2008 Lamborghini Gallardo on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Italian investigators search Lambo headquarters in VW probe

Italian investigators searched Lamborghini headquarters on Oct. 15 to look for evidence of managers' involvement in Volkswagen's emissions cheating. VW's main office in Verona was also inspected, according to Reuters. Lamborghini is owned by Volkswagen, and Lambo in turn is listed as the owner of VW Group Italia. Authorities wanted to find out if employees were conscious that the vehicles were skirting emissions rules. "It is one thing if I sell water and pretend it's wine, but if I sell water believing it is wine it's different." Verona chief prosecutor Mario Giulio Schinaia said to Reuters. Italian newspaper Gazetta del Sud reported that several managers in Italy were under investigation for alleged fraud. Prosecutors in Germany have also been rigorously investigating VW, and they recently staged a similar raid on the company's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. The automaker reportedly turned over documents and other data relating to the software defeat device. Meanwhile, VW's internal investigation has turned up little wrongdoing, though a recent leak suggested otherwise, and at least 30 managers could have known about the defeat device. The automaker has disputed that figure. Volkswagen of America CEO Michael Horn testified before Congress that he believed only a few individuals were involved. The situation hasn't been easy on VW in the US, either. The Department of Justice has also been pursuing an investigation into the automaker. Plus, state attorneys general are filing lawsuits against the company for defrauding customers. VW has until Nov. 20 to explain a repair for the problem to the California Air Resources Board. Related Video:

2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP 620-2 Super Trofeo [w/video]

Pull a run-of-the-mill Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 off the Sant'Agata Bolognese assembly line, and you'll get a fearsome piece of machinery that can hit 60 miles per hour in as little as 2.5 seconds and reach a terminal velocity in excess of 200 mph. The stats are stunning, but the boys at Lamborghini want more – not just numerically, but more in the greater glory of an all-encompassing, brand-aggrandizing, Ferrari kind of way. Why compare the Raging Bull with the Prancing Horse in particular? Surely, any self-respecting gearhead knows that the two brands exude subtly different swaggers. But the gap goes well beyond the superficial: while Ferrari (not to mention competitors like McLaren and Porsche) has nurtured an enviable racing history from LeMans to Monaco, Lamborghini's history on the track is a bit scarcer. The Volkswagen Group recently thrust Bentley back into competition to reinvigorate the brand's past glories, and the next VW brand to win the racing lottery is Lamborghini. Behold: the Lamborghini Huracan LP 620-2 Super Trofeo. Born To Race While Lamborghini claims a long history of wedge-shaped exotica, the Huracan was the first production car in the brand's half-century history to be engineered from scratch with the racetrack in mind. As such, the street car's screaming, naturally-aspirated V10 and 3,135-pound curb weight are mere starting points for Dallara Automobili, the firm tasked with developing the racecar in conjunction with Lamborghini. For starters, the standard Huracan is alleviated of many of its pedestrian trappings like airbags, sound systems, and swanky power-operated leather seats. By jettisoning the unnecessary, the Super Trofeo manages to slim down nearly 330 pounds, to around 2,800 pounds. Don't let the mere 10 (metric) horsepower jump fool you: the LP 620-2's Motec engine management system not only adds data acquisition capabilities (which work alongside an eight-setting traction control system and a 12-setting Bosch ABS setup), it completely changes the power delivery characteristics of that 5.2-liter V10. More on that later. A good chunk of that weight loss comes from the removal of the entire front end of the drivetrain, which transforms this Huracan from an all-wheel-drive animal to a rear-drive beast.

Dan Neil pokes fun at the celeb cars of 2014

Look, we try really hard not to pay any attention to the Kardashians and their vapid reality TV empire. But, as troubling as that brood may be, occasionally we're impressed and/or horrified by their four-wheeled conveyances. In fact, that curiosity extends beyond talentless reality stars with rotund glutes to celebs in general. That's why we're enjoying Dan Neil's sometimes biting take on the celebrity cars of 2014. Besides paying tribute to Kim K, husband Kanye West and the adorable Lamborghini that their spawn rides about in, Neil also takes a look at LeBron James' turn as a Kia spokesman and boxer Floyd Mayweather's trio of Bugatti Veyrons. Matthew McConaughey is a focus of Neil's as well, thanks to his oft-panned advertisements for Lincoln (and the raucous parodies they inspired), before finishing on the high, with Jerry Seinfeld and his new Porsche 918 Spyder. Take a look at Neil's recap of the celebrity cars of 2014. News Source: The Wall Street Journal Celebrities Humor Bugatti Kia Lamborghini Lincoln Porsche Videos porsche 918 spyder celebrity dan neil