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Shuffle at Lamborghini sends CEO to Quattro GmbH

A management shakeup in Volkswagen Group's high-performance divisions will make Stephan Winkelmann (above) the new chief executive of Audi's Quattro GmbH on March 15. On the same day, former Scuderia Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali will replace Winkelmann as Lambo's boss. These changes are necessary because current Quattro chief Heinz Hollerweger is retiring. Rumors of these exact shifts cropped up in Italian media in December. Winkelmann began leading Lamborghini in 2005, and he has been at the helm for massive growth at the company. In 2015, the Italian supercar maker delivered a record 3,245 vehicles, and it had just set its previous best of 2,530 units in 2014. His new role at Quattro GmbH puts Winkelmann in charge of Audi's equivalent to M at BMW or AMG at Mercedes-Benz. The division is responsible for the Four Rings' R and RS production models, the Audi Sport customer racing program, and Audi Exclusive customization service. "In the future, the Audi Sport brand is to be positioned more clearly," the company's announcement said, which hints at one of Winkelmann's duties. Domenicali has been closely associated with Lamborghini rival Ferrari during his career and had years of experience within the automaker's racing team. He started in financing at the Prancing Horse in 1991 and moved to business planning for the Scuderia Ferrari F1 squad in 1993. He held many positions there and eventually ascended to the top as team principal in 2008. Domenicali resigned from leadership in 2014 because of the team's poor performance, but Audi quickly snapped him up as its as Vice President New Business. He now gets the reins of one of Italy's premiere supercar makers. Related Video: Stephan Winkelmann to be new CEO of quattro GmbH As of March 15, 2016, Stephan Winkelmann (51) will be the new CEO of quattro GmbH, a 100 percent subsidiary of AUDI AG, which produces and distributes the high performance R and RS models. Winkelmann was President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. since January 1, 2005. Heinz Hollerweger (62), the current Head of quattro GmbH, is to retire after almost 40 years of successful work for Audi. "With his experience from more than eleven years in charge of Lamborghini, Stephan Winkelmann will be a key contributor to the further growth of quattro GmbH," says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG.

Italian cops get a Lamborghini to haul some precious cargo

Three years ago, we told you about Lamborghini's gift to law and order: a Huracan LP 610-4 that was donated to the Italian State Police. That car went into service near Rome in 2015, replacing a Gallardo they'd been using previously. Now, a second Huracan has just been delivered for service in the region around Bologna. Law enforcement may be done a bit differently in the country that convicted, acquitted, re-convicted and re-acquitted Amanda Knox. But why would a police agency need a $200,000, 610-horsepower supercar? Firstly, no one in their right mind turns down a free Lamborghini. Second, it's a display of national pride, decked out, to quote the press release, in "the official colors of the Italian Police (Police Medium Blue), with the white areas and lettering specially executed to match the Huracan's dynamic look. The livery is completed by a stripe divided into the three colors of the Italian flag, which runs along both sides of the vehicle. As is true for all Lamborghini cars, the Huracan Polizia is equipped with P Zero Pirelli tires, but their sidewalls are tinted in Police Medium Blue and were specially created for the occasion." And third, they actually did dream up a role that suits its capabilities. In addition to the usual cop-car complement of police radio, tablet computer, gun holster, fire extinguisher and hand-held sign for directing traffic, the Lambo has been designated for medical responses and, like many police cars in the States, carries a defibrillator for medical emergencies. More to the point, its front trunk is equipped with a special refrigeration system for transporting human organs for transplant. The authorities describe two cases in 2016 in which a series of transplants had donor organs busily crisscrossing the Lombardy and Tuscany regions to various recipients – a situation in which speed is of the essence. Between organ transplants, presumably the car's primary duty will be to look good, serving as an ambassador of goodwill for both the Polizia as well as Lamborghini. Related Video:

Lamborghini's Revuelto enjoys new high-tech build processes

Lamborghini exited the old age with a number of big bangs. The Aventador not only got an Ultimate special edition, but also a couple of one-offs with the Invencible and Autentica. The sold-out Huracan is rushing into the sunset in two directions, one on the road with the 60th Anniversary models, the other on the dirt with the sensational Sterrato. The brand with all the bull enters the new age with even more pop, attaching an electric motor to its hallmark V12, and remaking the Sant'Agata Bolognese factory that produces the hybrid V12 and the Revuelto two-door wrapped around it. In a video called "Building the Dream," various members of the Lamborghini family explain how the production process have improved so that everyone can ensure they're building a better car, better. A fair bit of the Manufattura Lamborghini story reminded us of Maserati's high-tec production overhaul at the Viale Ciro Menotti facility for the Nettuno V6 in the MC20. Computerized tools deliver repeatable build standards, the engine is built over a set of stations that include new seal testing and a final testing room, the transmission getting its own set of stations and build teams. There's also a sustainability story inside and outside, with new machines and software enabling more utilization of hides for interiors, CO2-neutral energy runs the plant, and not far away, there's a small forest with bee hives.   The most impressive bit might be the automaker saying the new setup increases the customization options. With Lamborghini building one-offs for clients, we didn't realize there was anything left to customize. The one line that stuck out to us was when Chief Manufacturing Officer Ranieri Niccoli said there's a new V12 assembly line "that in the future can accommodate different engines." That's called foreshadowing. While we wait to find out what that sentence could mean, grab some gelato and have a watch of the video above. Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.