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Lamborghini previews the Aventador's hybrid, 1,001-hp successor

Lamborghini is nearly ready to introduce the Aventador's long-awaited successor. Referred to as the LB744, the company's next flagship model adopts a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain that's built around a new, naturally-aspirated V12 and rated at about 1,000 horsepower. We'll need to be patient to discover the model's exterior design, but Lamborghini provided us with a very good idea of what the specifications sheet looks like. The system's centerpiece is a mid-mounted, 6.5-liter V12 that eschews forced induction — the company has previously made it clear that it wants to keep the naturally-aspirated 12-cylinder alive for as long as possible. While the Aventador was V12-powered as well, it sounds like the mechanical similarities between the two cars end there. In the upcoming LB744, the engine is bolted to an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission that's mounted transversely behind the engine instead of longitudinally directly in front of it. The company will need to find a new name for the transmission tunnel: it now houses a 3.8-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. The electricity stored in it zaps three electric motors: one is integrated into the transmission, while the other two are each assigned to one of the front wheels. This layout delivers through-the-road all-wheel-drive, so there's no mechanical connection between the axles, and it allows the LB744 to drive on electricity alone for short distances. The configuration also provides a torque vectoring function for sharper cornering. Lamborghini pegs the system's total output at 1,015 metric horsepower, which represents approximately 1,001 horsepower measured in U.S. terms. The bulk of the cavalry comes from the V12; it's billed as the lightest and most powerful 12-cylinder that Lamborghini has ever made and it develops about 813 horsepower at a screaming 9,250 rpm (that's 250 rpm short of its redline). Maximum torque checks in at 535 pound-feet. We haven't heard the new engine yet, but Lamborghini stresses that it went to great lengths to give it an exhaust note worthy of a supercar. More details about the LB744 will emerge in the not-too-distant future. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

BMW Z8, Lambo LM002 sell for $192,500 apiece in Detroit [w/poll]

Think a car are a bad investment? That all depends on what kind of car you're talking about. Because while most cars depreciate in value as soon as you drive them off the lot, others can do even better than hold their value. The cars that appreciate tend to be pretty high-end exotics, but they don't have to be multi-million-dollar classics to command a premium at auction. Just look at the results from RM Sotheby's Motor City sale in Detroit this past weekend. The auction house moved a solid $7.4 million worth of metal, which is pretty impressive when you consider that – unlike events at Lake Como or Pebble Beach – not one of the lots dipped into seven figures. 1930s-era American classics performed the strongest, with Duesenbergs, Packards, Auburns and the like all fetching hundreds of thousands. But what intrigued us most were the European exotics that rounded the top ten results. Amidst the Depression-era American steel were a BMW Z8 from 2001 and a 1988 Lamborghini LM002, each of which sold for an equal $192,500. Hardly the highest figures paid for European exotics this year, but considering how much they were worth just a few years ago, they've proven solid investments. BMW only made 5,703 examples of the Henrik Fisker-designed retro Z8, of which only 2,543 were brought to the United States, where they originally sold for $128,000. The most anyone had ever paid for one at auction, according to Sports Car Market, was $184,082, just this past March at Silverstone. That makes the price achieved this weekend a new record for one of the slinkiest vehicles the Bavarian automaker has ever made, representing an impressive 50-percent increase in value over the course of fourteen years. This particular example – chassis WBAEJ13481AH60437 for those keeping track – is decked out in silver over black, with less than 15,500 miles on the odometer. This Rambo Lambo was produced early in the 301-unit production run, with the sought-after carbureted engine and 32,000 miles on the clock. It didn't set any records at the same price, other examples of the LM002 having traded over the past few years for over $200k. But considering that Sant'Agata originally charged around $120-130k for the SUV when it was new, its selling price still represents about 50-percent appreciation (leaving inflation aside).

Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 is an 830-horsepower track weapon

Following in the footsteps of the likes of the Diablo GTR and the Miura Jota, the new Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 is the latest limited-run, uber-performance GT car that offers more power than any other naturally aspirated V12 model Lamborghini has ever produced. To say the Essenza SCV12 is purpose-built would be understating it. From the carbon fiber monocoque and the adjustable aerodynamics to the structurally integral gearbox, everything about the Essenza SCV12 was engineered expressly for speed by Lamborghini's motorsports division. Lamborghini says the V12 actually makes more than 830 horsepower, but didn't offer us anything more specific. Its multi-function wheel was even inspired by the control interfaces found in Formula One, and the rest of the cockpit is similarly racecar-spartan, down to the FIA-homologated carbon-shell seats. The exterior bodywork comprises just three sections to facilitate quick repair and replacement. All four wheels are magnesium alloy and the brakes were developed by Brembo. "Essenza SCV12 represents the purest track driving experience that our brand can offer, an engineering feat that highlights the inextricable link between our cars and the asphalt of the track," said Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali in the company's announcement. "Lamborghini is a brand constantly looking to the future and searching for new challenges, but we never forget our roots and who we are: Essenza SCV12 is the perfect combination of our unconventional spirit as a super sports car manufacturer and our true passion for motorsport." The Essenza SCV12 puts all 830 horsepower to the ground via the rear wheels. The aforementioned structural gearbox is a six-speed sequential unit and the mounting point for the rear pushrod suspension. The aero elements, which were borrowed (with modifications, of course) from Lamborghini's racing cars, produce more than 2,600 pounds of downforce at 155 MPH — more than you get from the aero on a GT3 race car.  Making the deal even sweeter is the fact that purchasing one of these 40 Essenza SCV12s also confers access to a series of exclusive track events along with storage space in a new building (a hangar, Lamborghini says) that the company has built at its facility in SantÂ’Agata Bolognese.  "We wanted to elevate not only performance and driving pleasure but also the experience off the track," said Giorgio Sanna, Head of Lamborghini Motorsport.