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VW makes $23K on every Porsche sold, more than Bentley or Lamborghini

It's a good time to be in the luxury car business. In Volkswagen Group's financial report for the 2013 fiscal year, it is revealed that that Porsche enjoyed an operating margin of 18 percent. That means the Stuttgart brand made on average about $23,200 per car sold, according to BusinessWeek. Bentley wasn't far behind, and Audi (which was combined with Lamborghini) posted a 10.1 percent margin. This compares to only around 2.9 percent for the Volkswagen brand.
"Luxury brands are on fire," said Dave Sullivan, an industry analyst at AutoPacific. He said that the average profit margin is between six and eight percent. Brands like Porsche and Bentley have the benefit of competing in rarefied markets. Buyers looking at one their vehicles have fewer models to shop against and don't care as much about price. They can also charge more for options, which further boosts income, according to BusinessWeek.
In a way, we should be more impressed by the continued success from Audi. Its models generally have direct competitors in every segment from the other premium automakers. Plus, their buyers aren't the captains of industry who are shopping for a Bentley. Still, the Four Rings is leading rivals in sales so far this year.

Driving instructor killed in Lamborghini crash at Disney racetrack [w/video]

We're saddened to report that a passenger was killed yesterday in a crash at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, FL. The crash reportedly occurred at 3:30 PM on Sunday, when 24-year-old Tavon Watson of Kissimmee, FL, lost control of a Lamborghini he was piloting as part of the Exotic Driving Experience and struck a guardrail. Watson was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, but the instructor riding shotgun – 36-year-old Gary Terry of Davenport, FL – was pronounced dead at the scene. The attraction is operated by Petty Holdings, which released a statement expressing its condolences for the incident: "On behalf of everyone in the organization, it is with a very heavy heart that we extend our deepest sympathies to those involved in today's tragic accident in Orlando." The image above was shot by local news channel WFTV and appears to show a white Lamborghini Gallardo - one of the vehicles offered as part of the program alongside an Audi R8, Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 and a pair of Ferraris. Though it took place on private property, the incident is reportedly under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Just a couple of months ago, we reported that Disney was planning to close the speedway in order to make "transportation improvements" for the adjacent theme park. Though we doubt the facility could be blamed for the crash, we wouldn't be surprised to see Disney accelerate plans for the track's closure in the wake of this most unfortunate incident.

This fresh Lambo Diablo SV could be yours for $500k

This Diablo isn't just any Diablo: it's a Diablo SV – shorthand for Super Veloce, or really fast. It was the last model that Sant'Agata offered with a V12, a manual, and rear-wheel drive. Despite being 17 years old now, it has just a single mile on the odometer. It features a titanium exterior paint and a black interior, and could hardly appeal to our childhood sense of wonder any more if it had rocket launchers popping out of the fenders. It's offered for sale by the Lamborghini dealership in Montreal – one of North America's great racing capitals, where supercars are thick on the ground in the summer. It can be yours for $499,900. Now if you're thinking that much money could get you into a new Aventador SV, you would be correct. But though the latest version may be empirically better in just about any way you could measure – including a 223-horsepower advantage – it lacks the Diablo's old-school appeal. If you have the money, the choice is yours. Related Video: