2009 Lamborghini Gallardo Lp560-4 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

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.

Transformers: The Last Knight promises a Lamborghini Centenario and lots of explosions

The director of the Transformers series, Michael Bay, took to Twitter to reveal the trailer for the latest installment, Transformers: The Last Knight. Based on the trailer, it looks like the film will likely deliver everything Transformers fans of the series enjoy, including big explosions, big robots, and most interesting for us, cool cars. Although this particular trailer is a little light on the car action, careful examination reveals some nifty machines. There will be at least a few massive International trucks painted in drab military colors. We also spotted a new Mustang in police livery. The most exciting ride we spotted, though, is a Lamborghini Centenario – the $2.5 million limited-run supercar – tearing through what looks like London. Bumblebee also makes an appearance, though not in his custom Camaro form. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Speaking of Bumblebee, it looks like he, and pretty much everyone else in the film, is going to have a rough time. The trailer shows that Earth is without Optimus Prime now, and his body is shown floating through space. In the meantime, some object has come to Earth, and it appears to have started a fairly massive war between humanity and, we're guessing, the Decepticons. Optimus Prime does eventually return, but he seems to have become an enemy, and is fighting Bumblebee at the end of the trailer. However, the leader of the Autobots going bad is probably the least confusing part of the trailer, as it starts showing knights fighting a dragon, and then segues into clips of Nazi Germany, all before actually getting to the present day. We should get some answers when the film hits theaters on June 23, 2017. Related Video: News Source: Michael Bay / Twitter via VarietyImage Credit: Paramount Pictures / YouTube Celebrities TV/Movies Lamborghini Coupe Supercars Videos movie trailer lamborghini centenario

Lamborghini Huracan Performante is getting a drop-top version

If you just released a specialized, lightweight track weapon with fancy active aerodynamics, what would you do next? If you said chop the car's top off, you must work for Lamborghini, because that's just what the company is doing to its Huracan Performante. Our spy photographer has caught roadster versions of the ultimate Huracan out during testing. The car looks pretty much as you would expect. The lower body work from the front bumper back is all effectively carry-over from the coupe. The rear wing looks to have the same shape and functionality, too. Where things really change is with the engine cover. Like the normal Huracan roadster, the Performante loses the glass engine cover in favor of an opaque cover and a hard tonneau for the top. The engine cover features larger vents at the base of the wing's pedestals, and they appear to have large scoops at the other end. In addition to the new engine cover, this Performante roadster has different wheels which seem to be taken from the standard model. However, these will likely be swapped for the coupe's mesh-style wheels. A close examination shows that the wheels are shod in Pirelli P Zero Corsas that are probably the same compound as the standard tires for the Performante coupe. While this won't be the first time Lamborghini has built a roadster out of its high-performance entry-level sports car, the decision to turn the new Performante into one seems a little strange considering the effort to lighten it and endow it with magical aero. Even more so when the result is a car that Lamborghini claims laps the Nurburgring faster than the bonkers Porsche 918 Spyder. It feels like a step backwards to add a retractable top that probably weighs more and messes with the aerodynamics. But then, Lamborghinis are known mostly for being flashy and fast, and this Performante convertible will fill both criteria with ease. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.