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Lamborghini Aventador LP 720-4 50 Anniversario is one helluva birthday present

While most 50th birthday parties include wacky and at least somewhat offensive gag gifts, Lamborghini will be celebrating its first 50 years with some incredibly exciting machines. Aside from the Veneno, the Italian automaker will also commemorate its first half century with new versions of the Aventador and Gallardo, which will both be on display at the Shanghai Motor Show.
The special Gallardo LP 560-2 50 Anniversario is a Gallardo with a unique paint scheme, a transparent engine cover and a few carbon fiber parts from the Superleggera, but the Aventador LP 720-4 50 Anniversario is where you'll find the true party favor. Confirming what leaked out earlier in the week, the Aventador LP 720-4 50 Anniversario squeezes an extra 20 horsepower from its 6.5-liter V12 compared to the "base" Aventador LP 700-4, which is accomplished with different engine tuning.
If the Aventador wasn't already flashy enough for you, the 50 Anniversario gets painted up in a two-tone paint job with a bright yellow Giallo Maggio exterior color over matte black for the lower portions of the car, along with gloss-black wheels. Lamborghini chose yellow because it has been the most popular color for its cars since the Miura. As for unique styling elements, the Aventador LP 720-4 50 Anniversario gets a revised front end with an extended splitter and bigger air intakes, and the rear fascia has been completely redesigned for better aerodynamics and engine ventilation.

Ferdinand Piech (1937-2019): The man who made VW global

Towering among his peers, a giant of the auto industry died Sunday night in Rosenheim/Upper Bavaria, Germany. Ferdinand Piech, a grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who conceived the original Volkswagen in the 1930s, was the most polarizing automotive executive of our times. And one who brought automotive technology further than anyone else. Ferdinand Porsche had a son, Ferdinand (called "Ferry"), and a daughter, Louise, who married the Viennese lawyer Anton Piech. They gave birth to Ferdinand Piech, and his proximity to two Alfa Romeo sports cars — Porsche had done some work for the Italians — and the "Berlin-Rome-Berlin" race car, developed by Porsche himself, gave birth to Piech's interest in cars. After his teachers in Salzburg told his mother he was "too stupid" to attend school there, Piech, who was open about his dyslexia, was sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. He subsequently moved on to Porsche, where he fixed issues with the 904 race car and did major work on the 911. But his greatest project was the Le Mans-winning 917 race car, developed at breathtaking financial cost. It annihilated the competition, but the family had had enough: Amid growing tension among the four cousins working at Porsche and Piech's uncle Ferry, the family decided to pull every family member, except for Ferry, out of their management positions. Piech started his own consultancy business, where he designed the famous five-cylinder diesel for Mercedes-Benz, but quickly moved on to Audi, first as an engineer and then as CEO, where he set out to transform the dull brand into a technology leader. Piech killed the Wankel engine and hammered out a number of ambitious and sophisticated technologies. Among them: The five-cylinder gasoline engine; Quattro all-wheel drive and Audi's fantastic rally successes; and turbocharging, developed with Fritz Indra, whom Piech recruited from Alpina. The Audi 100/200/5000 became the world's fastest production sedan, thanks to their superior aerodynamics. Piech also launched zinc-coated bodies for longevity — and gave diesel technology a decisive boost with the advent of the fast and ultra-efficient TDI engines. Less known: Piech also decided to put larger gas tanks into cars. Customers loved it. Piech's first-generation Audi V8 was met with derision by competitors; it was too obviously based on the 200/5000.

1971 Lamborghini Miura SV is PoloStorico's first restoration

Lamborghini is fitting in at the annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, trotting out a fully restored 1971 Miura SV. This is not just any Miura, though. It's been the subject of a complete restoration courtesy of Sant'Agata's young restoration arm, PoloStorico. Wearing chassis number 4846, this Miura SV was introduced on the Bertone stand during the 1971 Geneva Motor Show – the company's new Countach was on the main Lambo stage. According to Lambo, this car is "truly a one-off," featuring parts from the Miura S alongside pioneering features that would be seen on later SVs. But who cares about its history – just look at this thing. Lamborghini has gone mad restoring this Miura, with PoloStorico inspecting each individual body panel and then finishing all of them in this beautiful Verde Metallazata – literally green metallic. The company claims that every component was restored or replaced, and that "exhaustive research" went into the process. But why Amelia Island, and why now? The head of PoloStorico has the answer. "This is the year in which the Lamborghini Miura celebrates its 50th anniversary," Enrico Maffeo said in the official statement. "This car not only illustrates the iconic appeal of the Miura, widely acknowledged as the forerunner of modern super sports models, but is also a perfect example of the expertise available in Lamborghini PoloStorico in providing the most authentic Lamborghini restorations." This Miura SV marks the first completed project for the PoloStorico team. Based on the few images we've seen, it's the start of something big for Lamborghini's vintage models. Related Video: LAMBORGHINI POLOSTORICO CELEBRATES MIURA 50 ANNIVERSARY AT AMELIA ISLAND WITH RESTORED MIURA SV 1971 GENEVA SHOW CAR Sant'Agata Bolognese, – The original Lamborghini Miura SV shown at Geneva motor show in 1971 has been the subject of more than a year's restoration by Lamborghini PoloStorico, and is presented as a finished project at the Amelia Island concours event (USA) from 10 to 13 March. The Lamborghini Miura SV (Super Veloce), chassis #4846, was the pre-production model for subsequent Miura SV production. Unveiled at the 1971 Geneva motor show on Bertone's stand (while Lamborghini showed its new Countach), the car was truly a one-off, carrying over parts from the previous Miura S and introducing new features that would be seen on later SVs. Lamborghini PoloStorico was appointed a year ago to fully restore chassis #4846 to its perfect original state.