2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Nera. Black Over White/black. 10k Miles. New Clutch! on 2040-cars

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Living Life Large: Driving $2 million worth of cars in one week

Monterey Car Week has quickly become one of my favorite events of the year. There's something for everyone – classic car shows, modern concepts and new vehicle debuts, auctions, racing, and so much more. From a media perspective, there's also a chance to drive a ton of cars. Many automakers bring their latest wares out to Monterey for us to test during our limited free time, and it's a great opportunity to experience fantastic metal against a gorgeous backdrop. That's exactly what I did this year. Instead of flying into Monterey and being driven around, my journey started in Los Angeles and ended in Napa, and I managed to get behind the wheel of some $2 million worth of new cars. Some were old favorites, and many were new experiences. But looking back, this was one of the best weeks of driving I've had in years. Rather than try to come up with some common arc to tie these cars together, here are my notes on all the cars I tested in California earlier this month, presented in the order in which they were driven. 2016 Mazda CX-3 The CX-3 pictured here isn't the exact one I drove in California, but it's close. The only difference was color – my delivered-to-LAX tester wore Mazda's awesome new Ceramic hue (pictured below on the MX-5 Miata). I used the CX-3 to slum through crummy Los Angeles traffic for two hours on the way out to Santa Barbara, with a quick stop at In-N-Out Burger on the way for good measure. A lot nicer inside than I remember. Everyone praises Mazda for its excellence in engineering and design, but there's a lot to be said for the improvements in overall interior refinement. Quiet, comfortable, and well-equipped; the CX-3 made sitting on the 405 freeway a lot more pleasant. Not all that functional. I had a hard time fitting a week's worth of luggage for two people inside. The cargo area and rear passenger compartment were filled, with only enough room on top to see out the back window. A Honda HR-V would've swallowed all that luggage with plenty of room for more. So good to drive. Not surprising, since this wasn't my first time in the CX-3. I knew this CUV would be good on twisty roads, but on the highway it's really exceptional. Road and wind noise are minimal and the overall ride quality is a comfortable sort of sporty. This is definitely something I could drive every day – it's enjoyable during commuting and entertaining on more interesting roads.

Dave Lang lands 180 Rollerblade jump over Lamborghini, Bam Margera crashes it anyway

Lending further credence to the internetism "This is why we can't have nice things," real-life court jester Bam Margera had a tough weekend with his Lamborghini Murciélago after letting rollerblader Dave Lang perform a 180-degree jump over it.
While the stunt seemed to go off without a hitch, a second video has emerged showing Margera attempting to back his Lamborghini convertible up. Despite the presence of side mirrors, the former Jackass host hits a Cadillac. The damage to the Murciélago appears largely cosmetic, although we highly doubt the error is going to come cheap.
There is some salty language in the video, although everything, even the subtitles, are bleeped out. We've got both videos below, so if you're in the mood for a little schadenfreude, feel free to take a look.

Lamborghini Urus gets the green light for production [UPDATE]

UPDATE: We've gotten the official press release from Lamborghini, which you can read below. In it, company president Stephan Winkelmann does say that the new vehicle will be built in Sant'Agata Bolognese in a move to demonstrate "our commitment to safeguarding the values of 'Made in Italy' worldwide." It's been a long time coming, but the official word has finally come down: Lamborghini is going to build the Urus. The Italian automaker first gave us a sneak peak at the crossover concept in New York, before revealing the Urus in concept form at the Beijing Motor Show back in 2012. And we had a chance to catch up with it again in Monterey that summer. That's a lot of buildup. Ever since, Lambo has been toying with putting it into production as its third model line, alongside the existing Huracan and Aventador two-door supercars. All it's been waiting for is the go-ahead from parent Volkswagen, which it has now received. Autoblog received confirmation from a spokesman at Lamborghini of the Urus' production approval, with official details to be announced within the next few hours. Word has it that the high-riding Raging Bull will hit showrooms in 2018, but watch this space for more details as we find them. The Urus (or whatever it's ultimately called) will join a burgeoning market for high-end crossovers, alongside the likes of the Bentley Bentayga, Jaguar F-Pace, Aston Martin DBX and Maserati Levante. Unlike those forays, however, Lamborghini's will not be its first SUV. That honor will forever belong to the LM002, nicknamed the "Rambo Lambo" that came out just before the original Hummer and was powered by the Countach's V12 engine. Just what will power Sant'Agata's new crossover remains to be seen. However the signs have been pointing towards it at least being offered with the company's first hybrid powertrain, as previewed in the Asterion concept from Paris. With substantial incentives being offered by the Italian government, it is expected to be built in Italy – or at least assembled there. Much of the production work is likely to be carried out in Slovakia where the Audi Q7, Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne (with which the Urus is destined to share its underpinnings) are made. Scroll down to read the official announcement.