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Lamborghini Urus SUV traces roots to a feline predecessor

The recently-revealed Urus isn't Lamborghini's first SUV. The LM002 pioneered the super-4x4 segment when it made its debut at the 1986 Brussels Auto Show. Tracing its history requires traveling to the mid-1970s, when Ferruccio Lamborghini sold the automaker that he founded and retired in the countryside to hunt and make wine. The new owners had practically no experience in building cars. Instead of expanding the lineup, they sought to land engineering and production contracts. Lamborghini teamed up with an American defense contractor named Mobility Technology International (MTI) to create an off-roader for the United States Army. The partnership spawned a vehicle named Cheetah, unveiled at the 1977 Geneva Auto Show. The Cheetah looked like a Meyers Manx buggy on steroids that ate Jeep CJ-7s for breakfast. The shape of the body gave it unusually high approach and departure angles, while the flat body panels facilitated the task of installing body armor. "Like the cat for which it is named, this high-performance vehicle has explosive acceleration, high speed and sure-footed agility over virtually all terrain," a period brochure claimed. The Cheetah could certainly tame Mother Nature's worst side, but the brochure exaggerated its performance credentials. Power came from the same 5.9-liter Chrysler 360 V8 engine found in Dodge's D-Series trucks. Lamborghini mounted it in the back, and its 183-horsepower rating contributed to a woeful power-to-weight ratio. The eight-cylinder spun all four wheels via an automatic transmission also found on Chrysler's parts shelf. Lamborghini didn't secure the Army's contract. The automaker stood on the brink of collapse. An Italian court took control of the company after it filed for bankruptcy in 1978, and a Swiss entrepreneur later came to the rescue. The new management saw an immense amount of potential in the Cheetah and relaunched the project. Decision-makers spotted an opportunity to enter the burgeoning leisure vehicle segment. Notably, they identified a market for a Cheetah-like car in the Middle East, where a Countach was unpractical at best and a Nissan Patrol was far too pedestrian for oil barons. Lamborghini unveiled a prototype named LM001 at the 1981 Geneva Auto Show. It took the Cheetah concept a step further with an updated look, though it retained the rear-mounted engine. Built as a development mule, it illustrated the limits of a rear-engine off-roader.

Lamborghini Gallardo Squadra Corse will cost $260K* and only come in yellow

If you live in America and want one of the 15 Lamborghini Gallardo Squadra Corses slated for our shores, you'll be happy to know you can have it any color you want, so long as it's yellow. Seems a bit odd, we'll agree, but Lambo's Giallo Midas is kind of a trademark for the brand.
Pricing for the special edition Gallardo, which is limited to just 50 units worldwide, starts at $259,100, *not including the $2,100 gas guzzler tax or the unspecified destination costs. Besides the 15 cars slated for the US market, Canada will get three vehicles of its own. Regardless of where you buy your Squadra Corse, though, they'll be individually numbered and will begin deliveries in September.
Finally, Lamborghini has released a few more images of the new car (not in yellow, oddly), which we've added to our gallery, above.

Lamborghini Accademia at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

I found it to be a rare, genuinely rewarding educational experience.
Lamborghini is putting more effort into its North American motorsports efforts and promotion, so we recently attended its first-ever Intensivo driving school at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, spending a day behind the wheel of both its Huracán and Aventador supercars. Offered under the Squadra Corse banner, Experienza is designed to provide a taste of Lamborghini's cars on a circuit, Intensivo is designed to maximize track-time learning, and Accademia and Advancada - only in Europe for now - are focused on the driver and driver technique. Beyond those, Squadra Corse can also provide Super Trofeo instruction to get you fit for the Blancpain one-make series and GT3 racing, too.