2003 Lamborghini Murcielago on 2040-cars

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Lamborghini says it could build the Sterrato rally car at a profit

Automobile spent an hour working out the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato concept at the Volkswagen Group's Nardo test track. Naturally, the question of a production version came up. Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini's chief technical officer, told the magazine a customer version would be possible, only because "the provisional business case suggests that we can build this car at a profit." And the secret to making money on the car would be 3D printing. The composition of the Sterrato is 96 percent bone-stock Huracan EVO. Same naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 with 631 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, same all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering and torque vectoring, same 20-inch wheels. The exterior departures come in the handling software retuned for dirt and loose surfaces, a 1.85-inch lift, fender flares and a one-inch wider track, off-road tires backed by mud guards, aluminum plates front and rear. and those auxiliary LED lights. The cabin gets a titanium roll cage and five-point racing harnesses. Perhaps save for the software, the edits are cosmetic add-ons, and Reggiani said Lamborghini can fabricate "all restyled or new body panels, claddings, ducts, and splitters on 3D printers." The carmaker developed a kind of plastic especially for the cause, "a lightweight synthetic material which is in its final shape bolted or screwed onto the finished body." The Automobile piece said Lamborghini would need to assess the material's durability, and perhaps sort out a different solution for the "armadillo rear-window cover that messes up what view there is." There would also be the "jackhammer noise level" to attend to. Otherwise, the mag's assessment is that the Sterrato is "even more playful than its brethren, and the mere prospect of enjoying a long cold winter in a hard-core sports car is bound to make quite a few Lambophiles reach for their checkbooks." The case for the car is presented as the Sterrato forming one in a line of special edition Huracans that will maintain interest in the model until the replacement arrives in 2023 or 2024. Next year we'd get the hardcore Huracan STO, or Super Trofeo Omologato. A potential Sterrato could show in 2021, limited to between 500 and 1,000 units, sold for about $271,000 each. That's about $9,000 more than the 2020 Huracan EVO AWD coupe. A Huracan hybrid would be follow in 2022, a Huracan Superveloce providing the model's backstop before the successor.

Texas man gets prison for buying Lamborghini with Covid funds

A Texas man who spent coronavirus relief funds to feel a little less bored during lockdown is staring down a nine-year prison term after pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. Lee Price III finagled more than $1.6 million in low-interest relief loans, the Associated Press reports, which he spent to pay off a mortgage and buy a couple of cars: an $85,000 Ford F-350 and and Lamborghini Urus.  According to the Houston Chronicle, Price's scheme involved funneling a little under $1 million through each of two of his businesses (Price Enterprises Holdings and 713 Construction), both of which Price claimed had large payrolls that needed to be covered using emergency funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). While these were ostensibly loans, they were structured to be forgiven if the funds were distributed within 10 calendar days and the borrower applied for forgiveness within 10 months of taking the loan. Provided those criteria were met, it was essentially free money to cover payroll. Price's employees, however, did not exist.   You'll be forgiven for thinking you've heard this story before. Coronavirus really seemed to bring out the Lamborghini fans. A California man was accused of adding one to his garage (along with a Ferrari and Bentley) and plead not guilty earlier this year to charges that he scammed more than $5 million from the PPP. Last year, a Florida man's scheme to defraud the same program was undone by a hit-and-run accident in the blue Lamborghini Huracan Evo he bought with the proceeds. 

The Grand Wagoneer is ambitious, but luxury comes naturally for Jeep

The good life is coming easy for Jeep, or perhaps I should say, naturally. The rough-and-tough off-road brand that can credibly claim it helped win World War II is offering a level of luxury that borders on decadent in its latest line of SUVs. After a weekend in the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, I can reiterate that Jeep’s status as a luxury good producer is legit. Really, JeepÂ’s upward mobility is nothing new. Anyone who has driven a Grand Cherokee in a top trim in the last decade will tell you the materials and layout rival premium brands of all stripes. But jumping up into the Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer (here's our First Drive Review) territory means a different kind of fight for Jeep. ItÂ’s facing off against vehicles like the GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator. The Grand Wagoneer Series III like I tested starts at $104,000, and mine had plenty of options. At this point, Jeep is also taking aim at Mercedes, BMW and frankly anyone who makes a six-figure SUV. ItÂ’s not a Bentley Bentayga rival, but with huge touchscreens, soft saddle brown leather, rear infotainment, massaging seats, and silky McIntosh speakers, the Grand Wagoneer is one of the most well-appointed vehicles IÂ’ve tested. Will consumers pay six figures for a Jeep? Is it a luxury good? My sense is yes to both. Built just north of Detroit, the Grand Wagoneer offers an authentic Team USA vibe that works for things like Shinola and L.L. Bean. Jeep has been named the “most patriotic” brand in the U.S. for 19 straight years, and the Grand Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee L have small flags on their flanks, so thereÂ’s substance to support the marketing and mythology. The Grand WagoneerÂ’s only obvious downside is its fuel economy, which seems woefully behind the times, even for a hulking SUV. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Interior Review | Autoblog Short Cuts Other News and Views: The Lamborghini Countach LP 500 is back Well, sort of. An ‘important collectorÂ’ commissioned Lamborghini to recreate a one-off replica of the original 1971 prototype that presaged the Countach. While the actual car was destroyed in crash testing in 1974 — things were different back then — Lambo painstakingly recreated the car that debuted at the '71 Geneva Motor Show using archival documents and original spare parts. It created new bodywork with modern tactics to get the details spot-on.