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Lamborghini restores two 50-year-old classics to mark their anniversary

Front-engined Lamborghinis are a thing again, thanks to the Urus SUV. For decades, the company built nothing but mid-engined vehicles, perhaps for a good reason. But 50 years ago, Lamborghini introduced two cruisers with front-mounted V12s, and to commemorate the anniversary, the company's historical Polo Storico division has now restored examples of both. Before the era of Diablos, Murcielagos and Gallardos, the Espada was the strongest seller in the Lamborghini stable. Between 1968 and 1978, Lamborghini built 1,226 Espadas, all of them with a 4-liter V12, and some of them with an automatic transmission — a Lamborghini first. Depending on the version, the Espada's power output ranged from 325 hp to 350, and it could exceed 150 mph while seating four. Taking its cues from earlier concept cars, the Espada's Gandini design can be remembered from the near-horizontal rear deck, and the 47-inch tall cars are very low for four-seaters. What about the Islero? For Lamborghini, it was a more conventional approach to a GT, as it was a further development of the earlier 400GT — itself a continuation of Lamborghini's first production car, the 350GT. A handy way to tell the cars apart is that the Islero has hidden headlights, unlike the two earlier models. Compared to the Espada, the Islero's production run was markedly shorter: It was built for only two model years, with a total of 225 cars. The engine was the same V12 as in the Espada, but while the Islero S also had 350 hp, it was notably faster, and able to reach 161 mph. Lamborghini's Espada/Islero celebrations include a special tour of the Umbria region in early September. There's a 400-mile tour of central Italy Sept. 7-11 for Lamborghini enthusiasts, arranged by Lamborghini Polo Storico. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Lamborghini Espada/Islero 50th Anniversary Lamborghini Classics lamborghini espada

Harry Metcalfe finds out if the Lamborghini Huracan lives up to the Countach

Former Evo editor Harry Metcalfe might not be as prolific with his Harry's Garage videos as Jay Leno, but the Brit certainly makes up for not releasing continual content with quality, knowledge and passion. Already a Lamborghini fan, Metcalfe is now getting behind the wheel of the Huracan and positions it side by side with his own Countach. Metcalfe brings two fascinating focuses to his videos that you don't often see in clips like this. First, he loves the details, and you get looks at sometimes-ignored elements of the Huracan like its stalkless steering wheel layout and door handle design. Also, he treats part of his drive like a buyer's guide and suggests what option boxes to tick or leave alone. Among those, Metcalfe has absolutely nothing nice to say about Lamborghini's variable ratio steering system, and this one features the standard rack. Unfortunately, you do have to deal with some road noise during Metcalfe's drive that can make him somewhat difficult to hear. The advantage is that once he's out of town, viewers get an earful of the Huracan's screaming V10 engine. Related Video:

Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato (Snowy) Road Test: Hitting the slopes in Vermont

"Yellow f***ing Lamborghini!" I've been spotted. I'm trying to change my boots as inconspicuously as I possibly can in the parking lot next to the ski lift, but when you're perched on the door sill of a Huracan Sterrato, a shiny yellow beacon in a field of filthy gray SUVs, there's no hiding. A young man on skis is losing his mind a short distance away, issuing the profanity-laced call to his friends to come to take a look at the bright wedge in the icy lot, and I know it's going to be a few extra minutes before I make it to the lift. You can't fault their excitement. Southern Vermont is unlikely Lamborghini territory at the best of times. In mid-January? Forget about it. You might see a brave Carrera 4, but that's about as exotic as it gets this time of year in the Green Mountains. In January, the hope is always that those mountains will be white. The roads, though, were in quite a state: muddy and icy and sloppy, and the perfect testing ground for this oddball supercar. Lamborghini showed its intent with the 2019 Sterrato concept, but it wasn't until mid-2022 that the company confirmed they'd actually build the thing. On paper, that thing doesn't seem so special. A paltry 44 mm of lift does not a rally car make, nor 30 and 34 mm of additional track at the front and rear, respectively, nor the bolted-on fender flares and questionably functional skid plates. But, as Brett Berk learned when he drove it through the desert, minor updates on paper can create fantastic cars. I planned for a test of a different sort, to pilot this delightful beacon across the winding and filthy roads of Upstate New York and Southern Vermont toward one of my favorite mountains. The car you see here, which Lamborghini provided for a long weekend, came complete with numerous options, the most significant (and worthwhile) being the $9,800 for the Giallo Inti paint. Total price? That would be $348,649 including the $3,695 destination charge and $2,100 gas guzzler tax – a lot of money for a winter beater. One of those options, though, threatened to stymie the trip before I even got out of my driveway. The accessory roof basket and the spare wheel Lamborghini attached to it using the included “wheel retainer belt” gives the Sterrato a certain stance and character. However, it created some challenges. I had initially planned on using my SeaSucker mount to simply stick my board on the roof and head for the hills. There was no room.