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Ares Project Panther is a Lamborghini Huracan in DeTomaso Pantera's clothing

Ares is nothing if not ambitious. The Modena-based company specializes in low-volume, boutique reimagining of existing vehicles. That's not a terrible business to be in, if you can make money, and after all this is how many of the famous names in styling came about: Pininfarina, Ghia, Bertone, and Karmann. So far, Ares has announced many projects, including a two-door Bentley Mulsanne and a rebodied Mercedes-AMG G63 called the X-Raid, but the new Project Panther is the most ambitious yet. It appears to be a rebodied Lamborghini Huracan heavily inspired by the classic DeTomaso Pantera, although unlike that car it'll retain the Lamborghini V10 instead of adopting an American powerplant. Which is an odd choice, if you're into the Pantera – and frankly, an odd choice if you're into Lamborghinis. A completely unique body, not inspired by any other make, would certainly be a valuable one-of-one for a well-heeled car collector. But the Pantera? For years it was held in relatively low esteem, a relatively low-buck exotic that wasn't welcome at the local concours events. Its reputation has improved significantly in the last decade or so, but still, this is an odd marriage of convenience. At least it looks really sharp, with crisp lines and a classic Bertone feel without being too overly retro. Ares says the Panther is undergoing final testing at the company's facility in Modena, and will be available for purchase in late 2018. What's entirely unclear is how it all works. We assume a Panther buyer will need to drop off a brand new Huracan for conversion. What happens to the Huracan's existing bodywork? Perhaps part of the business model is making a pretty penny by reselling panels for wrecked Huracans. Who knows? Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lamborghini Urus recalled for screen defect

The Lamborghini Urus has become the latest Volkswagen family vehicle to fall victim to malfunctioning displays. A hardware defect that can render the entire unit permanently inoperable. Lamborghini says replacement head units will be shipped to customers who took delivery of vehicles with improperly-specified infotainment components.  The total population of the recall is just 48 vehicles produced for model year 2022, which is good news for owners of the popular new Lamborghini SUV. The bad news? It's a hardware problem that results in the screen being permanently disabled, not a mere software issue that can be resolved by rebooting the infotainment system or restarting the car.  "Under certain conditions during shutdown of the infotainment main unit, an error in one of the voltage regulators may lead to damage to various components within the control unit causing a loss of all functions including the screen display. In this case, the infotainment main unit is damaged permanently and needs to be replaced," VW's report to NHTSA said. "Upon start-up, the driver will notice that the infotainment screen in the center console is not working and not displaying an image which should prompt the driver to pay extra attention for objects behind the vehicle when reversing." Customers should receive notifications starting in December. All hardware will be replaced free of charge for the customer.  Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Recalls Lamborghini Safety SUV Luxury Performance

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.