2002 - Lamborghini Murcielago on 2040-cars

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Valentino Balboni thinks the Miura greatest Lambo ever

Valentino Balboni spent 40 years at Lamborghini, a few years as a mechanic's apprentice at the beginning, then as a test driver at the request of old man Ferrucio himself. He is embedded in the brand, said to have driven 80 percent of the company's entire production until he retired in 2009. He has ridden and tamed so many bulls that they named one after him, the 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni, and even made it rear-wheel drive because that's how he likes it. Balboni spoke to Road & Track in advance of an auction in New York on November 19 that will see a 1969 Miura P400S go on the block. A fixture from the days when mad men weren't merely characters on a television show, Balboni discusses taking customers for test drives, being sent on warranty calls, his favorite car, and why there will never be another one like it. Head over to RT to read the full interview from the man who helped make the original Countach, and therefore Lamborghini, what it is today. And in case you want in on the action, the pre-sale estimate for the centerpiece Miura is $800,000 to $1.6 million. Related Video:

Lamborghini will introduce a mysterious new model tomorrow

As the global automotive industry gradually emerges from months of COVID-19-related lockdowns, carmakers are beginning to unveil the models they should have shown us at the auto shows that were canceled during the first half of 2020. Lamborghini published a close-up of a mysterious new model on its official Twitter page, and it announced plans to unveil the car on its various social media channels on July 8 — that is, tomorrow.  "The future is here, and it is unlike anything the world may have seen before," the company wrote. While that's not a lot to start with, the winglet shown in the preview image looks suspiciously like the ones fitted to the limited-edition Sian FKP 37 introduced at the 2019 Frankfurt auto show. It stood out as Lamborghini's first production-bound hybrid model, and the V12-electric system's 819-horsepower output made it the firm's most powerful car. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Lamborghini can take the Sian in a number of directions. It could make the coupe lighter and more track-focused, for example. Alternatively, unverified rumors claim a convertible model is around the corner. Or, considering stylists put a huge emphasis on customization, it could merely show us the first customer-bound example. Although it's less than a year old, the Sian has already spawned several surprising derivatives, including a 3,696-piece Lego Technic kit that's over 23 inches long, and a 53,000-pound twin-engined yacht with 4,000 horsepower. Intrigued? So are we. Lamborghini will stream the event live on its official website and on its social media channels starting on July 8, 2020, at 6 p.m. in Bologna, which is 12 p.m. in New York City and 9 a.m. in Los Angeles. Regardless of what we'll discover, there is a high chance it will be sold out by the time it's unveiled.  Green Lamborghini Convertible Coupe Future Vehicles Hybrid

2025 Lamborghini Urus to drop gas-only model, go PHEV-only

After introducing the first hybrid to the brand this year in the Revuelto, Lamborghini's transformation takes two more big steps next year. Autocar reports that toward the end of 2024, the Urus will switch to a PHEV-only powertrain. We've known for a while there was an electrical cord headed to the Urus' flanks, but we didn't expect Lamborghini would give up the pure ICE variant. Brand honcho Stephan Winkelmann confirmed to Autocar the engine will be a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, but didn't give output figures. A 2021 report in Car magazine — back when the purported Urus PowerHybrid was due in 2022 — predicted the engine in question is coming from Porsche and would produce about 660 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque. The horse count would rise with help from a 168-hp electric motor in the transmission. However, the gearbox's internals wouldn't allow any more than 660 lb-ft. That's still a perfectly fine number; the 6.5-liter V12 and three electric motors in the new Revuelto "only" throw a combined 783 lb-ft. Today's Urus romps with a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 making 657 horsepower and 627 lb-ft. in both S and track-focused Performante trims. Theoretically, the Urus PHEV could crank that to about 830 hp and 660 lb-ft. The additional power would be partially offset by additional weight, as much as 551 pounds if Car is correct. This SUV would carry on until 2029, when an all-electric version ushers in a second generation. The Lamborghini Huracan successor is expected to debut before the PHEV Urus but go on sale about the same time as the Urus. Since that successor will use an adapted version of the engine headed to the Urus mated to the transmission in the Revuelto, we expect the release of vital details to begin as soon as the new baby coupe makes its introduction, thought to be around next spring.  To hear Winkelmann talk, we're ruminating now on the last hurrah of old-school, visceral, ICE-powered Lamborghinis. The brand has a high-riding battery-electric 2+2 GT penned in to debut in 2028 with about 300 miles of range. That will be the next big sign of things to come. He told Autocar, "You go with the most difficult legislation, which is the US, and is really California. Other states adopt CaliforniaÂ’s rules — typically big cities and thatÂ’s where we sell cars. ... Even if it [legislation] is not banning EVs, taxation will be a killing factor.