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Lamborghini profiled on 60 Minutes for 50th anniversary

Even though we (meaning car enthusiasts as a whole) don't spend our days driving Lamborghinis, they're somehow a familiar, known quantity. We know we'll be wowed by a Lambo, and we have a pretty fair idea of what the sound and acceleration feel like. We know a Lamborghini is going to be wildly expensive, hopelessly impractical and eye-wateringly thirsty, but the charm that comes with the badge outweighs everything else.
We also recognize that we, as enthusiasts, are in the minority, and that the average joe is likely to be far more blown away by a Raging Bull than the average gearhead. That's what makes this an entertaining video. 60 Minutes explored Lamborghini right in the midst of its fiftieth anniversary, testing a Gallardo at Imola, tearing across the roads of Italy in an Aventador and exploring the Sant'Agata factory where all the magic happens. It's a bit of a long video, but it's a really fascinating look at how the mainstream views something extreme. Take a look below for the full, 12-minute clip.

Weekly Recap: Geneva's splendor reflects growing demand for ultra-luxury cars

Geneva is one of the most glittering auto shows in the world, but the list of high-powered and bespoke luxury cars was decadent this year even by the rich standards of the Swiss exhibition. It's great for enthusiasts to revel in the flame-throwing Aston Martin Vulcan, the racing-inspired elegance of the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept and the insane performance of the Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce, but there's a reason for all of this opulence: the luxury market is big business. And it's growing. IHS Automotive forecasts that so-called ultra-premium sales will nearly triple this decade from 123,000 to 353,000 units around the world. The estimate includes brands like Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari and Rolls-Royce, but doesn't count BMW, Mercedes and Audi, which offer less expensive models in addition to their high-end flagships. Though IHS includes Porsche and its relatively large volume in the study, the ultra-premium segment is still set grow at about the same rate, even without the German automaker's figures. So what is propelling all of this growth in the most expensive segment of the auto industry? Put simply, there's more rich people. IHS Automotive principal analyst Tim Urquhart pointed to economic expansion in China, market recovery in the United States and a surge in the lucrative technology sector as contributing factors. This dovetails with a research report by UK-based Oxfam, an international relief organization, which found the world's richest one-percent owned 48 percent of global wealth in 2014, and it's expected to increase to more than 50 percent by 2016. View 17 Photos Carmakers are moving quickly to capitalize with new products, expanding their portfolios with low-volume speedsters like the 800-hp V12 Vulcan at Geneva, and plans to enter new segments, like Rolls-Royce's strategy to make an SUV. "Ultra-premium carmakers are looking to explore ways of growing their product offerings, and thus their bottom lines, in this most potentially profitable of segments," Urquhart wrote in a report on the Geneva show. In a nutshell, there are more choices for people with more money. It's a good time to have expensive taste. Other News & Notes 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata production launches It won't be long now. The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata arrives later this year, and it's officially in production. Mazda announced this week that the roadster began rolling off the assembly line at its Ujina factory in Hiroshima, Japan.

'Drive' the new Lamborghini Hurac?n today

Unless you're a captain of industry, a professional athlete or some kind of thickly bankrolled celebrity, there's a pretty good chance that you're not going to be amongst the lucky first owners of the upcoming Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4 supercar. We can commiserate, as just the though of slipping behind the wheel of the Gallardo-replacing monster, and gunning the 610-horsepower V10 engine is enough to get our hearts racing.
It's a kindly gesture on the part of Lamborghini then, to put together this little Huracán driving simulator for us 99-percenters. Perhaps not the very last word in graphical presentation or life-like physics engines, the sim is nevertheless a cool diversion for a flash-based driving game. If you're like us, you'll need a few laps to get acquainted with the brutish steering controls, but we trust you'll catch on. Last one around the test track buys the first round of grappa at happy hour.