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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.

Lamborghini may bring a hybrid Espada successor to market in 2025

Lamborghini's CEO Stefano Domenicali was recently interviewed by Automotive News. And in the interview, there are some tantalizing tidbits about future product plans. In particular, he talks a little about the company adding a fourth mainline car to its current lineup of Aventador, Huracan and Urus. Note, this probably wouldn't have any affect on a super-limited production model like the rumored hypercar based on the Terzo Millennio. The news outlet specifically asked if it would be a successor to the Espada grand touring car, and while doesn't explicitly say that it is, he does mention the importance of space and getting the right powertrain. So it sounds like it will be something at least more practical than the company's current supercars. Domenicali also noted that we won't be seeing this new fourth Lamborghini for a while. It's targeted to come out between 2025 and 2027. When asked about an electric variant, he said that the current plans are just for a plug-in hybrid version. He doesn't rule out the possibility of a full electric, but the company hasn't seen the demand quite yet for a full electric Lamborghini, and the company would want to work with Volkswagen to figure out how such a car would fit in with the larger corporation's plans and goals. That particular tidbit would be a sign the aforementioned hypercar won't feature an electric powertrain like the Terzo Millennio concept with which it supposedly shares its design. The other product information Domenicali talked about was related to hybrids. He again confirmed that the next Aventador and Huracan, or whatever the successors are called, will feature plug-in hybrid powertrains. The first will be a V12 plug-in for the Aventador replacement, and the Huracan replacement will have a V10 plug-in. The company is still working on a Urus plug-in hybrid, too. It has, however, had some problems getting the desired performance from test engines that have included twin-turbo V6s and a V8. You can read more about what's next for Lamborghini in the full Automotive News interview. Related Video:

The Lamborghini Trumpventador is gonna be huge

Some voters may choose to declare their support for their favorite candidate with bumper stickers, while others keep their preferences more private (or at least off of the surface of their cars). And then there's this Lamborghini Aventador. No matter how you feel about the 2016 election, can we all agree that a candidate-themed car is a bad idea? This (hopefully) one-of-a-kind Lambo began as a 691-horsepower Aventador. It now features a special wrap prepared by the folks at Superior Auto Design and emblazoned with Donald Trump's likeness and slogans. Star-spangled in red, white, and blue, this Aventador features The Donald's face on the nose and phrases like "you're fired!", "Trump Train" and "Make American GR8 Again!" all over the bodywork. Now if it strikes you as a little odd declaring one's support for Trump on a Lamborghini and not, say, a Jeep Wrangler, you may not be alone. The GOP front-runner has, railed against manufacturing automobiles abroad and repeatedly lambasted Ford for its factories in Mexico. Lamborghinis are, of course, built in Italy. But then again, Trump has owned at least one Lambo himself over the years. The Trumpventador is slated to take part in the 2016 Gold Rush Rally that's scheduled to leave Boston on May 13 and end in LA on the 21st, with stops in Washington, Charlotte, Nashville, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas in between. So keep your eyes open if you're in one of those cities and want to catch a glimpse, or keep 'em shut if you don't. Related Video: