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Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini utilities await approval from German parents [w/poll]

A cursory look at the top of the automobile market would suggest that the world's carmakers are gunning it full steam ahead into a new stratosphere of ultra-luxury and high-performance utility vehicles. After all, companies like Bentley and Maserati are preparing to launch their very first crossovers, while established players like Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover keep producing ever more expensive sport-utes of their own. But that's not the case across the board.
Rolls-Royce, for example, has yet to receive the green light to start working on its proposed CUV project. Though the dimensions of its sedans may already eclipse those of some crossovers, this would be the first time that Goodwood would produce a utility of its own. But while the British automaker's financial performance may have earned it a degree of autonomy, the final call may still come down to parent company BMW, which just might be waiting to see how Bentley fares with its upcoming crossover - and how much money it brings in to the Volkswagen Group - before deciding on whether or not it should proceed.
However, Rolls-Royce may not be alone in waiting for its German parent company to approve its high-priced ute. It's been two and a half years since we first laid eyes on the Lamborghini Urus (pictured), but the Italian automaker reportedly has not yet received approval from its parent company Audi and the greater Volkswagen Group to proceed with development and production. Envisioned to share its platform with the next Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and the production version of the Bentley EXP 9 F concept, the high-riding Lamborghini was originally set to reach production as the marque's third model line in 2017. But while Audi drags its feet - potentially waiting to see how the Bentley version pans out - the Urus' launch keeps getting pushed back, if it's ever to be made at all.

Lamborghini Huracan Superleggera tests new wheels for a dash through the snow

The top-end Lamborghini Huracan Superleggera was caught testing in the snow this week. While most of the car looks similar to the test vehicles seen at the Nurburgring, there are a few differences. Most notably with the wheels. This is the first time we've seen a Huracan with these spindly five-spoke wheels, which look sharp, and are probably lightweight. They also wear bright red center-locking wheel nuts. This is a distinct difference from earlier prototypes that wore conventional wheels with five lug nuts. As for the rest of the car, there isn't much new to report. The large front and rear vents and rear diffuser remain the same, as do the relocated exhaust and giant rear wing. What is a bit odd is that this winter tester appears to be missing the deep chin spoiler and side scoops of the Nurburgring cars. We assume these pieces were removed only on this test car, since even the standard Huracans feature the large side scoops. Lamborghini probably removed these bits of body work to avoid damaging them in deep snow. When the Superleggera is finally unveiled to the public, we expect it will likely have at least 611 horsepower, like that of the Super Trofeo race car. This would also make sense since the standard model already makes 602 horsepower, so an extra nine shouldn't be a stretch. The Superleggera will also bring the total model count for the Huracan to five, now that the company has revealed the rear-drive LP580-2 convertible. Considering the fact that the previous head of Lamborghini hinted there might be a total of five models, there probably won't be any other Huracan variants coming. Related Video:

Jeremy Clarkson chooses his top 10 cars for 2015 and 2016

Jeremy Clarkson is well-known for his role as co-host on the old Top Gear. But the frontman of the upcoming Amazon Prime Show, The Grand Tour, also has a standing column for The Sunday Times in the UK where he reviews the latest cars. With fall nearing, Clarkson put out a list of his top-10 cars from this year and 2015. Some on the list will surprise you, while others represent everything we've come to love about Clarkson. In order to make his list of star cars, the vehicles must offer what co-host James May calls "the fizz." The vehicles, Clarkson claims, have something that is out of the ordinary. Whether it's the car's looks, the way it gets up to speed, or its high-tech gadgets, Clarkson's top-10 list is made up of items that are more than just tools for getting from point A to B. So which ones made the list? Head over to the column in The Sunday Times. Mazda MX-5 Miata 2.0 Sport Recaro Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe Mercedes-AMG GT S Ford Focus RS Ford Mustang Fastback 5.0 V8 GT Volvo XC90 D5 AWD Vauxhall Zafira Tourer 1.6 CDTi Tech Line BMW M2 Ferrari 488 GTB Lamborghini Aventador Related Video: Featured Gallery Jeremy Clarkson's Star Cars For 2015 and 2016 View 11 Photos News Source: The Sunday TimesImage Credit: STEFAN HEUNIS / AFP / Getty Images Celebrities BMW Ferrari Ford Lamborghini Mazda Performance bmw m2 ferrari 488 gtb