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Phony Fauxrrari and Shamborghini replicas seized in Brazil

A shop in the state of Santa Catarina in Brazil has been raided and shut down by police after it was discovered that it was turning out shoddy replica supercars. The Fauxrrari and Shamborghini (we borrowed the latter clever term from the Associated Press) copies themselves look impressively detailed considering that they were reportedly coming out of a father-son operation, but the engineering, underpinnings and powertrains are surely a wee bit shy of what's flowing out of the real factories in Italy. According to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, one replica was powered by the engine from a Chevrolet Omega, which we knew at one time in the U.S. as the Cadillac Catera. Scrolling through the image gallery above, though, we see at least one Ferrari knock-off that appears to have a bright red intake manifold behind the passenger compartment, so who knows? Police reported that the replicas were being offered on unknown social media channels for between $45,000 and $60,000. Needless to say, that's nowhere near the price of a real Ferrari or Lamborghini. And this isn't the first (and likely, not the last) time this has happened, either. According to the AP, the raid was conducted after at least one of the Italian marques tipped off authorities. Eight vehicles in various states of completion were found, along with tools, molds and what looks to be a treasure trove of car parts. It's not clear how many finished vehicles may have rolled out of the shop, or how many may already be in the hands of buyers. The father and son duo who ran the operation have been arrested on industrial property charges.

Lamborghini reveals more details about the Aventador's hybrid successor

Lamborghini has released additional details about the Aventador's long-awaited successor. Called LB744 internally, the model will stand out as the company's first series-produced hybrid car, and the latest teaser gives us a better idea how the system is set up to behave. Quick recap: Power comes from a gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain rated at about 1,001 horsepower and made up of a new, 6.5-liter V12, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and three electric motors. This configuration allowed Lamborghini to dial in a 44% front and 56% rear weight distribution; engineers also fitted stiffer anti-roll bars and reduced the steering ratio by 10% compared to the Aventador Ultimae.  Enthusiasts will have four driving modes called Citta, Strada, Sport, and Corsa, respectively, to choose from. They'll also be able to select one of three powertrain modes named Recharge, Hybrid, and Performance. As its name implies, Recharge relies on the V12 to charge the lithium-ion battery pack in a couple of minutes, for example. The LB744 is also capable of driving on electricity alone for short distances. Selecting Strada ("road" in Italian) caps the drivetrain's output at about 873 horsepower. Sport mode unlocks 894 horsepower and brings with it profile-specific settings for the transmission, the suspension system, and the active aerodynamic parts. Finally, selecting Corsa ("race" in Italian) unleashes the drivetrain's full potential and configures the drivetrain's electrified components for maximum performance. Drivers will also have the option of disabling the electronic stability control system, and the LB744 will come with a launch control function. Going hybrid allowed Lamborghini to add electric torque vectoring to the front axle. We're told that slowing down the front wheel that's on the inside part of a corner makes the LB744 more agile while improving stability during high-speed driving. This technology works hand-in-hand with the four-wheel steering and brake-energy recuperation systems; it sounds like there's a lot of electronic wizardry happening here. Details such as the car's weight haven't been released yet. All we know at this stage is that Lamborghini designed the LB744 around a new carbon fiber monofuselage that includes a carbon fiber front structure (in contrast, the Aventador used an aluminum front structure).

Lamborghini wants to grow, but it will never become big

Lamborghini had a record year in 2021: it delivered 8,405 cars, an increase of 13% over 2020 and, tellingly, 6,803 units more than in 2011. Almost all of the company's production capacity for 2022 is spoken for, so its popularity doesn't look like it's going to wane anytime soon. Andrea Baldi, the head of the Americas region for Lamborghini, sat down with Autoblog to talk about what this growth means for the future. "We have more than a year-long waiting time for every model. Even for the Huracan, which we launched in 2014. It's not just the STO; it's the all- and rear-wheel-drive variants as well. We pre-sold the Aventador Ultimae in three weeks in July 2021, which was a record," Baldi pointed out. The more family-focused Urus has been hugely popular as well; it's the best-selling Lamborghini with 5,021 deliveries in 2021. Lamborghini plans to continue growing in the coming years, it will notably unveil four new models in 2022, but there's a set limit to how far it can stretch. The executive team's idea is not to rival Audi in terms of size, or even Porsche. "We definitely want to scale up our production a bit. The big chance for us is the jump into hybridization, because it means that we'll get a new generation of cars. We'll start in 2023 with the Aventador's successor, and the entire range will gradually be electrified after that. This gives us an opportunity for the Aventador and Huracan successors to have a production line that can make more cars," Baldi revealed. He stopped short of telling us precisely how many more, but the increase will be relatively small — and maintaining the brand's exclusivity will be of paramount importance. "The idea will always be to have one car less than demand," he noted. "We will always have a waiting time but it should be shorter, so we need a little more production capacity. If you sit in front of your house and watch 10,000 cars go by, one will be a Lamborghini. We're talking about a small-digit percentage increase, but for a luxury brand it will be a big change," Baldi added. Going hybrid unlocks other opportunities, like the ability to reach new buyers while letting the firm stay on the right side of ever-stricter regulations. And yet, many of its customers still associate a super-sports car with a mighty internal combustion engine.