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Lamborghini Urus gets the green light for production [UPDATE]

UPDATE: We've gotten the official press release from Lamborghini, which you can read below. In it, company president Stephan Winkelmann does say that the new vehicle will be built in Sant'Agata Bolognese in a move to demonstrate "our commitment to safeguarding the values of 'Made in Italy' worldwide." It's been a long time coming, but the official word has finally come down: Lamborghini is going to build the Urus. The Italian automaker first gave us a sneak peak at the crossover concept in New York, before revealing the Urus in concept form at the Beijing Motor Show back in 2012. And we had a chance to catch up with it again in Monterey that summer. That's a lot of buildup. Ever since, Lambo has been toying with putting it into production as its third model line, alongside the existing Huracan and Aventador two-door supercars. All it's been waiting for is the go-ahead from parent Volkswagen, which it has now received. Autoblog received confirmation from a spokesman at Lamborghini of the Urus' production approval, with official details to be announced within the next few hours. Word has it that the high-riding Raging Bull will hit showrooms in 2018, but watch this space for more details as we find them. The Urus (or whatever it's ultimately called) will join a burgeoning market for high-end crossovers, alongside the likes of the Bentley Bentayga, Jaguar F-Pace, Aston Martin DBX and Maserati Levante. Unlike those forays, however, Lamborghini's will not be its first SUV. That honor will forever belong to the LM002, nicknamed the "Rambo Lambo" that came out just before the original Hummer and was powered by the Countach's V12 engine. Just what will power Sant'Agata's new crossover remains to be seen. However the signs have been pointing towards it at least being offered with the company's first hybrid powertrain, as previewed in the Asterion concept from Paris. With substantial incentives being offered by the Italian government, it is expected to be built in Italy – or at least assembled there. Much of the production work is likely to be carried out in Slovakia where the Audi Q7, Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne (with which the Urus is destined to share its underpinnings) are made. Scroll down to read the official announcement.

Lamborghini Aventador spotted with more aggressive look

The Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 has been a huge success for the Italian automaker. The big, burly V12 supercar propelled Lamborghini to record profits a few years ago and the automaker wants to ensure that the Aventador remains relevant with a minor facelift that makes it look even more aggressive. Photographers caught an Aventador testing at the Nurburgring and the vehicle looks like a toned down Aventador LP750-4 SV. At the front, the prototype has smaller air intakes on either side of the front grille, of much the same angular design as the more powerful SV. These replace the unobstructed, larger square-like intakes on the regular model. The prototype still has the same overall profile as the current model. The changes at the back of the prototype are more dramatic. The rear wing is still the same shape and size, but the rear vents, which sit just below the taillights, appear to be smaller and more rectangular. The diffuser, which protrudes out of the prototype's rear end, is closer to the one found on the SV than the more restrained one on the normal Aventador. The exhaust outlet on this test vehicle is also different with a triangular shape that has a three-pipe design instead of the oval-enclosed four-pipe design on the current Aventador. It's also different from the exposed quad-pipe layout emerging from the SV's aggressive hindquarters. We're sure the different exhaust layout will alter the supercar's sound, but rest assured that the revamped Aventador can still spit a massive ball of flame. Rumors hint at the Aventador getting some additional power from its 6.5-liter V12 that currently generates 691 horsepower and 509 pound feet of torque. While the performance increase is up in the air, a dose of additional aggression will keep the Aventador looking fresh as it ages. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lamborghini Aventador Spy Shots View 12 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Lamborghini Coupe Performance Supercars testing

Is Lamborghini readying a hybrid for Paris?

Lamborghini had us seriously stumped when it released its teaser (above) for a new vehicle that'll debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show. The image seemed to depict a fastback GT somewhat reminiscent of Lambo's earlier 2+2 models like the Espada, and was accompanied by the sentence, "Once perfection is achieved, you can just double it." We're still not entirely sure what the means, but a possible leaked logo for the car might offer some big hints about its powertrain.
According to the Office of Harmonization in the Internal Market in Europe, Lamborghini applied for a trademark on the name Asterion on September 15 to cover vehicles, clothing, toys and video games. The logo (right) included a lightning bolt slashing through the 'O' in the word. That could suggest this forthcoming vehicle is a hybrid, but it's also not clear whether we're going to be hearing about a pure concept, or a production model.
The name itself might also be a tell. Asterion is one of the names for the Minotaur in Greek mythology, which is a creature that is part bull and part man. This could be another indication that the concept combines the traditional Lamborghini style with something else.