser Collection of Vaduz, which happens to be in Liechtenstein. Lamborghini is certain this is the right one after looking at the documentation, company archives and a full examination of the car itself. Testimonials from enthusiasts and former Lamborghini employees further solidified the belief that this was the movie car. The only difference you'll notice between this fully restored Miura and the movie scene is the color of the seats. Lamborghini swapped out the white seats for black ones, as they were worried the white seats wouldn't make it back to the factory in perfect condition. However, there was no time to swap the headrests (mounted to the dividing glass) for black ones to match the seats, which you'll notice in the movie scene. We know we'll have "On Days Like These" running through our heads for the rest of the day on account of this incredible find. Thankfully, Lamborghini provided a bunch of photos to look at the car post-restoration, so go check them all out above as you race to your VCRs to watch the film once more.

Audi reportedly shoots down $9.2 billion investor bid for Lamborghini

Volkswagen is open to divesting some of the brands in its portfolio, but it hasn't put a "for sale" sign on in front of Lamborghini's lawn yet. The firm allegedly shot down a big offer for the brand from a group of investors. Quantum Group SA, a newly-established holding company based in Zurich, Switzerland, made the non-binding offer in May 2021, according to anonymous sources who spoke to WardsAuto. The publication adds the group is ready to spend 7.5 billion euros (around $9.2 billion at the current conversion rate) to buy the entire Lamborghini division from Audi. The sale would include the brand, its intellectual property (like its trademarks and patents), its historic factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese, and its racing division. Full details about the proposed acquisition were closely examined by top Volkswagen executives, including company CEO Herbert Diess and Audi boss Markus Duesmann. While the offer sounds like it's neatly packaged, Volkswagen replied that it's not having a garage sale. "Lamborghini is not for sale. This is not the subject of any discussion within the group," a company spokesperson told industry trade journal Automotive News. These comments are in line with the ones made in December 2020. Quantum's aim wasn't to sever all ties with Volkswagen. It planned to turn Lamborghini into "a spearhead for innovation by consistently implementing new clean drivetrain technologies" across the range, a strategy that's already in the pipeline; Lamborghini announced it will electrify in the 2020s and launch its first series-produced EV. Investors also hoped to sign a five-year supply agreement with Audi, and to create what they called an Advanced Automotive Innovation Center headquartered somewhere in Lower Saxony, the German state Wolfsburg is in. In late 2020, when rumors about an imminent Lamborghini spin-off were rampant, Volkswagen stressed it had no plans to sell the Italian supercar manufacturer or to find a new home for Ducati, which Lamborghini owns. Unverified reports claim a chunk of the company could be listed on the stock market in a bid to raise revenue, however. Bugatti is another part of the Volkswagen empire that Diess and his team allegedly wanted to trade in to fund the group's pivot towards electric powertrains. In September 2020, reports claimed top executives had approved swapping the storied French carmaker and its assets for a significant stake in Croatia-based Rimac that would be transferred directly to Porsche.

Lamborghini may bring a hybrid Espada successor to market in 2025

Lamborghini's CEO Stefano Domenicali was recently interviewed by Automotive News. And in the interview, there are some tantalizing tidbits about future product plans. In particular, he talks a little about the company adding a fourth mainline car to its current lineup of Aventador, Huracan and Urus. Note, this probably wouldn't have any affect on a super-limited production model like the rumored hypercar based on the Terzo Millennio. The news outlet specifically asked if it would be a successor to the Espada grand touring car, and while doesn't explicitly say that it is, he does mention the importance of space and getting the right powertrain. So it sounds like it will be something at least more practical than the company's current supercars. Domenicali also noted that we won't be seeing this new fourth Lamborghini for a while. It's targeted to come out between 2025 and 2027. When asked about an electric variant, he said that the current plans are just for a plug-in hybrid version. He doesn't rule out the possibility of a full electric, but the company hasn't seen the demand quite yet for a full electric Lamborghini, and the company would want to work with Volkswagen to figure out how such a car would fit in with the larger corporation's plans and goals. That particular tidbit would be a sign the aforementioned hypercar won't feature an electric powertrain like the Terzo Millennio concept with which it supposedly shares its design. The other product information Domenicali talked about was related to hybrids. He again confirmed that the next Aventador and Huracan, or whatever the successors are called, will feature plug-in hybrid powertrains. The first will be a V12 plug-in for the Aventador replacement, and the Huracan replacement will have a V10 plug-in. The company is still working on a Urus plug-in hybrid, too. It has, however, had some problems getting the desired performance from test engines that have included twin-turbo V6s and a V8. You can read more about what's next for Lamborghini in the full Automotive News interview. Related Video: