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2020 Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder debuts ahead of Geneva Motor Show

Lamborghini hasn't wasted any time in showing us the drop-top version of the updated Huracan, set to be called the Huracan Evo Spyder. It takes all the goodness of the recently revealed Huracan Evo, but loses the roof. Surprised? Yeah, neither are we. This supercar will be shown at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, but Lamborghini has given us photos and a bunch of the details today. We drove the 2020 Huracan Evo around the F1 circuit in Bahrain last month, and are happy to report that it's still every bit the brutally quick and incredible Lamborghini that it replaces. With the roof down, you'll be able to hear that screaming 5.2-liter V10 a little better, though. The Spyder has the same 640 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque that the coupe has, but loses a couple tenths in the run to 62 mph, according to Lamborghini. No surprise – the Spyder is a significant 265 pounds heavier than the normal Huracan Evo, bringing it up to a hefty 3,400-pound dry curb weight. A coupe will get there in 2.9 seconds, but the Spyder is rated for 3.1 seconds. Such a shame (read: sarcasm). Top speed is unchanged from the coupe at 202 mph. Lamborghini doesn't specify if that's with the roof up or down, but it's safe to assume up. The soft top roof operates at the same speed as before, going up in 17 seconds at up to 31 mph. A rear window powers down behind you to enhanced enhanced exhaust sound, just like the previous Huracan Spyder. You'll get all the same performance features as the normal Huracan Evo, including the predictive-logic vehicle dynamics control system that anticipates the driver's next move. There's an enhanced version of the Lamborghini Piattaforma Inerziale accelerators and gyroscope sensors to monitor the car's position at any moment in time. The Spyder's looks adopt a lot of the elements from the normal Evo. A new front splitter, larger air intakes, and slotted spoiler help air flow better around and through the car. The same twin-exhaust coming out the rear bumper will play a wonderful note for the passengers with the top down. As is always the case, the Spyder is more expensive than the hardtop. Base price is $287,400 for the Evo Spyder, and the first deliveries will be in spring of this year. Related Video:

Anything but subtle | 2017 Lamborghini Aventador S First Drive

It's just past dawn and I'm running on a thin supply of caffeine and adrenaline, but the 2017 Lamborghini Aventador S I'm chasing around Circuit Ricardo Tormo just made me crack a grin: faint blue flames are simmering deep within the leader's three exhaust pipes, pulsing almost imperceptibly as it whips around the track. Few things about the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 (including its alphanumeric name) were subtle, but the boys in Sant'Agata Bolognese have gone full-bore at refining the famously unwieldy flagship enough to make it drive as capably as it looks. This updated version has been rechristened with an S at the end of its name, and yes, in the twisted microcosm of earthbound fighter jets, flames coming out of hindquarters qualify as subtle. Of course the Aventador S produces more power – to the tune of 729 horsepower, a 38-hp climb from before, with torque only increasing by one, to 509 pound-feet – and the extra grunt affects neither its 0-to-62-mph time of 2.9 seconds nor its terminal velocity of 217 mph. But version 2.0's most notable improvements apply to the big Lamborghini's chassis, which now uses a four-wheel-steering system to countersteer the rear wheels below around 75 mph, and turn them in phase with the fronts for stability at higher speeds. The system responds in 5 milliseconds, and has the virtual effect of shortening the wheelbase by up to 20 inches or lengthening it by 27 inches. In case you're keeping tabs, the extra 13 pounds of the steering hardware are offset by a new titanium exhaust system, essentially rendering the curb weight unchanged. If you've ever tried to toss a boomerang through a maze, you've got a basic idea of what it took to carry an original Aventador through a high-speed corner. The act required some patience to allow the front wheels to dig in and take hold, and even more resolve to wait for the perfect moment to squeeze the right pedal and power out of the apex. Accelerate too early, and you'd suffer terminal understeer until you allowed the weight to shift, likely triggering traction control as you goosed the throttle on the way out. At the Spanish track, the new Aventador manages something the first one couldn't: though it still retains some understeer, it also dances and turns more willingly, snaking its way through each corner with a gratifying combination of weight transfer and grip. Oh happy, fire-breathing day.

Volkswagen Group's Vision 2030 strategy could bring revolution to the brands

One would expect a corporate plan called "Vision 2030," looking 11 years ahead through wildly tumultuous times, to involve great change and numerous forks in numerous roads. According to Automobile's breakdown of Volkswagen's path forward, though, the plans contain some lurid potential surprises. The ultimate aim is return on investment, and that means ruthless reorganization of a conglomerate with eight primary car brands, two car sub-brands, and Ducati motorcycles. The first two Vision 2030 cornerstones Automobile mentions are near boilerplate: Production network restructuring, and "streamlining of key technologies." The latter two are the ones that could upend what we know as the Volkswagen Group: focusing on the Group's core brands — meaning Audi, Porsche, and VW — and transitioning to EVs, autonomy, and other mobility solutions. Based on the report, a quote from Audi's CTO referring to the Audi brand could cover how the Group plans to handle all of its brands: "We need to find a sustainable solution for the indefinite transition period until EVs eventually take over." The boutique divisions adjacent to carmaking, Ducati and Italdesign, look likely to be spun off. For the halo car brands — Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini — apparently shareholders want double-digit returns on investment, and the trio doesn't have long to hit the target. One eyebrow raiser is when the report states, "Bugatti is tipped to be gifted to [ex-VW Group Chairman] Ferdinand Piech." Piech fathered the Veyron during his tenure at VW, and it was thought he commissioned the La Voiture Noire, but he's lately stepped so far back from VW that he sold all his shares in the Group. Automobile quoted a senior strategist as saying of money-losing Bentley, "Why invest on a backward-looking enterprise when you can support a trendsetter? A proud history and excellent craftmanship alone don't cut it anymore." We guess no one at Ferrari, McLaren, or even Porsche got that memo. Bentley is reportedly close to being put in time out, and if brand CEO Adrian Hallmark can't right the Crewe ship, the hush-hush Plan B is to prop the Flying B up enough to lure a buyer. As for Lamborghini, caught between two masters at Audi and Porsche, even record-breaking numbers at the Italian supercar maker barely staved off sacrilege. It's said that VW brand CEO Herbert Diess considered putting a 5.0-liter Porsche V8 into the Aventador successor.