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Weekly Recap: Lamborghini to build SUV

Finally, Lamborghini will build a sport utility vehicle. The Italian supercar maker confirmed this week that it will launch a luxury SUV in 2018. It will be built at Lamborghini's soon-to-expand factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese in Italy, and will double the company's current sales volume. Lamborghini did not announce a name for the vehicle or other details, but noted a concept version, the Urus, was displayed at the Beijing motor show in 2012. It will be sold around the world, but it's expected to be a critical offering in the United States, China, and the Middle East. The automaker projects the SUV will sell about 3,000 units per year, and it will be the third product in Lamborghini's portfolio. It currently sells the Huracan and Aventador supercars. "The introduction of a third model line endorses the stable and sustainable growth of the company and signifies for us the beginning of a new era," Lamborghini chief executive Stephan Winkelmann said in a statement. The project is also a boon for Italy, which will get 500 new jobs in the Emilia Romagna region as Lamborghini's factory will nearly double in size. Ian Fletcher, principal analyst for IHS Automotive, said the SUV will position Lamborghini for future growth. "It could well also bring new customers to the brand [who] may find the dramatic styling of Lamborghini products appealing, but find its typical sports cars restrictive," he said. "If it is a success, the SUV could be a catalyst to Lamborghini broadening its portfolio further." OTHER NEWS & NOTES GM invests in Chevy Camaro factory General Motors is investing $175 million to upgrade its factory in Lansing, MI, to build the 2016 Chevy Camaro. The investment will pay for new tooling and equipment. The improvements include three new paint systems and two new robotic framers. GM will add a second shift at the factory to build the Camaro, resulting in 500 jobs. The automaker had dropped the plant to one shift last year amid slow sales for its products, the Cadillac ATS and CTS. GM is spending $5.4 billion over the next three years to upgrade its US facilities. Last week, GM announced plans to spend $439 million to build a new paint shop for the Chevy Corvette. While the Camaro and Corvette plant improvements are intriguing to enthusiasts, GM also confirmed this week that it is investing $1.2 billion in its Fort Wayne (IN) factory that builds trucks.

The 2019 Lamborghini Urus, fastest SUV in the world, has landed

A Lamborghini has got to stand out from the crowd. In the supercar world, that means things like scissor-doors, massive wings, and almost impossibly wedge-shaped profiles. In the SUV world, standing out apparently means a dramatically descending roofline, a fascia with more cuts, contours, and creases than a bright yellow origami Pikachu. You certainly won't mistake the Lamborghini Urus for anything else on the road. That flavescent bodywork hides a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 sending a stout 641 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque through an 8-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels. It hits 62 mph in 3.6 seconds, and we anxiously await the first YouTube video showing an Urus lined up against a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk for ultimate SUV-acceleration bragging rights. With a top speed of 189.5 mph, Rambo Lambo Part Deux seemingly makes good use of all those aero bits to outrun the Trackhawk by a solid 10 mph, and the Bentley Bentayga by a razor-slim troika. The hi-po engine is backed up with standard carbon ceramic brakes, active roll control, and a torque vectoring rear differential. With all of these performance goodies employed, Lamborghini expects it to have a Nurburgring lap time that will break the Alfa Stelvio Quadrifoglio's outstanding 7:15 time. 2019 Lamborghini Urus View 11 Photos We can't imagine many owners taking an Urus off road, but Lamborghini cites the low-down torque of the turbocharged V8 as an off-pavement benefit. And, in addition to the expected modes of Strada, Sport, Corsa and Neve (a typically Italian stand-in for Snow), there are Terra (off-road) and Sabbia (sand) modes. Each sportier road mode lowers the air suspension, and the off-road modes raise the suspension for ground clearance. Rear-wheel steering based on the system from the Aventador S can change steering angle between positive and negative 3 degrees, and it is likely to come in handy no matter what kind of terrain you're traveling. Lamborghini has expanded its factory in Sant'Agata in order to ramp up production on the Urus, which, when it goes on sale in 2018 as a 2019 model with a pricetag of about $200,000, is expected to be the marque's bestseller. In fact, the Group are hoping that it will eventually double annual global sales, from 3500 to 7000. The SUV market is currently booming, and Lambo plans other variants of this model, including its first plug-in hybrid, so this seems within the realm of possible.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse brings one-make series to the road

Lamborghini announced a new Gallardo model today, the all-wheel-drive LP 570-4 Squadra Corse, and it's almost identical to the LP 570-4 Super Trofeo single-series race car. Its world premiere will be held at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
The street-legal Squadra Corse shares key components with the Super Trofeo - both of which are based on the Gallardo Superleggera - including the 570-horsepower V10, carbon fiber rear wing and removable engine hood made in the same material. The rear wing produces up to three times more downforce than what's found on the LP 560-4. Through the generous use of weight-saving materials and components, the Squadra Corse weighs in at 2,954 pounds, which is 154 pounds lighter than the LP 560-4. To stop all of that mass, standard production carbon-ceramic brakes are used.
Carbon fiber bucket seats with Alcantara center inserts replace the regular seats, though buyers can option them back in. Alcantara also covers the underside of the dashboard. The door panels, center console cover, handbrake frame and lower section of the steering wheel are all made in carbon fiber.