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

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Lamborghini's first EV will be a sports car with usable rear seats

Lamborghini's first series-produced electric car will make its debut by the end of the 2020s. We know the EV will arrive as a fourth model line, not as a battery-powered version of an existing car, and the brand revealed some of the areas it's focusing on during the design phase. Company boss Stephan Winkelmann recently confirmed the yet-unnamed EV will arrive as a grand tourer with a 2+2 seating layout, so it will bring Lamborghini back to a segment it left many decades ago. Federico Foschini, the firm's chief marketing and sales officer, revealed that the rear seats won't be merely for show: He told Motor Authority that they'll be "comfortable." Reading between the lines suggests that the EV will fill the gap between Lamborghini's two-seater super-sports cars, such as the new Revuelto flagship, and the family-friendly Urus SUV. Foschini added that two adults will be able to travel in the EV's back seats. This is fairly rare in 2023: most of the 2+2s currently on sale, including the Porsche 911, have rear seats that are best left to small kids. One of the few exceptions is the new, second-generation Maserati GranTurismo, which is surprisingly spacious for its segment. The Bentley Continental GT is also big enough to accommodate four adults. It's too early to provide technical specifications because the EV isn't scheduled to land in showrooms until 2028 at the earliest. Regardless of what the model is powered by, Foschini noted that the development team is shooting for over 300 miles of range. "This is what you need, because it's a full electric vehicle. You have no alternative range," he told Motor Authority. Note that "over 300 miles" is the best-case scenario; the executive clarified that the total number will depend on the driving mode selected, which is also true for combustion engines. More details about Lamborghini's upcoming electric model will emerge in the coming months. In the meantime, the Italian brand is preparing to electrify its entire range by 2024. The first step on this path is the aforementioned Revuelto, which uses a gasoline-electric hybrid system built around a new, 6.5-liter V12 engine. Next is the successor to the Huracan, which will reportedly use plug-in hybrid technology as well.

Rough seas delay salvage operation for burning ship carrying luxury cars

LISBON — Rough waters forced authorities on Wednesday to postpone a salvage operation for a ship packed with luxury cars that have been on fire for a week in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a port official said. With teams unable to board the Felicity Ace, heavy tug boats sprayed water to cool the vessel, which is carrying around 4,000 vehicles, including Porsches, Audis, Lamborghinis and Bentleys. Lamborghini of America CEO Andrea Baldi told Automotive News that there were dozens of pre-sold Lamborghinis aboard, mostly the Urus SUV. But also some Huracans and Aventadors, the latter of which have ceased production. The ship's 22 crew members were evacuated last Wednesday, the day the fire began. Some of the vehicles are electric, and their lithium-ion batteries have made the fire very difficult to extinguish, port officials have said. Joao Mendes Cabecas, the captain of the nearest port on the Azorean island of Faial, said the blaze had lost its intensity — probably because there was little left to burn. Salvage teams hoped to board the ship, which is is adrift around 170 km southwest of the Azores near Portugal, to assess its condition and start preparing it for towing, the Portuguese navy said in a statement on Tuesday. The navy took photos of the ship that showed a gaping hole at least four decks high, with burn marks running the length of the ship. It is unclear if the vessel will be towed to the Bahamas or Europe. Cabecas told Reuters bad weather prevented the team from boarding the ship. Waves as high as 2.5 meters battered the coast of Faial on Wednesday, Portugal's weather agency IPMA said. The salvage team was expected to be flown to the ship on a helicopter belonging to the Portuguese air force, which will decide on Thursday if the operation can proceed, Cabecas said. Ship manager Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL) said in a statement on Tuesday the vessel was still on fire but stable, and that no oil leak had been reported so far. It did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the cause of the fire. Insurance experts said the incident could result in losses of $155 million.   Weird Car News Audi Bentley Lamborghini Porsche

Here's Italian patriotism in the form of Lambos, Ducatis, and jets

We're proud 'Muricans here at Autoblog, but we can't deny that other countries can be pretty darn cool, too. A perfect example comes to us from Lamborghini... and Ducati and the Italian Air Force. Apparently the trio came together to celebrate Italy building fast things. The event happened at Rivolto Air Base, where Lambo and Ducati demonstrated the speed and agility of their machines on the runways, and the Italian National Aerobatics Team did the same in the skies while recreating the Italian flag. Lucky for us, they got video of the event, which is above for your viewing pleasure. Now someone needs to start organizing an American version of this, with the Blue Angels, Corvettes, GTs, and Vipers. The Stars and Stripes might be a little tougher to skywrite, though. Related Video: Image Credit: Lamborghini Auto News Lamborghini Military Supercars Videos Ducati jet