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Wild one-off Lamborghini Sogna for sale at $3M [w/videos]

The Lamborghini Countach was the dream car for many teens and pre-teens in the 1980s, but at least one Japanese man thought there was room for improvement. As the story goes, Ryoji Yamazaki had a dream of a supercar as a 13-year-old, and at the age of 41, he used his design studio, Art & Tech, to create the Sogna in 1991.
Yamazaki unveiled the Sogna at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show as a rebodied Countach with intentions of selling it in limited production, but thankfully - or sadly, depending how you look at it - the $1.6 million (1991 price) coachbuilt supercar never made it into production. The Geneva show car was a rolling chassis, and the only other example that was produced was a fully operational version, shown above, which was unveiled at the 1994 Essen Motor Show. This car from Essen is now listed for sale on James Edition for 2.38 million euros, or around $3.25 million USD.
With its oddball styling and kiwi green paint, the Sogna was likely doomed from the start, but it still boasts the Countach's full powertrain including the 448-horsepower, 5.2-liter V12 and a claimed top speed of 186 miles per hour. Check out more images of the 1994 Sogna at James Edition and Enmann, and we also found a couple videos, which are posted below, of the car's early development.

Lamborghini, Bentley recalling models with carbon-ceramic brakes

An issue involving carbon-ceramic brakes has prompted Lamborghini and Bentley to recall certain models so equipped. The problem, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, revolves around the stainless steel screws that secure the brake rotors, which are prone to corrosion when exposed to salty conditions.
The recall affects 2007-2009 Lamborghini Gallardo coupes and Spyders, 2006-2010 Murcielago coupes and Roadsters and 2007-2011 Bentley Continental GTs, GTCs and Flying Spurs. All in all, some 1,136 vehicles are subject to the recall in the United States, including 263 Gallardos, 404 Murcielagos and 469 Continentals. The fix seems simple enough, with local Lamborghini and Bentley dealers replacing the problematic screws with new ones. The recall follows two notices recently issued for Audis as well. For further details, see the trio of recall notices below.

Watch this 1,000-mile Lamborghini Espada road trip

The Lamborghini Espada was four-passenger GT built by the Italian automaker from 1968-1978. While some may consider its appearance ungainly, a 60-degree, 4.0-liter V12 fed by Weber carburetors generated 350 horsepower, enough to give the 3,600-pound two-door spirited performance when compared to its peers. Making the driving experience even more engaging was its standard rear-wheel drive, a slick five-speed manual gearbox and a lack of power steering (the automaker offered an automatic and power steering on later models).
Whether or not you are a fan of this unique four-seater or its era, this Evo magazine video of editor Harry Metcalfe touring France as he makes his way along the epic Route Napoléon (today, part of a 200-mile section of Route Nationale 85) is worthy of its 19-minute run time - if not for just the sound of the wailing twelve-cylinder engine.
The mountain portions are simply spectacular, and Metcalfe does his usual excellent job narrating as he joyfully coaxes the GT's narrow tires (205/70-15) around each corner, calling the Lamborghini a "four-wheel drift machine," but actually preferring its high-speed capabilities. We particularly enjoyed his fuel stop, explaining the odd top-off procedure, as well as his early morning pre-flight when he realized that the Lamborghini had been running on only 11 cylinders during the previous day's segment. Watch the joy in the journey below.