2008 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder on 2040-cars

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BMW Z8, Lambo LM002 sell for $192,500 apiece in Detroit [w/poll]

Think a car are a bad investment? That all depends on what kind of car you're talking about. Because while most cars depreciate in value as soon as you drive them off the lot, others can do even better than hold their value. The cars that appreciate tend to be pretty high-end exotics, but they don't have to be multi-million-dollar classics to command a premium at auction. Just look at the results from RM Sotheby's Motor City sale in Detroit this past weekend. The auction house moved a solid $7.4 million worth of metal, which is pretty impressive when you consider that – unlike events at Lake Como or Pebble Beach – not one of the lots dipped into seven figures. 1930s-era American classics performed the strongest, with Duesenbergs, Packards, Auburns and the like all fetching hundreds of thousands. But what intrigued us most were the European exotics that rounded the top ten results. Amidst the Depression-era American steel were a BMW Z8 from 2001 and a 1988 Lamborghini LM002, each of which sold for an equal $192,500. Hardly the highest figures paid for European exotics this year, but considering how much they were worth just a few years ago, they've proven solid investments. BMW only made 5,703 examples of the Henrik Fisker-designed retro Z8, of which only 2,543 were brought to the United States, where they originally sold for $128,000. The most anyone had ever paid for one at auction, according to Sports Car Market, was $184,082, just this past March at Silverstone. That makes the price achieved this weekend a new record for one of the slinkiest vehicles the Bavarian automaker has ever made, representing an impressive 50-percent increase in value over the course of fourteen years. This particular example – chassis WBAEJ13481AH60437 for those keeping track – is decked out in silver over black, with less than 15,500 miles on the odometer. This Rambo Lambo was produced early in the 301-unit production run, with the sought-after carbureted engine and 32,000 miles on the clock. It didn't set any records at the same price, other examples of the LM002 having traded over the past few years for over $200k. But considering that Sant'Agata originally charged around $120-130k for the SUV when it was new, its selling price still represents about 50-percent appreciation (leaving inflation aside).

Lamborghini Aventador Pirelli Edition available this summer

Lamborghini offers buyers incredible levels of performance combined with angular, avant-garde styling That grabs everyone's attention. Now, the Italian brand is giving its customers the chance to flaunt their supercars even more with a new Aventador Pirelli Edition. Designed to celebrate Lamborghini's relationship with Pirelli that goes back to the tires on the original 350 GTV prototype, these special-edition Aventadors keep all of the high-performance mechanicals and add a little extra to show off in two available looks. The first paints the roof, pillars, mirrors, engine cover and intakes matte black and gives the body a high-gloss finish in the buyer's choice of six colors. Alternatively, the supercars can have gloss black for those portions and paint the rest of the bodywork in a choice of four matte shades. Either the coupe or roadster can be ordered this way. Regardless finish, all of these Aventadors get a thin, red stripe over the roof, engine cover, mirrors and air intakes. The whole look is completed with red brake calipers (yellow for Rosso Mars models) and gloss-black wheels. As should be obvious, these editions wear the Pirelli tires, specifically P Zeros. The interior carries the motif inside. The seats are clad in black Alcantara and feature red stitching along with Lamborghini and Pirelli crests on them. The red stripe from the outside also covers the ceiling and seats, too. Naturally, a plaque identifies these models as part of this special-edition series. The Aventador's usual mechanical bits hide underneath the two-tone look, meaning each is powered by a 6.5-liter V12 pumping out 691 horsepower with power going to all four wheels. The Pirelli Editions are available for order now and deliveries start in the early summer of 2015.

The Lamborghini Centenario is sold out

Lamborghini is expected to unveil a new supercar at the Geneva Motor Show in a couple of months. Tipped to be called the Centenario, the limited-run special will commemorate the hundredth anniversary of company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini's birth. But before it makes its public debut, the company has reportedly sold every last one. The Centenario (or whatever it's ultimately called) will be the latest in a line of limited-production supercars rolling out of Sant'Agata, following in the footsteps of the Reventon, Sesto Elemento, and Veneno. It's expected to be based on the Aventador, but with unique bodywork and a more potent version of Lambo's 6.5-liter V12 engine. The company is expected to produce 40 examples – 20 coupes and 20 roadsters – all of which have reportedly already been spoken for despite a price tag of nearly $2.4 million. The trend of selling out such high-end machinery prior to their debut is picking up steam at the top end of the supercar market. Manufacturers like Lamborghini, Bugatti, Pagani, and Koenigsegg typically show their most dedicated customers plans for what they have in store behind closed doors and start taking deposits before the vehicle is ever shown to the public. And with such limited production numbers, they sell out rather quickly, no matter how many millions the company charges for the privilege. As Autocar points out, 2016 also marks the 50th anniversary of the Miura – one of Lamborghini's most legendary models. Ten years ago the company marked the model's 40th anniversary with a one-off concept that never saw production. While Lamborghini is more forward-looking than prone to retro throwbacks, we wouldn't be surprised to see some form of tribute resurface this year.