2012 Lamborghini Gallardo Lp550-2 Coupe. Suzuka Grey. Red Interior. 900 Miles. on 2040-cars

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Lamborghini rules out sub-Huracan sports car

There is a kind-of-new segment emerging in the sports car market: an area in between vehicles like the Porsche 911 Carrera and supercars like the Ferrari 488 GTB or Lamborghini Huracan. It's a space recently defined by the Audi R8 and Porsche 911 Turbo, with some newcomers rushing in. McLaren joined in with the 570S and Ferrari is tipped to be looking at a new six-cylinder Dino revival. But Lamborghini isn't in any rush participate. At least not for now, and not with a completely new model. Speaking with Car and Driver during the New York Auto Show, Lamborghini chief Stephan Winkelmann said you can "never say never" about anything in this business, but that the prospect a more accessible sports car underneath the Huracan is not currently on the table. Winkelmann pointed towards pricing and volume considerations, but we imagine there's more to it than that. The Volkswagen Group of which Lamborghini is part already tackles that segment with the aforementioned Audi R8 and Porsche 911 Turbo, and while the German giant has never shied away from flooding a market segment with overlap from its various divisions, the R8 and the Huracan are already closely related. The Lambo chief did hint that decontented versions of the Huracan could fit the bill, though. Sant'Agata's ten-cylinder model currently starts at $237,250, but the previous Gallardo started at $191,900 before it was phased out. That was for the less powerful, rear-drive LP 550-2, which could hint at a successor under the Huracan's umbrella. And that's just $7k more than McLaren will be asking for the 570S. Aside from the prospect of a cheaper Lambo, Winkelmann also told C/D that the Asterion hybrid concept was strictly a technological demonstrator with no chances of production, that the Urus crossover project is still on the table, and that the supercar market isn't growing as fast as you might think. Related Video:

Maserati and Lamborghini pull out of Iran

Daimler is out, Toyota is out, Porsche is out, Hyundai, PSA Peugeot-Citroën are out and when it comes to selling cars in Iran, now Maserati and Lamborghini are out, too. The definitive pullouts of those last two automakers are said to be reactions to a press conference held by a group called United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). The group highlights businesses that sell in both the US market and Iran, and works to get those businesses to choose one market or the other.
UANI said it had sent letters to Maserati and Lamborghini about their dealings in Iran, but that the letters went unanswered. Mark Wallace, head of UANI and a former US ambassador to the United Nations, held a press conference in October of last year that referenced the two companies. Apparently Lamborghini contacted Wallace just after the press conference and told him "they were out, they weren't doing any business in Iran anymore."
Discussions with Maserati then took place, and the Italian automaker said it had been out of Iran ever since Fiat announced it was leaving the country in May 2011. UANI said Maserati had been in talks with an Iranian distributor, however, and that distributor was continuing to use the Maserati name. The carmaker has since cut all ties with Iranian interests and has prevented its name from being used, adding that its new models will not be able to be sold there because they won't pass regulations the country's regulations.

The List #0691: Drive a Lamborghini

The List's tour of Italy continues as Jessi and Patrick visit Sant'Agata Bolognese, the home of Lamborghini. While a museum and factory tour provide a brief distraction, our hosts are champing at the bit to hop behind the wheel of the 691-horsepower Lamborghini Aventador. "The Aventador has all the sex appeal you'd expect from an exotic Italian sportscar," says Jessi. "And this Lamborghini has the updated technology you'll need to keep a previously raw and sometimes frightening driving experience to a pure, unadulterated thrill." Watch as Jessi and Patrick unleash this raging bull on the streets of Italy. Have an RSS feed? Click here to add The List. Click here to subscribe to The List in iTunes. Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick. Lamborghini Driving Coupe Supercars The List Videos Original Video autoblog black