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Volkswagen Group names Paefgen head of classics program

You may remember the name Franz-Josef Paefgen. Until recently, the German engineer and executive was head of both Bentley and Bugatti. Before that he was chief executive of Audi, after working for several years at Ford. He technically "retired" earlier this year, but like the cars he helped create, an executive like Paefgen could never really retire. So it should come as little surprise that the Volkswagen Group has named Dr. Paefgen head of its Classic program.
In his new capacity, Paefgen will oversee the historic automobile activities of the entire VW Group, including those of Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Audi, Lamborghini, and of course Bentley and Bugatti. It strikes us as a suitable semi-retirement for the man responsible in no small part for the Bugatti Veyron and Bentley Mulsanne, to name just two, and who was decorated in 2006 by the ACO as the "Spirit of Le Mans" for his contribution to endurance racing. Read the official announcement after the break.

Lamborghini braces us for the end of Gallardo production

A changing of the guard is afoot in the Lamborghini stables. The Italian supercar brand sticks with a particular model for a respectably long period of time, thus any model changeover is cause for attention. First came the gloriously badass Aventador succeeding the Murcielago, which signals that the Gallardo replacement is on the way next. Not one to let any occasion go without its due pomp and circumstance, Lambo released a video entitled "The Final Gallardo."
The clip features various footage from the life of the Gallardo, worked in with a manifesto of sorts regarding Lamborghini's purpose, and how that fits into the Italian way of life. Little is stated about the Gallardo itself, let alone the eventual replacement. Additionally, it is unclear if the video is to celebrate a special "Final Edition," or merely the last Gallardo to roll out of Sant'Agata Bolognese. Until we do see the Gallardo successor, feel free to watch Lamborghini reveling in the sound of its own awesomeness in the video below.

Watch a parade of five Lamborghinis make their way through a shopping mall

It's easy to forget that high-performance cars are not limited in size to something like a Lotus Elise or Mazda MX-5. They can get big. Take Lamborghini, for example. It might focus on combining low curb weights and high-output engines, but an Aventador very nearly occupies the same amount of space on the road as a fullsize Range Rover (the Lambo is only about eight inches shorter, although it is an inch wider, excluding the mirrors on both vehicles).
Considering this, getting one of the Italian exotics inside the cramped confines of a mall is a rather tall order. After all, the thoroughfares there are designed for people, and are often bisected by either smaller shopping stands, pillars or some sort of fauna. Getting five Lamborghinis in, though, is an exercise in patience in precision.
Lamborghini of Miami did just that, stuffing five of the exotics inside a local mall. On the way out, one of the workers used GoPros to chronicle the entire process. It's an entertaining bit, if not a bit cringe-inducing on some of the tighter bits.