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Lamborghini's path to the future is paved with forged composites

As far back as 1983, Lamborghini has been researching carbon fiber for automotive use. The automaker felt confident enough in its ability to work with the high-tech material in 1985 that a team led by Maurizio Reggiani, now the Lamborghini Board Member in charge of Research and Development, crafted a revolutionary Countach with a chassis made almost entirely of hand-laid carbon fiber. The result was spectacular in that the car's chassis weighed about half of its all-metal counterpart. It turned out that first foray into carbon fiber was just as spectacular when it was finally tested for crashworthiness, but in a completely different way. Catastrophic would be an appropriate word, according to Paolo Feraboli, who now leads Lambo's brand-new Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory in Seattle, Washington. Proving how far Lamborghini has come since that ill-fated carbon-fiber Countach Evoluzione, Feraboli told us during the ACSL's grand opening that today's Aventador, which boasts a high-tech carbon chassis, aced its very first crash test in 2009. Chalk that success up to high-tech computer modeling and the practical application of lessons learned over several decades of trial and error. The dull red monocoque of that crashed Aventador now hangs on the wall at the ACSL like a functional piece of art, a reminder of Lamborghini's cutting-edge milestones of the past. Lamborghini's future will be hewn from what the company calls forged composites. First seen on the stunning Sesto Elemento Concept from the 2010 Paris Motor Show, the patented carbon-forging process forgoes hand-laid sheets, injected resins, and high-heat autoclaves. Instead, wads of randomly oriented carbon fibers that sort of resemble the kind of dough you'd use to make pasta undergo a three-minute press inside a mold. The resulting parts are just as strong as other carbon-fiber bits, but can be mass-produced at a fraction of the cost. While it's true that cost is often a secondary consideration for high-end supercars, it's still relevant. By reducing the cost and increasing the scale of composite pieces, Lamborghini can then afford to spend more money on other parts of the car. It's not just body panels and chassis components that Lamborghini thinks it can build using forged composite technology. The Sesto Elemento featured forged-composite suspension control arms that haven't yet made it into production, but probably will soon.

Top 11 Lego Technic cars to buy on Amazon in 2024

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. I recently got a birthday wish list from my 11-year-old nephew, and I couldn't help but smile when I saw “Lego Technic Cars” at the top. Lego isnÂ’t a phase, itÂ’s a lifestyle. Once a Lego fan, always a Lego fan. In fact, IÂ’d be willing to bet that many of you reading this right now have some kind of Lego vehicle in a box somewhere, or better yet, on display in your home. While theyÂ’re not necessarily cheap, getting into building Lego Technic vehicles doesnÂ’t have to bankrupt you, either, unless you go for the $400 Lamborghini right off the bat. Here are 11 of our favorite Lego Technic vehicles on Amazon, right now, ranging from an affordable $35 all the way up to $450. LEGO Technic Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Ages 9+ (544 Pieces) - $39.99 (20% off) One of my first and favorite model cars growing up was a first-gen Ford Mustang GT350, so this GT500 for under $40 is right up my alley. At 544 pieces and made for ages 9 and up, the GT500 is a considerable step up from Grave Digger but a great starter to a Technic collection nonetheless. It isnÂ’t the most accurate-looking vehicle in this list, but the AR app and the fact that it can drive make it a worthwhile purchase. $39.99 at Amazon LEGO Technic Formula E Porsche 99X Electric Ages 9+ (422 Pieces) - $49.99 Not a Ford fan? Not a problem. This Formula E Porsche 99X is the same price and better looking than the GT500. Even though there are 122 fewer pieces in this Porsche set, it has a level of detail seen in much more expensive Technic sets including numerous decals and a pull back motor.  $49.99 at Amazon LEGO Technic Jeep Wrangler Ages 9+ (665 Pieces) - $54.99 This is the set I ended up going with for my nephew, not because I think it is the coolest, but because for the price, I think you get the most bang for your buck. 665 pieces is over 50% more than the comparatively priced Porsche 99X and it also scratches the nostalgia itch for me: The first-ever model vehicle I built was a yellow Jeep Wrangler Sahara. This Wrangler Rubicon has definitely had some aftermarket mods like the front winch, which makes it one of the coolest Technic sets under $60.  $54.99 at Amazon LEGO Technic Monster Jam Grave Digger Ages 7+ (212 Pieces) - $34.16 If ever there was a gateway Lego Technic, this Grave Digger is it.

Get a load of these crazy European Nimrods

I've been attending the Geneva Motor Show for the better part of a decade, and it's become my favorite stop on the entire show circuit, in large part because of all the exotic automakers, coachbuilders and green startups. I also love the Palexpo's consistently mind-bending displays of tuners, who typically work exclusively on six-figure automobiles. Some offer subtle improvements and personalization programs, but most seem hellbent on being more outlandish and bizarre than the next, a room full of millionaire class clowns. More often than not, I spy something and think to myself "What kind of Nimrod would do that to a perfectly good ____ ?" This year, that rhetorical question is in fact a self-answering one.
The jokes, they write themselves.
But seriously, if you're wondering who would take a perfectly lovely Ferrari 458 Italia or a Lamborghini Aventador and affix a wild body kit of dubious aerodynamic and aesthetic merit at great extra cost (both to the car's MSRP and to its assuredly grenaded resale value), the answer could very well be Nimrod Elite Tuning, a newer high-end restyling house out of Slovakia. That last locational tidbit might also explain the company's unusual name, which is likely a nod to a mighty Biblical hunter (descendant of Ham and a king of Shinar, Nimrod is mentioned in Genesis and Chronicles) and not meant to be taken as a synonym for "idiot" or "moron."