2008 Lamborghini Murcielago 2dr Cpe Lp640 on 2040-cars

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Maserati and Lamborghini pull out of Iran

Daimler is out, Toyota is out, Porsche is out, Hyundai, PSA Peugeot-Citroën are out and when it comes to selling cars in Iran, now Maserati and Lamborghini are out, too. The definitive pullouts of those last two automakers are said to be reactions to a press conference held by a group called United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). The group highlights businesses that sell in both the US market and Iran, and works to get those businesses to choose one market or the other.
UANI said it had sent letters to Maserati and Lamborghini about their dealings in Iran, but that the letters went unanswered. Mark Wallace, head of UANI and a former US ambassador to the United Nations, held a press conference in October of last year that referenced the two companies. Apparently Lamborghini contacted Wallace just after the press conference and told him "they were out, they weren't doing any business in Iran anymore."
Discussions with Maserati then took place, and the Italian automaker said it had been out of Iran ever since Fiat announced it was leaving the country in May 2011. UANI said Maserati had been in talks with an Iranian distributor, however, and that distributor was continuing to use the Maserati name. The carmaker has since cut all ties with Iranian interests and has prevented its name from being used, adding that its new models will not be able to be sold there because they won't pass regulations the country's regulations.

Lamborghini Huracan EVO2 race car is a harbinger of future models

Lamborghini funneled the lessons learned from years of racing into the latest evolution of the track-only Huracan. Called EVO2, the coupe gains a number of aerodynamic updates and more powerful brakes for the 2022 season. You don't need to be a seasoned car spotter to tell the EVO2 apart from the outgoing EVO. Its front end has been completely redesigned with new-look headlights, air curtains on both sides of the bumper, and a reshaped splitter made with carbon fiber. It's the same story out back, where the LED lights are thinner and the diffuser is bigger. Most of the visual changes were made with racing in mind, but they'll have a lasting effect on the firm's range. "[The EVO2's design] blends the muscular styling cues that characterizes previous racing variants of the Huracan with some of the styling cues that define Lamborghini's DNA. Additionally, the Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 illustrates an futuristic approach to design that partly previews elements that will make their way to future road-going models," revealed Mitja Borkert, the head of the company's design department, in a statement. There's more carbon fiber, too. The rocker panel extensions and some of the aerodynamic elements fitted to the rear end are now made with the lightweight material rather than with plastic to shed every last ounce of weight. Lamborghini will inevitably electrify during the 2020s, but it plans to celebrate the non-electrified internal combustion engine in the coming years. Don't look for a hybrid system under the EVO2's body. It uses a naturally-aspirated, 5.2-liter V10 that's mid-mounted and tuned to send 620 horsepower to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential transmission. Bigger brake rotors and redesigned calipers capable of housing larger brake pads provide stopping power lap after lap. Lamborghini notes its Squadra Corsa division developed the new braking system in-house. Fans and drivers will get their first chance to see what the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 is capable of on May 28, 2021, at the Paul Ricard race track in the south of France. It's scheduled to make its competition debut during the 2022 season of the Super Trofeo series. Pricing for the European market starts at 250,000 euros, which represents about $306,100 at the current conversion rate. Alternatively, teams currently racing a Super Trofeo EVO will be able to purchase an upgrade kit to bring their car to EVO2 specifications. Pricing hasn't been announced yet.

Ares Design Panther a worthy tribute to the De Tomaso Pantera

Ares Design finally has its Panther ready. Codenamed Project 1 because it launches the Italian coachbuilder's Legends Reborn series, the Panther prowls as a modern interpretation of yesteryear's De Tomaso Pantera. Based on an all-wheel drive Lamborghini Huracan, the Panther does well to mimic the fat-back wedge of the original, and restores pop-up headlights to the 21st century performance cars. The specs go some way beyond De Tomaso's effort. Thanks to an ECU tune, sports catalytic converters and a new exhaust, the 5.2-liter V10 is rated at 650 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. That's 300 hp and 110 lb-ft away from the Ford-sourced 5.8-liter Cleveland V8 in the 1988 Pantera GT5 S. It's also 20 hp beyond the current Huracan Evo. The bodywork's been spun from carbon fiber, yielding a 3,138-pound dry curb weight, which is 91 pounds more than the Huracan Performante, four pounds more than the Evo version. Six-piston Brembos up front and four-piston units in back clamp carbon carbon ceramic discs behind a sweet set of staggered bronze wheels, 20 inches ahead, 21 inches astern. Those brakes will come in handy considering the 202-mph top speed. The interior can be dressed up any way an owner wishes, naturally. The demo model smothers the Lamborghini interior in even more carbon fibers, leather, Alcantara and cross-stitching. Ares Design will build only 21 Panthers, with first deliveries in May. The conversion takes three months, the price opens at 615,000 euros before options, or $696,300 in U.S. specie. None of those figures have any bearing on you, though, because all 21 build slots have already been paid for. So enjoy the gallery.