Navigation + Upgraded Sound + Rr Cam + Bi-color Inter + Q-citura + Callistos on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4 is silent but deadly [w/video]

The weirdest thing happened last night. During the annual Volkswagen Group Night festivities, everyone waited in anticipation for the Lamborghini section of the press conference. It's usually a treat for the senses - cool to look at, backed up by a ferocious sound that bellows throughout the venue. But not this time. There was no music, there were no laser lights, and most remarkably, there was no sound. The Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4 drove onto stage under fully silent electric power. Audibly, at least, it was perhaps the most anti-climactic Lambo introduction we've ever witnessed.
And that's the big story with this new Lamborghini concept: it's a plug-in hybrid. Of course, it's still a product of the storied Italian supercar maker, so that electric powertrain is mated to a 5.2-liter V10, and total system output is rated at a staggering 910 horsepower. It'll run up to 31 miles on pure electric power at speeds of up to 78 miles per hour, and its 0-62 time is estimated to be three seconds flat. Top speed? 199 mph. In other words, it may be capable of silence, but it still carries a stick, and it's still very much a Lambo.
So will the company actually build something like this? Right now, it doesn't look likely. Back in August at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Autoblog spoke with Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann about the then-off-the-record Asterion concept, who told us that if the automaker should choose to expand its model range, the bigger priority right now would be the Urus crossover. This is merely just a way to show how Lamborghini might present a gasoline-electric vehicle. And after scoping it out in person here at the Paris Motor Show, we have to say, it's cool. The styling is a bit softer and understated compared to the audacious Aventador or angular Huracán. But it still has quite a presence and it's still very much a Raging Bull.

Watch the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento used as a commuter car

Lamborghini never homologated the limited edition Sesto Elemento for the road, but this guy threw caution to the wind by taking the track-only sports coupe on the highway. He even recorded the high-speed blasts on video and had a Rolls-Royce along as a posh camera car. Lamborghini made just 20 examples of the Sesto Elemento, and they sold for 2 million euros each, which equaled $2.8 million at that time. The powertrain was the 570-horsepower V10 and all-wheel drive system from the Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, and Lambo made extensive use of carbon fiber for the special coupes, which cut the weight to just 2,200 pounds. The company claimed they could sprint to 62 miles per hour in only 2.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 198 mph. This driver was clearly very excited to show off the copious power from the limited edition Lamborghini, but he might have had a better time at the track. That is where Lamborghini means for the Sesto Elemento to play, and there would be no worries about the authorities potentially confiscating his rare ride. Related Video:

Lamborghini Centenario blows our minds with 760 horsepower

Every time we think Lamborghini couldn't go more extreme, it goes and outdoes itself again. Take this latest supercar for example. Called the Centenario, it celebrates what would have been Ferruccio Lamborghini's hundredth birthday (were he still alive today). It's essentially an Aventador underneath, but with more visually arresting bodywork and even more impressive specs. Like the Aventador, the Centenario is built around a carbon monocoque with a V12 engine bolted to the back. Only instead of the Aventador's 700 metric horsepower or the Aventador SV's 750, the Centenario packs 770 – equivalent to 760 hp by US standards. That's enough to propel it to 62 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds and on to a top speed in excess of 217 mph. To keep all that power and pace in check, Lamborghini fitted the Centenario with carbon-ceramic brakes and magnetorheological dampers. It also packs a four-wheel steering system like the one you'd find on the Porsche 911 GT3 or Ferrari F12 TdF to help keep it stable at speed and nimble under cornering. The unique Independent Shifting Rod transmission carries over from the Aventador, but as you can see, the Centenario strikes an even more aggressive profile than its (relatively) more commonplace stablemate. View 19 Photos The bodywork is all fresh, with more vents and ducts than an air conditioner factory and – dare we say – more visual aggression than anything Sant'Agata has made to date... save for maybe the Veneno. Just check out those enormous intakes aft of the doors, for crying out loud. Also, check out the DTM-size rear diffuser, or the old-school air extractors in the bonnet that somehow still leave room for a pair of helmets in the luggage compartment. The whole thing is longer than the Aventador, and sits lower to the ground. Think of its relationship to the Aventador as the Reventon was to the Murcielago and you'll be on the right track. This particular example is rendered in exposed carbon fiber, but each will be made to the customer's specifications. Now before you go picturing yourself as one of those customers, we should point out that Lamborghini will only make 40 examples – 20 coupes and 20 more roadsters – and all of them have already been sold at a price of 1.75 million euros (before taxes), which works out to about $1.9 million at current exchange rates.