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Lamborghini plans to release four new models in 2022

Lamborghini set an all-time delivery record in 2021, and almost all of its production capacity for 2022 is already spoken for. It plans to keep the momentum going by releasing four new models in 2022, according to a recent report, including updated variants of its best-sellers. Speaking to British magazine Car, Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann revealed that 2022 will be the last year that the firm launches only cars powered exclusively by an internal combustion engine; everything that comes after will be either a hybrid or electric. We're not there yet, though, and Lamborghini has a few exciting non-electrified products in its pipeline. We'll see two evolutions of the Huracan, the executive confirmed, and we're guessing that one is the rally-inspired model that our spies have spotted testing in the snowy parts of Europe. It looks like the V10-powered coupe will draw inspiration from the Sterrato concept (pictured) that made its debut in June 2019. At the other end of the Raging Bull spectrum, the hot-selling Urus will receive its first major update since its unveiling in 2017. What's intriguing is that Winkelmann said that "the facelift will be split in two." Could one be the hybrid model that's in the works? Time will tell. Those are the four new models that Lamborghini will unveil in 2022 — unless the company has other surprises up its sleeve. Enthusiasts waiting for the Aventador's successor will need to be patient because it's not due out until 2023, according to the same report. When it lands, it will pack a plug-in hybrid powertrain built around a new naturally-aspirated V12 engine. Separate reports claim that the model will be its own thing; it won't borrow styling cues from the Sian introduced in 2019 or from the sold-out born-again Countach presented in 2021. "And then, in 2024, we will have the Urus and the Huracan follow-ups, [and they'll be] plug-in hybrid cars," Winkelmann said. He stopped short of telling Car which engine will power the Huracan's replacement, but the publication speculates that the model will ditch the sonorous V10 and downsize to a V8. Interestingly, the eight-cylinder will reportedly be developed in-house. It will feature a 10,000-rpm redline and it will be capable of burning synthetic fuel. Unverified reports claim that the hybrid system's total output will lie in the vicinity of 850 horsepower.

Lamborghini explains the challenges of putting Alexa in a 640-hp coupe

LAS VEGAS — Lamborghini and Amazon will continue their collaboration in a bid to bring an ever-greater degree of connectivity to the supercar segment, the Italian firm told Autoblog on the sidelines of CES 2020. Now that Alexa technology is available in the Huracan Evo, making it available across the rest of the range is relatively straightforward. Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini's research and development boss, explained adding voice recognition technology to a car like the 640-horsepower Huracan was easier said than done. "We had to split voice from the engine's sound, especially when the car is in Corsa [mode]. Alexa's engineering team spent a long time in Sant'Agata," he explained. Making the engine quieter so owners can pre-heat their oven while driving wasn't an option. The Huracan Evo released in 2019 is equipped with a relatively new, touchscreen-based infotainment system developed entirely in-house, so it was the ideal starting point. It was also one of the most challenging use cases for the engineering team, and not just because its two-seater cabin is small and noisy in the best possible way. "The V10's frequency is unique. If you take the V12 [in the Aventador S], it's much more regular. The V10's high frequency is one of the most difficult sources of sound to manage," Reggiani said. He stopped short of confirming when Lamborghini's other models will receive Amazon Alexa, though we wouldn't wait for the option to appear on the Aventador S because the model is at the end of its career, and its replacement — which will receive hybrid power — is right around the corner. Reggiani assured us adding Alexa to the Urus would be "much, much, much simpler," partly because its cabin is far quieter than the Huracan's. Why bother with technology when Lamborghini built its reputation mega horsepower? The answer is simple: Buyer demand. "We need to speak the same language as our new, younger customers," Reggiani said. "They want to ask, and to have. The car must be able to satisfy this kind of request." 

Top Gear names BMW i8 Car of the Year, Corvette, Ferrari, Mercedes also win big

The lads at Top Gear have released their listing of the finest cars of the past year, handing the ultimate honor to BMW's revolutionary i8 plug-in-hybrid supercar. "The i8 is a milestone in the annals of automotive history and a glorious statement for an exciting and positive future. The i8 delivers - and then some," the British mag wrote. The i8, though, was far from the only hybridized car to take victories. James May and Richard Hammond both highlighted hybrids as their personal cars of the year, with May saluting the Ferrari LaFerrari and the Hamster, unsurprisingly, heaping praise on the Porsche 918 Spyder. Jeremy Clarkson, meanwhile, opted to shock many by selecting not only an American car as his best of 2014, but giving the honor to of all things, a Corvette. Clarkson wasn't the only person to honor the USA's iconic sports car, with the new, 650-horsepower Z06 variant being named TG's Muscle Car of the Year. Other big winners include Mercedes-Benz, which TG honored for S-Class Coupe (Luxury Car of the Year), the new AMG GT (Sports Car of the Year) and the not-for-US C-Class Estate (Family Car of the Year). The 458 Italia Speciale A snagged a second win for Ferrari. The best of the rest include the Citroen C4 Cactus, Renault Twingo, Volkswagen Golf R, Lamborghini Huracan and Audi TT. Take a look below for the celebratory press blast from BMW. The BMW i8 wins Top Gear Car of the Year The BMW i8 has been named as Top Gear magazine's global Car of the Year 2014. The plug-in hybrid performance vehicle beat off some stiff competition from a host of other premium and luxury manufacturers to win the overall award. The editorial team of Top Gear commended the BMW i8 for its breadth of abilities. Its 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine combined with an electric motor gives searing acceleration and driver enjoyment but all wrapped in a package that takes BMW's EfficientDynamics philosophy to the extreme courtesy of CO2 emissions less than 49g/km and a 135mpg combined cycle figure. Charlie Turner, Editor in Chief at Top Gear magazine, said: "The BMW is a milestone in the annals of automotive history and a glorious statement for an exciting and positive future. The i8 delivers – and then some. It's the kind of car we should celebrate, a beautiful vision of the future, delivered now.