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Volkswagen breaks 40-year-old sales record in 2012

The last time Volkswagen moved this many vehicles in America in one year, Richard Nixon was still a President in good standing, Let It Be was a radio hit and each car wearing the VW badge boasted an air-cooled engine. That's right, with a grand total of 580,286 vehicles sold in the US last year, the VW Group has broken its own four-decades-old sales record by 2,899 vehicles.
Of that 580k total sold, 438k were Volkswagens and 139k were Audi products - increases of 35.1 percent and 18.5 percent, respectively, in year-over-year sales. The ultra-premium members of the VW group also fared well; Bentley delivered 2,315 vehicles for a 23.3-precent increase, and Lamborghini delivered 520 units for a 52.9-percent jump. Bugatti, we're told is "right on track."
Jetta (pictured) sales paced the marque with 170k models sold, and Passat also finished very strong with sales of 117k total. Tiguan also racked up its best year on file, with 31,731 models shifted.

Lamborghini Huracan Superleggera spotted on 'Ring

Ever since Lamborghini introduced the Huracan to replace the Gallardo in 2014, we've been waiting for the Superleggera version to follow. This seems to be it. Spied testing at the Nurburgring is what appears to be a more hardcore version of Bologna's ten-cylinder supercar. It may be hard to tell from looking at it, because while the finished product will undoubtedly wear more aggressive aerodynamic appendages and fresh rolling stock, this prototype looks the same as the version we already know – with one exception. Around back, there's a big black box that looks as though it were lifted straight off a fighter jet. Now Lamborghini's been known to take its cues from military aircraft, but what we're seeing here is likely a disguise for the new exhaust system, mounted higher up the rear bumper. Our paparazzi on the ground in the Eifel Mountains tell us this prototype sounds meaner than your run-of-the-mill Huracan, which bodes well. The standard version packs a 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10 good for 602 horsepower. The Super Trofeo racing version offers up 611, and we'd expect the Huracan Superleggera to pack at least that much, given the ten-horse gap between the preceding Gallardo and its Superleggera variants. Expect it also to come stripped out to help further optimize the power-to-weight ratio, but it will likely keep the all-wheel drive system in place. One way or another, we hope to find out before the year is out. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lamborghini Huracan Superleggera: Spy Shots View 10 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Lamborghini Supercars lamborghini huracan superleggera

Instructor's death at Disney racetrack 3rd in past year [w/video]

For his 24th birthday, TaVon Watson wanted a thrill ride, so he headed to the Exotic Driving Experience track at Walt Disney World. With instructor Gary Terry by his side, Watson raced a Lamborghini around the one-mile course until he lost control of the sports car and slammed into a guardrail. Terry, 36, was killed. "It's not the kid's fault. It's a freak thing that happened," said Timothy Horvath, a Terry family friend. As for Terry, "if he thought he was in any danger, he wouldn't have done it." It was at least the third death in the past year at speedways in the US that allow customers to get behind the wheel of a fast car. Last September, an Indiana man was killed in a crash at the Rusty Wallace Driving Experience at Kentucky Speedway, and a New Jersey woman died at the Wall Stadium Speedway in New Jersey. Watson had paid under $400 for the chance to drive the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, which sells for around $240,000. He failed to maneuver the high-powered vehicle through the course while driving about 100 miles per hour, and the passenger side struck the guardrail, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Terry died at the scene. Watson was treated at a hospital and released. Both Watson and Terry were wearing helmets and lap and shoulder belts, said Sgt. Kim Montes, a spokeswoman for the Florida Highway Patrol. Watson doesn't face any traffic charges since the accident took place on a closed track, and there are no indications he was doing anything criminal, authorities said. Investigators from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are looking into what happened. OSHA spokesman Lindsay Williams said the agency hadn't previously investigated Petty Holdings, the company that operates the track. Terry was a former racecar driver and was also senior operations manager at the tourist attraction. Working there was his "dream job," Horvath said. Watson, a hotel bellhop, didn't respond to emails or an inquiry via Facebook. He didn't have a phone listing. On his LinkedIn profile, he described himself as self-motivated, professionally mannered, humble and "a very quick learner." He told authorities he had been at the Exotic Driving Experience before. A spokeswoman for Petty Holdings wouldn't comment on whether the Lamborghini had any special safety devices like those provided in a driver's ed car, and Montes said investigators had yet to examine the Lamborghini.