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Next-gen Lamborghini Aventador to get batteries and active aero?

Sportscar makers at the pointy end of class flout what appear to be inevitable business decisions the same way their offerings flout what appear to be inevitable physical limitations. Questions we've asked for years include: How long until Ferrari builds an SUV? (Next year.) How long until Chevrolet reveals a mid-engined Corvette? ( Soon?) And how long until Lamborghini must perform hybridised open heart surgery on its nonpareil V12? According to Motor Authority, as part of an interview with Lamborghini R&D honcho Maurizio Reggiani at the Detroit Auto Show, the answer to that last question is likely with the next generation. Reggiani told MA that the next-gen Aventador will definitely come with a V12. After that, the man who makes the bulls said "we must decide what will be the future of the super sportscar in terms of electric contribution," the principle issue of that contribution not being performance, but weight and power delivery. The 4,085-pound Aventador makes scales weep, explaining why Reggiani is so grave about weight implications that even a dual-clutch transmission - a seeming shoo-in for the next-gen car - won't get a pass until it justifies its extra heft over the present, hoary, single-clutch gearbox. Carbon fiber already forms the Aventador's tub, so engineers in Sant' Agata can't evaporate hundreds of pounds with that conversion. Lamborghini's been working on the new car's platform a for more than a year, no doubt with batteries in mind, yet stuffing a load of Triple As into the chassis could turn a battleship into a dreadnought. That formula works for Bugatti, but won't serve Lamborghini nor its clientele. Reggiani isn't opposed to some sort of electric assistance when the next-gen car bows in 2020 or 2021, and at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year said he sees plug-in hybrid tech as the next step, but we won't be surprised if the V12 song remains the naturally-aspirated same at launch. Still, the question of electrification - and turbocharging - remains one of "When?" There's so much writing on the wall that the writing is the wall: two years ago, Reggiani admitted that turbos will get bolted on "sooner or later," as did Lamborghini's commercial officer Federico Foschini last year, the Urus will dial up a hybrid powertrain soon, reports declare the next-gen Huracan will go hybrid in 2022, and Euro 6 emissions aren't getting less stringent. No matter how the coming flagship makes its power, expect more of everything.

Donald Trump-owned 1997 Lamborghini Diablo sells for $1.1 million

Like every former president since the 1960s, Donald Trump is not allowed to drive on public roads; he's driven around by trained Secret Service agents. He owned some pretty cool cars before becoming president, and one just sold for $1.1 million at a Barrett-Jackson auction. Part of the auction company's Scottsdale 2024 sale, this 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT roadster was reportedly configured and purchased new by Trump. It's finished in a shade of blue called Blu Le Mans that allegedly wasn't available to run-of-the-mill customers that year, fitted with a two-tone off-white and black interior, and equipped with a gated five-speed manual transmission. Power comes from a 5.7-liter V12 that's tuned to develop 492 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to send the supercar to a top speed of 202 mph. Barrett-Jackson notes that Trump sold the Diablo in 2002, so the "TRUMP 2016" decal on the rear window was added over a decade after his ownership, but there's a small "Donald Trump Diablo 1997" plate on the inside part of the driver's door that seemingly confirms he bought it new. The auction house notes that this car has had two owners since Trump sold it, so the person who paid $1.1 million for it is the third. @thestradman Crazy price for a Diablo VT Roadster #Lamborghini ? original sound - TheStradman While the odometer displays about 24,900 kilometers, which represents approximately 15,500 miles, the Carfax report indicates a mileage inconsistency in August 2003. That didn't deter bidders: it took less than 30 seconds for bidding to reach $500,000 and the winner spent more than twice that figure on the car. It was offered without a reserve, so the highest bidder would have taken it home regardless of where bidding stopped, but $1.1 million likely exceeded everyone's expectations; even the VT variants of the Diablo usually sell for under $500,000. For example, auction house RM Sotheby's sold a 1999 VT Roadster with about 18,800 miles for $456,000 in 2023 and a 1998 model with a little over 3,000 miles for $467,500 the previous year. Earlier rear-wheel-drive versions of the Diablo normally sell for considerably less. Celebrity ownership and an allegedly one-of-one configuration helped this Diablo VT cross the seven-figure mark. Beyond that, it looks like it has been relatively well preserved. It hasn't been questionably modified, and it was sold with its owner's manual as well as two tool kits.

One-off Lamborghini Revuelto Opera Unica took 435 hours to paint

Lamborghini turned the Revuelto, its new flagship model, into a one-off art car to celebrate its 60th birthday. Unveiled ahead of its public debut at the 2023 Art Basel show in Miami Beach, Florida, the 1,001-horsepower coupe named Opera Unica was designed in-house. Beyond commemorating 60 years of Lamborghini's V12-powered cars, the Opera Unica showcases what the brand's Ad Personam team is capable of. It was painted entirely by hand. The front end is finished in a color called Viola Pasifae, and the livery gradually fades into a shade of black called Nero Helene. That's just the base layer; Lamborghini then added blue, red, and orange accents to emphasize speed. Getting it perfect was more difficult than it might sound. Lamborghini notes that the livery required 76 hours of development and testing plus around 435 hours (that's over 18 days!) to apply. The finish touch is a 60th Anniversary logo on the hood that's only visible in the right light. That's just the exterior; the interior took 220 additional hours to complete. It's characterized by two-tone Nero Ade and Viola Acutus leather upholstery to echo the paint job's base layer and the 60th Anniversary logo embroidered into the seats and door panels. The color of the thread used matches the color of the brush strokes applied to the exterior. This color combination appears on the start button cover as well. "We wanted to create something purely artistic using brushes and a combination of colors, as if the Revuelto was a canvas. This is what fueled our inspiration for this special livery," summed up Mitja Borkert, the head of Lamborghini's design department, in a statement. It's business as usual under the body, meaning power for the Opera Unica comes from a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain built around a new, 6.5-liter V12. Crucially, the engine is naturally aspirated; Lamborghini resisted the urge to downsize and add turbos. The system also includes three electric motors and a 3.8-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Its output checks in at 1,001 horsepower and 793 pound-feet of torque, which is enough for a manufacturer-claimed zero-to-62-mph time of 2.5 seconds and a top speed of over 217 mph. Lamborghini hasn't revealed what the future holds for the Opera Unica. It could end up in the company's museum in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, or it might find its way into private hands. Either way, you'll know it when you see it: this is the kind of one-off car you can't miss.