2008 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. Black Over Black. E-gear. 10k Miles. Clean! on 2040-cars

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VW Group to split brands under four holding companies

The Volkswagen Group is planning a tremendous shift in its internal structure that will decentralize operations by splitting its 12 brands into four different holding companies. Here's the breakdown. Things will be split logically, considering the inter-sharing of parts, platforms, and engines. The Volkswagen brand, Seat, and Skoda make up a passenger vehicle division led by former BMW man Herbert Diess. Audi, which is tightly intertwined with Lamborghini and motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, will be managed by current Audi exec Rupert Stadler. Porsche and Bentley, which are already quite close, will be joined by Bugatti and run by Matthias Mueller. Finally, a commercial vehicles division will include Volkswagen Commercial, Scania, and Man. Former Daimler exec Andreas Renschler will take care of the big vehicles. The massive move, according to Automotive News Europe, is part of an internal VAG effort to move away from the structure established by ousted Chairman Ferdinand Piech, who favored a compact, but highly centralized, management structure to oversee the independent actions of the company's brands. Criticism of Piech's arrangement stemmed from the company's slow responses to changes in the market, ANE reports. The new structure should make for a more efficient, streamlined company that's better able to make crucial decisions. What are your thoughts? Should VAG decentralize, or did Piech have the right idea? Have your say in Comments.

Lamborghini reveals Aventador Nazionale in Beijing

Special editions have proven themselves a great way for high-end automakers to get a little bit more for their wares, but they appear to be gradually being taken over by personalization programs that allow customers to order their exotic new wheels just as they want them. After all, what's the point in ordering a special color scheme someone else has chosen when you can choose it yourself, with special wheels and interior upholstery to match?
Lamborghini has just such a program. It's called Ad Personam, and like the customization catalogs offered by other automakers, it allows its clients to specify any range of stylistic parameters to suit their own taste. To showcase the program, Lamborghini brought a customized Aventador to the Beijing Motor Show. Called the Nazionale edition, it's got a white paintjob with tricolore racing stripes up the hood, anthracite wheels, and a blue leather interior.
It's similar to the Gallardo Tricolore that rolled out of Sant'Agata three years ago - the kind of treatment we'd otherwise call a special edition, but despite carrying a different name, it just goes to show the possibilities Lamborghini offers it customers. For the right price, of course.

2023 Lamborghini Urus Performante revealed: less weight, more power

The name and design of the Pikes Peak record-setting Lamborghini Urus have finally been revealed. The 2023 Lamborghini Urus Performante is the new range-topper featuring aerodynamic improvements, lighter weight, new suspension and a dash of extra power for good measure. Together, the improvements make it the best performing Urus yet. The design changes are subtle, but noticeable, which is ironic for what's arguably the least subtle SUV on the market. The front bumper, hood and rear bumper have all been redesigned and feature more carbon fiber. The hood has an air extractor, too. A new front splitter and a rear wing have been added. The fenders have been widened, too to accommodate wider wheels and tires. Overall, downforce has been increased by 8%, and though no number was given, Lamborghini says drag has actually been decreased. Lamborghini also made some  Weight has been decreased by a sizable 104 pounds in total. The increased use of carbon fiber parts is part of that equation, and another part is the standard Akrapovic titanium exhaust system. The Urus Performante drops the standard SUV's air suspension for fixed steel springs that have a stiffer spring rate and lower the SUV. It still has electronically adjustable shocks, four-wheel steering, rear torque vectoring and multiple drive modes. Tuning on all of these have been updated for the Performante, and a Rally mode has been added for tail-happy dirt driving. Horsepower from the twin-turbo V8 is slightly increased, as well, to 657 horsepower (or a hellacious 666 CV in European units) and 627 pound-feet of torque. All of these changes allow the Urus Performante to get to 62 mph in 3.3 seconds, an improvement of 0.3 over the regular model. Its top speed remains at 190 mph. So it's slightly slower to 60 mph than a Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, but has a higher top speed. And of course, it holds the Pikes Peak record for a production SUV at 10 minutes 32.064 seconds. The previous record holder was the Bentley Bentayga Speed with a 10-minute 49.902-second time. Lamborghini will begin delivering Urus Performantes by the end of the year. Pricing without destination starts at $260,676. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.