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Audi: record profit as 'biggest product initiative' in its history gets underway

Audi Group CEO Markus Duesmann   Even as the Audi Group (VOW.DE), VW’s luxury division, is in the midst of a huge EV transformation it still needs to perform where it counts — the bottom line. And so it is doing just that.  On Thursday the Audi Group - which is dominated volume-wise by Audi, but also includes Bentley, Lamborghini, and Ducati - posted record revenue and operating profit in 2022. That shouldnÂ’t be a surprise given what the industry has been seeing at the highest end of the market - record performances despite macroeconomic jitters across the globe. But that it's happening as the group is noteworthy.  “We are on the verge of the biggest product initiative in our history,” Audi Group CEO Markus Duesmann said at a news conference earlier on Thursday. “By 2025, we will have launched around 20 new models, more than 10 of which will be all-electric. We have set the course to go 100% electric. By 2027, we seek to offer an all-electric vehicle in each core segment.”   This is all part of Audi GroupÂ’s Vorsprung 2030 plan, which seeks to have all of the groupÂ’s new models be electric by 2026 — and to end traditional gas-powered engine production by 2033. To that end, the group saw EV deliveries jump 44% (in 2022) compared to 2021 to over 118,000 vehicles, with the share of EVs rising to 7.2% from 4.8% in the prior year. Audi is also launching its first EV using the PPE (premium platform electric), which was developed together with Porsche. That EV, the Audi Q6 e-tron, will be unveiled later this year. (Past Audi EVs shared corporate parent VWÂ’s electric platform.) “With the Audi Q6 e-tron, e-mobility is coming from Ingolstadt (Audi HQ) for the first time,” Duesmann said in a statement. “To this end, weÂ’re also building a dedicated battery assembly facility on site. This will enable us to retain important know-how here in Germany and train our employees in future fields.” AudiÂ’s German rivals of course are also leaning in hard on their EV transformations. That makes it all the more important that Audi get its EV strategy right—and launched in a timely manner.

London police joyride in Lamborghini Huracan

A pair of Metropolitan London police officers are in hot water after they questionably impounded a Lamborghini Huracan earlier this summer. Oh, and they took it for a joyride. The stop, pictured above, occurred on June 2. The Huracan belongs to a rental car company was pulled over for having no insurance near Heathrow Airport. In Britain, police use a national database to run license plates to see if a car is insured. London-based City Supercars had recently updated the insurance on the $260,000-Lambo. However, there was a lag before the information was uploaded to the database. When manager Erwyn Mackee tried to explain the situation on the phone, the police weren't interested. "The officer was just being unreasonable and out of hand on the phone to me, and I was just trying to explain the facts calmly. He was just off his head, completely bonkers - it was very frustrating," Mackee told the Telegraph. So the Lambo was seized. But police decided to have a little fun with the car before sending it to an impound lot. Mackee checked the traffic-tracking software in the Huracan and found that officers were having a blast with their new prize. At one point, they hit 63 miles per hour in a 30-mph zone. Mackee called Met police out on Twitter. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Mackee, who is also a lawyer, told the Telegraph that the problem has been resolved amicably. Scotland Yard was embarrassed by the incident and punished the officers involved. One officer received three points on his license while the other was subject to management action. Related Video:

The Mansory Cabrera is a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ with a bullish mug

Mansory does not care if a car is rare or special or unique. If it's not a Mansory, it's probably not good enough. But it might qualify to become a Mansory. The aftermarket tuning and design company has captured the limited Aventador SVJ and transformed it into a new vehicle called the Cabrera, which sports new looks and has more power. Lamborghini will only produce 900 Aventador SVJs, and of those 900, three will go under the knife at a Mansory workshop. Mansory quotes a motto, "one car per decade," and says the Cabrera "marks the start of several special editions on the occasion of Mansory's 30th anniversary in 2020." The name Cabrera is a breeding line of the Spanish fighting bull, similar to the names Miura and Gallardo. The Cabrera has an entirely distinct face thanks to a new set of LED headlights. Rather than the chunky stock units that point toward the rear of the car, the new four-unit headlights are slim and horizontal. With the adjustments to the headlights came tweaks to the hood and front fascia. New air inlets on the front apron improve radiator air flow and help improve downforce. The carbon fiber widebody kit, which adds 1.6 inches in width, continues with bulbous wheel arches, aerodynamic side skirts, and a rear "double diffuser." Extra downforce comes courtesy of a massive angular rear wing, and aggressively designed forged lightweight wheels (9x20 and 13x21) are wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tires. The body kit is also designed to help cool the upgraded 6.5-liter V12 engine. While the "normal" SVJ makes 759 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque, the Cabrera makes 810 hp and 575 lb-ft. Mansory claims zero-to-62 mph in 2.6 seconds and a top speed of 221 mph. Inside, Mansory takes the Aventador's fighter-jet inspiration literally. The forged carbon fiber has "arrow-shaped decorative seams," that look awfully similar to stealth bombers. That's also mimicked with imprints in the seats. Every part of the interior has been redone and refitted with upgraded materials, including the ceiling, which has a colorful accent spine.    The Cabrera is only one of many vehicles that were launched surrounding the canceled Geneva Motor Show. Other new custom creations include the Lamborghini Urus Venatus and the Bentley Continental GT V8 Convertible. Related Video: