2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. Black Over Ivory Interior. E-gear. Wheels. on 2040-cars

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Lamborghini exploring more elegant designs

Ferrari's front-engined V12s and mid-engined V8s have taken turns monopolizing the brand's perception; the 550 Maranello was probably the last front-engined V12 to be first-to-mind, now the 458 Italia leads the family. Not so at Lamborghini, where a mid-engined V12 has been the go-to and centerpiece since the extraterrestrial Countach landed, and it still is no matter how much the Huracan outsells the Aventador. That shape, those doors, that engine – they're the franchise. That doesn't mean Lamborghini isn't trying new things. The Asterion LPI 910-4 concept from last year's Paris Motor Show was more than the marque's first draft of a hybrid, it was an exploration of a different avenue in design. According to design chief Filippo Perini, "We need to understand if we can open another window in our future to be not so extreme but also a little bit more politically correct and elegant." The Asterion points at elegance and "a daily use of the car" with more room inside, a slimmer rocker panel and sill for easier entry, and a raised hip point in the seats for a higher driving position. Perini said that from the driver's seat, "You can see the color of the car. That is something unknown in our very extreme designs." Extreme Lamborghinis aren't going away, however – note that Perini spoke of opening "another window" of design. The goal, he said, "is to understand if [its] design language will be appreciated by a different kind of customer." We can't imagine why not, and we hope we get more news about the "hyper cruiser" GT outside of magazine articles and auto show grandstanding. If it were up to us, Lamborghini would open that window all the way.

Lamborghini to celebrate 50th Anniversary with new model

Lamborghini is planning to roll out a new car for the brand's 50th anniversary. Automotive News Europe reports the Italian automaker will unveil a special one-off machine to commemorate the date next year. CEO Stepahn Winkelmann has been tight-lipped about the vehicle, saying coyly, "It will not be a revival or a retro." Fortunately, with 2013 right around the corner, we shouldn't have to wait long to see what Lamborghini has up its sleeves for the special car.
The company has other big plans for the celebration and has reportedly invited owners to ship their cars to Milan, where they will then parade through Tuscany, Rome and Bologna before arriving at the Lamborghini factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese.
It's a good time for a party. Lamborghini has seen strong sales through 2012 despite the faltering European economy, and the Aventador coupe and roadster each have an 18-month waiting list.

Lamborghini Veneno makes North American debut

Love it or hate it, the Lamborghini Veneno is an incredible - and incredibly rare - car. With Lamborghini committed to building just three examples of the Veneno, it's very likely that we'll only ever see this pre-production show car in our lifetime.
That doesn't mean we'll be any less excited about laying our eyes on this fine example of the world's most-expensive production car, which we recently did as the Veneno made its US debut at the Quail Motorsports Gathering. Now that we see it again, it might look even better under the California sun than it did the last time we saw it under the bright lights of the Geneva Motor Show. Now, if we could just find the keys...