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Stock Miata beats bunch of high-powered cars in wet 1/4-mile drag race

When is a stock, 167-horsepower Mazda MX-5 Miata quicker than a Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, Lamborghini Gallardo, Lotus Elise and a Porsche 911? When it's raining. Sort of.
Mazda Canada arranged a unique drag race to show off the fact that the Miata's optional power retractable folding hardtop can go from top-down to top-up in just 12 seconds flat. In this video, all six cars line up for a drag race, and it starts to rain (well, sort of - but you'll have to watch the video all the way to the end to see what we mean). The green flag is waved, and the timer starts as soon as the convertibles begin to put their tops up. But because the Miata's roof mechanism gets the car's roof back up a full 5.1 seconds quicker than the second-place car, the Mazda gets a serious advantage off the line for the actual drag race.
It's a fun video. And while we've spoiled the results (come on, the video was uploaded by Mazda, you knew the Miata was going to win), be sure to see how it all unfolds, below.

If VW defaults on loans it may sell Bentley or Lamborghini

If something goes catastrophically wrong with Volkswagen Group's recent $21 billion loan, brands like Bentley or Lamborghini could hit the auction block. According to two insiders to Reuters, the beleaguered German automaker agrees with its creditors to sell assets if the company somehow can't pay back the debt in a year. One of these anonymous people claimed the company hasn't yet deliberated over what to sell. However, the sources were willing to speculate that the power engineering portion of Man could be among the first to go. "Volkswagen may also consider divesting luxury car brands Bentley and Lamborghini or motor bike brand Ducati, although these units don't really move the needle," an insider said to Reuters. VW Group negotiated with the banks earlier this week to get the massive loan. The cash is necessary as a buffer in case the automaker doesn't have enough money on hand to repair vehicles or settle upcoming fines. VW would reportedly issue bonds in the spring to begin paying the debt. The company's bills will start racking up quickly in the new year. German authorities mandate a recall there in early 2016, and repair campaigns in the US for the 2.0- and 3.0-liter diesel engines are inevitable. There are also hundreds of class-action lawsuits to settle. The company needs to resolve its CO2 emissions scandal in Europe, too. In response to these financial threats, VW management created a cost-cutting plan to slash the research and development budget by $1.1 billion next year.

Valentino Balboni launches Lamborghini parts company

After 40 years of helping Lamborghini develop some of the greatest supercars on the road, former test driver Valentino Balboni is going back to work. Balboni recently unveiled his own company, aptly named VB, which will specialize in aftermarket components for Lamborghinis. VB's first matter of business is to give Lamborghini's most hardcore supercar a better sound. Set to launch at the Concorso Italiano during this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance week, VB's first aftermarket part is a titanium exhaust system for the Lamborghini Aventador LP-750 SV. The titanium exhaust system weighs in at 13.8 pounds and is a bolt-on part that uses OEM mounts. Each exhaust system takes over 350 hours to make and will be limited to a production run of 30 units. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Pricing for the exhaust system hasn't been announced, but drivers with the means to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for an Aventador SV should be able to afford some aftermarket goodies. Balboni has an extensive history with Lamborghini. After starting as a mechanic's apprentice, Balboni went on to become a test driver at Ferruccio Lamborghini's request. Before retiring in 2009, Balboni was said to have driven roughly 80 percent of the automaker's entire production. Lamborghini even named a supercar after him, the 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni, as a way of saying thank you. It looks like Balboni isn't done with Lamborghini, yet, and VB's titanium exhaust system for the Aventador SV should be an aural delight. Related Video: Featured Gallery VB Lamborghini Aventador SV Exhaust System Related Gallery Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce: Geneva 2015 View 21 Photos News Source: Facebook, Valentino BalboniImage Credit: Valentino Balboni Auto News Aftermarket Lamborghini Performance exhaust system valentino balboni lamborghini aventador sv lamborghini aventador lp 750-4 superveloce