2002 Lamborghini Murcielago Twin Turbo Reventon Kit on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen posts quarterly profit despite drop in sales

Volkswagen returned to profit in the third quarter as surging Chinese demand for luxury cars helped offset a 1.1% drop in vehicle deliveries due to the pandemic, sending its shares as much as 3% higher on Thursday. The German automaker's return to the black comes amid spiking coronavirus cases in Europe that led governments in France and Germany to order their countries back into strict national lockdowns on Wednesday. "The coronavirus remains a central problem," Volkswagen Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter said in a conference call with reporters. "This situation now is anything but relaxed." But Witter said the group expected the economic recovery to continue and did "not anticipate any nationwide lockdowns in larger markets." Witter said the takeover of U.S. truck maker Navistar International by Volkswagen's trucking unit Traton was an important acquisition, but the "current economic climate will not make this easy." Volkswagen reiterated it expects to post a profit for the full year, saying its business "recovered noticeably" in the third quarter as sales in China of premium vehicles, including Audi and Porsche sports cars, rose 3%. The quarterly performance was also aided by a series of cost-cutting measures launched earlier this year. Volkswagen said its net liquidity rose to 24.8 billion euros from 18.7 billion at the end of the second quarter. Excluding one-time items, third-quarter operating profit was 3.2 billion euros ($3.8 billion), down from 4.8 billion euros a year earlier, but up from a second quarter loss of 1.7 billion. In a note to clients, Jefferies analyst Philippe Houchois described the results as a "solid performance with strong cash, but relatively muted in the context of the (auto) sector recovery." Last week, German rival Daimler reported a record 24% jump in Chinese demand for its Mercedes-Benz cars, boosting its margins in the third quarter. Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot manufacturer PSA Group both also posted solid results this week. Witter said Volkswagen could not say for sure whether it would meet EU CO2 emissions targets this year, adding "it will be a tough race." At 1030 GMT, Volkswagen shares were up 2.9% at 129.20 euros. Related Video: Earnings/Financials Audi Bentley Bugatti Lamborghini Porsche Volkswagen

This 1/8-scale Lamborghini Countach cost more than a new Nissan Versa

The average price of a new car has increased significantly in recent years, but you can still find ways to call yourself the original owner for less than $20,000. Alternatively, for about the same price of a Nissan Versa you can buy a 1/8-scale model of the Lamborghini Countach. British scale-model manufacturer Amalgam teamed up with Lamborghini to release an officially-licensed replica of the Countach LP400. It's far from being the first or the only die-cast Countach, but it's one of the biggest and undoubtedly the most detailed. Available in Giallo Fly or Rosso, the wedge-shaped coupe stretches over 20 inches long and stands out with a stunning number of details. The panels open just like on the real car, the headlights pop up, and even the gated shifter for the five-speed manual transmission has been reproduced.  Out back, you'll find a replica of the longitudinally-mounted 4.0-liter V12. It doesn't make 370 horsepower like in the real car, but parts like the fuel lines, the carburetors, and the sparkplug wires are accounted for. Amagalm even added some of the smallest clamps we've ever seen to the hoses that are part of the cooling system, and it fitted a period-correct Fiamm battery with tiny terminals in the front of the car. Amalgam will make 199 units of the 1/8-scale Countach LP400. It notes that each model will be built by hand, a process which takes over 400 hours using thousands of parts. The tradeoff is that pricing starts at GBP14,835, or approximately $18,700 at the current conversion rate. For context, Nissan charges $17,530 for a 2024 Versa (including a $1,150 destination charge) with a five-speed stick. If you're more interested in Lamborghini's current cars, Amalgam also plans to release a similarly-detailed 1/8-scale replica of the Revuelto. The model will be offered in two configurations: a standard car priced at GBP12,185 (around $15,300) and a tailor-made model that starts at GBP17,425 (roughly $21,900). The more expensive options allows enthusiasts to commission an exact replica of their life-sized Revuelto, down to the color of the stitching on the seats. Amalgam notes that working directly with Lamborghini gives it access to the brand's paint colors.

6 things you should know about the Lamborghini Urus

Lamborghini has finally revealed its second SUV in history. The road-oriented vehicle has a 641-horsepower twin-turbo V8 and highly creased body panels. There are plenty of interesting factoids packed into its four-door shape. We highlight the most interesting of them, here. It's named after a breed of cattle. Though many Lamborghinis have been named after specific fighting bulls, this one is named after an entire breed. The extinct breed is called urus, or sometimes aurochs, that is closely related to Spanish fighting bulls of today. It's the first Lamborghini with active roll control. When a car gets tall and heavy, it wants to lean a lot more when cornering. To counter that, Lamborghini fitted the Urus with an active roll control system to help keep the body flat going through turns. It's also one of a number of technologies meant to improve handling, such as adaptive damping, rear-wheel steering ( borrowed from the Aventador S) and torque vectoring on the rear differential. It has huge wheels and brakes. Standard wheels on the Urus are 21 inches, but for those with a desire for bigger dubs, there are optional 23-inch models. These wheels are stopped by standard carbon ceramic rotors. The fronts are 17.3 inches in diameter, and the rears are 14.5 inches. It has the best weight-to-power ratio of any SUV. Besides having the highest claimed top speed for an SUV, and acceleration on par with the 707-horsepower Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, Lamborghini claims the Urus has the best weight-to-power ratio of any SUV on the market. That ratio, with the SUV's roughly 4,850 pound curb weight and 641 horsepower, is 7.57 pounds per horsepower. It is worth noting that the aforementioned Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is still close with a ratio of 7.59 pounds per horsepower. It can be mostly rear-wheel drive, but not fully. The big Lambo is all-wheel-drive all the time, with its Torsen center differential providing a default torque split of 40 percent to the front, and 60 percent to the rear. This can change all the way up to 87.5 percent to the rear depending on conditions, or it can shift 70 percent of the torque to the front. Its chassis is all steel and aluminum. Unlike the Lamborghini's sports cars that use extensive carbon fiber in the chassis, either for the passenger cell in the case of the Aventador, or for reinforcement as in the Huracan, the Urus has a steel and aluminum chassis. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party.