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Lamborghini's path to the future is paved with forged composites

As far back as 1983, Lamborghini has been researching carbon fiber for automotive use. The automaker felt confident enough in its ability to work with the high-tech material in 1985 that a team led by Maurizio Reggiani, now the Lamborghini Board Member in charge of Research and Development, crafted a revolutionary Countach with a chassis made almost entirely of hand-laid carbon fiber. The result was spectacular in that the car's chassis weighed about half of its all-metal counterpart. It turned out that first foray into carbon fiber was just as spectacular when it was finally tested for crashworthiness, but in a completely different way. Catastrophic would be an appropriate word, according to Paolo Feraboli, who now leads Lambo's brand-new Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory in Seattle, Washington. Proving how far Lamborghini has come since that ill-fated carbon-fiber Countach Evoluzione, Feraboli told us during the ACSL's grand opening that today's Aventador, which boasts a high-tech carbon chassis, aced its very first crash test in 2009. Chalk that success up to high-tech computer modeling and the practical application of lessons learned over several decades of trial and error. The dull red monocoque of that crashed Aventador now hangs on the wall at the ACSL like a functional piece of art, a reminder of Lamborghini's cutting-edge milestones of the past. Lamborghini's future will be hewn from what the company calls forged composites. First seen on the stunning Sesto Elemento Concept from the 2010 Paris Motor Show, the patented carbon-forging process forgoes hand-laid sheets, injected resins, and high-heat autoclaves. Instead, wads of randomly oriented carbon fibers that sort of resemble the kind of dough you'd use to make pasta undergo a three-minute press inside a mold. The resulting parts are just as strong as other carbon-fiber bits, but can be mass-produced at a fraction of the cost. While it's true that cost is often a secondary consideration for high-end supercars, it's still relevant. By reducing the cost and increasing the scale of composite pieces, Lamborghini can then afford to spend more money on other parts of the car. It's not just body panels and chassis components that Lamborghini thinks it can build using forged composite technology. The Sesto Elemento featured forged-composite suspension control arms that haven't yet made it into production, but probably will soon.

2021 Lamborghini Urus Graphite Capsule is all about contrast

There are seemingly two reasons to buy a 2021 Lamborghini Urus. One is for the performance. The other is to stand out. The Urus does both well, but Lamborghini hopes the new Graphite Capsule model will further enhance the big Lambo's ability to catch attention. On the outside, the Urus Graphite Caspule gets one of four matte-finish paint colors for the main body, and one of four gloss paint colors for the accents, which are restricted to the front splitter, door trims, rear spoiler and wheel rims. The matte finishes come in black, white or a choice of two grays, and the accents are available in green, yellow or two choices of orange. The monochrome base paints let the boldly colored accents really pop. The exterior color scheme is reflected on the inside, where all the stitching and a few seat, dash and door panels are given the same color as the outside accents. The rest is finished in black. The aluminum trim is given a dark anodized finish, and the interior carbon fiber has a matte finish. A special option exclusive to the Graphite Capsule, as well as the Pearl Capsule model, is ventilated seats upholstered in Alcantara. Pricing has not been announced. Exact availability is also unknown, but it will be available on the current 2021 model. So it should be available very soon. Related Video:

Lamborghini's 830-hp V12 hypercar speaks out for the first time

Although the future of the brand includes electrification and hybrid technology, Lamborghini is still here in 2020 displaying the wonder of its brash V12 engine. Following the release of its first solo project called the SC18 Alston, Lamborghini Squadra Corse (LSC) is preparing to debut a limited-edition naturally aspirated track car with a hearty amount of power. A new teaser video gives fans a first listen as to what the car will sound like. LSC first teased this car in October, 2019, and it unveiled a surprising amount of the design (seen below). Sporting a shape that fits the bill of a rumored entry into the Le Mans Hypercar arena, the new Lambo has a carbon fiber monocoque with an aluminum front frame, an airscoop on the roof, a motorsport-focused hood with dual air intakes, and a massive fixed carbon fiber wing. It will be powered by an 830-horsepower version of the 6.5-liter V12 engine, it'll be stopped by big Brembo brakes, and it will have an "innovative self-locking type differential." Like the Alston, the Sian, and the V12 Vision GT that came before it, the upcoming hypercar wears the number 63. Additional style comes from White Peacock wheels wrapped in Pirelli color edition tires. As mentioned, the video below gives multiple views of the car and it appears the rear features a spine similar to that seen on the Sian, and it will wear tri-point graphics that seem to be inspired by the Sian's headlights. Get a glimpse of the internals in the new teaser video above, and listen to its exhaust, as it works the dyno. The car will debut "before the end of the year."  This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.