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Lamborghini restores two 50-year-old classics to mark their anniversary

Front-engined Lamborghinis are a thing again, thanks to the Urus SUV. For decades, the company built nothing but mid-engined vehicles, perhaps for a good reason. But 50 years ago, Lamborghini introduced two cruisers with front-mounted V12s, and to commemorate the anniversary, the company's historical Polo Storico division has now restored examples of both. Before the era of Diablos, Murcielagos and Gallardos, the Espada was the strongest seller in the Lamborghini stable. Between 1968 and 1978, Lamborghini built 1,226 Espadas, all of them with a 4-liter V12, and some of them with an automatic transmission — a Lamborghini first. Depending on the version, the Espada's power output ranged from 325 hp to 350, and it could exceed 150 mph while seating four. Taking its cues from earlier concept cars, the Espada's Gandini design can be remembered from the near-horizontal rear deck, and the 47-inch tall cars are very low for four-seaters. What about the Islero? For Lamborghini, it was a more conventional approach to a GT, as it was a further development of the earlier 400GT — itself a continuation of Lamborghini's first production car, the 350GT. A handy way to tell the cars apart is that the Islero has hidden headlights, unlike the two earlier models. Compared to the Espada, the Islero's production run was markedly shorter: It was built for only two model years, with a total of 225 cars. The engine was the same V12 as in the Espada, but while the Islero S also had 350 hp, it was notably faster, and able to reach 161 mph. Lamborghini's Espada/Islero celebrations include a special tour of the Umbria region in early September. There's a 400-mile tour of central Italy Sept. 7-11 for Lamborghini enthusiasts, arranged by Lamborghini Polo Storico. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Lamborghini Espada/Islero 50th Anniversary Lamborghini Classics lamborghini espada

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee teases return with a Countach

Unless you have an intense aversion to Jerry Seinfeld, it's hard not to find something to like about his show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. After all, the series combines funny people telling often hilarious stories while riding in ridiculously cool vehicles. The trailer for the sixth season is now online, and based on this tease, this definitely looks worth watching no matter what part of the videos interest you. Of course, it's the automotive portion that really grabs us, and Seinfeld has quite a fleet to showcase for season six. The trailer shows off a Lamborghini Countach, a '57 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible, a classic Volkswagen Beetle in the green and white German Polizei livery, a Morgan, an Aston Martin DB5, and a Ferrari 308. On the more humorous side of things, the guest list at least includes Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jim Carrey, Steve Harvey, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher and upcoming host of The Daily Show Trevor Noah. Season six of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee premieres on Crackle on Wednesday, June 3, at 11:30 PM ET.

Lamborghini Aventador SVJ First Drive Review | Worth its weight in carbon fiber

Relentless. If we were to define Lamborghini in 2018, this is the word we'd choose. Led by the indefatigable head of research and development, Maurizio Reggiani, the engineering team at Sant'Agata Bolognese are constantly iterating current models — futzing, enhancing, testing. Give them a problem and they'll hammer away at it. The Aventador has been one of those problems. The V12 flagship was released in 2011 and shone far more for its sharp-edged Lambo-tastic design than its sharp handling. If we were looking for a word to describe that first iteration, we'd say ... wanting. Which brings us to the Autodromo do Estoril in Portugal on a sunny day in September. We're here to drive the new Aventador SVJ, first shown this year at Pebble Beach. It is the fourth major non-roadster model, following the SV and the S. Lamborghini promises that the SVJ is the ultimate Aventador. The fixed Aventador. Or mostly, says Reggiani. "I'm not that arrogant to say that everything is perfect. There's always something that could be better." He shrugs, then smiles. "But our goal is to synchronize all the improvements and create something unique, something special." The SVJ's naturally breathing V12 makes 759 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque. Top speed is 217 mph, and 62 mph arrives in 2.8 seconds. The price, without taxes or extra bits of carbon fiber or seats in novel shades of purple, starts at $517,770. Reggiani and friends have come to the conclusion that the obvious formula of shedding weight while adding power can only take you so far. (That's what they did with the SV and it's only middling.) Hence the SVJ gets every new trick that the company has engineered as of late, including aero vectoring, rear-wheel-steer and all-wheel-drive. And it's already netted results. The SVJ snatched the production-car 'Ring record from the Porsche 911 GT2 RS with a time of 6:44.97. The track surface at Estoril was resurfaced only weeks ago, and oils from the asphalt are weeping out onto the surface. This has caused great consternation among the Lamborghini camp, as grip is closer to driving on glass than nice stubbly tarmac. On my first set of laps, a pro driver suggests that I leave the car in sport mode, which sends more power to the rear wheels. "Easier to turn in," he suggests, as the front wheels are having trouble gaining traction on the slick surface.