2001 Lamborghini Diablo 6.0 V-12 Titanium Coupe on 2040-cars

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Weekly Recap: Geneva's splendor reflects growing demand for ultra-luxury cars

Geneva is one of the most glittering auto shows in the world, but the list of high-powered and bespoke luxury cars was decadent this year even by the rich standards of the Swiss exhibition. It's great for enthusiasts to revel in the flame-throwing Aston Martin Vulcan, the racing-inspired elegance of the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept and the insane performance of the Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce, but there's a reason for all of this opulence: the luxury market is big business. And it's growing. IHS Automotive forecasts that so-called ultra-premium sales will nearly triple this decade from 123,000 to 353,000 units around the world. The estimate includes brands like Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari and Rolls-Royce, but doesn't count BMW, Mercedes and Audi, which offer less expensive models in addition to their high-end flagships. Though IHS includes Porsche and its relatively large volume in the study, the ultra-premium segment is still set grow at about the same rate, even without the German automaker's figures. So what is propelling all of this growth in the most expensive segment of the auto industry? Put simply, there's more rich people. IHS Automotive principal analyst Tim Urquhart pointed to economic expansion in China, market recovery in the United States and a surge in the lucrative technology sector as contributing factors. This dovetails with a research report by UK-based Oxfam, an international relief organization, which found the world's richest one-percent owned 48 percent of global wealth in 2014, and it's expected to increase to more than 50 percent by 2016. View 17 Photos Carmakers are moving quickly to capitalize with new products, expanding their portfolios with low-volume speedsters like the 800-hp V12 Vulcan at Geneva, and plans to enter new segments, like Rolls-Royce's strategy to make an SUV. "Ultra-premium carmakers are looking to explore ways of growing their product offerings, and thus their bottom lines, in this most potentially profitable of segments," Urquhart wrote in a report on the Geneva show. In a nutshell, there are more choices for people with more money. It's a good time to have expensive taste. Other News & Notes 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata production launches It won't be long now. The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata arrives later this year, and it's officially in production. Mazda announced this week that the roadster began rolling off the assembly line at its Ujina factory in Hiroshima, Japan.

Translogic 152: Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4

Translogic host Jonathon Buckley heads to Circuito Ascari in Ronda, Spain to check the tech on the all-new Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4. For this Lamborghini, good things comes in threes: three driving modes, three gyroscopes and three accelerometers. Can all this technology combine with a 610-horsepower V10 to help Huracán surpass its predecessor, Lamborghini's best-selling Gallardo? Watch now to find out.

1970 Lamborghini Miura shows why some dreams are worth a wait

It took Dennis Varni over a decade after his first ride in a Lamborghini Miura in the late '60s to finally purchase his own 1970 Miura P400S in 1979. Judging by his story and the V12 engine's sublime sound in the latest video from Petrolicious, the wait was entirely worth it. No matter where you look on a Miura, you find automotive beauty. On the outside, the design is a symphony of gently curving lines. The shapes are highlighted with wonderful mechanical touches like the eyelashes around the headlights or the little strakes that graduate in size just behind the side windows. Popping up the engine cover reveals a transverse V12 that's capable of a sound like thunder during a summer storm. While the interior appears a little cramped, it's really hard to complain with the carbs positioned inches from your ears and visible through the rearview mirror. As usual, Petrolicious does a superb job in capturing not only all of the Lamborghini's visual details but the sonic ones, as well. Everyone should take a moment to listen to this wonder machine climb through the gears just to brighten their day.