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Lamborghini: We did not cheat on Nurburgring record

"Why would we [cheat]? We have all the data, all the GPS data. It's verified. It's already verified." – Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali Lamborghini is doubling-down on the legitimacy of the Huracan Performante's production-car record at the Nurburgring. The Italian supercar maker should have been on a high when it launched its Huracan Performante at the Geneva Motor Show, but it was instead forced to defend the 6:52.01 lap time on the Nurburgring's Nordschleife circuit in the wake of criticism. Skeptics suggested the footage had been sped up from a rate of 24 frames per second to 25, arguing the 'authentic' lap time would have been closer to 7:08. James Glickenhaus, the owner of ultra-low volume supercar maker Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus, even called for the circuit to hold a special day to verify production car lap times. View 12 Photos "Why would we [cheat]?" Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali asked incredulously. "We have all the data, all the GPS data. It's verified. It's already verified. "The simulation we did before we did the lap was already better than the previous time [set by Porsche's hybrid supercar, the 918 Spyder]. "What we saw was the great potential of active aerodynamics. The Nurburgring is a lot of partial throttle and long corners. The SV [Aventador] was for sure faster on the straight, but the lap [by the Performante] was all recorded." A Lamborghini spokesman suggested the entire controversy was rooted in "one blogger's business model [of] paying for clicks." Audi Sport development head, Stephan Reil, also weighed in during last week's Audi RS3 launch, insisting Lamborghini would have had no reason to cheat at anything and that its active aerodynamics would have more than made up for any power shortfalls. Audi is a sister brand of Lamborghini under the ownership of Volkswagen Group. "We also know that architecture well [the Huracan shares its architecture with Reil's R8]. We know what it's capable of," Reil said. "The Performante 'Ring time is absolutely credible. Active aero makes a huge difference. "We did a TT production racer for the 'Ring with about 380 horsepower and gave it maximum wing. It was so slow down the straight that everybody passed it, but the overall lap time was very, very fast. Much faster than without the aero downforce.

Lamborghini files for trademark on Egoista name

Lamborghini has reportedly filed to register a trademark for the name Egoista. The name was previously used on an outrageous one-off, single-seater concept revealed in 2013. While the trademark application doesn't necessarily mean the concept will be put into production, it certainly bodes well. Fans of the marque will recall that the Lamborghini Egoista surfaced in May 2013 as a birthday present from the automaker to itself on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. The radical design penned by Walter De Silva was inspired by helicopter gunships and featured a single solitary seat under a canopy, giving the one-of-a-kind creation its "selfish" name. Motivation (were it ever let out onto the street) came from a 5.2-liter V10 like the one in the Gallardo and Huracan, optimized to the tune of 600 horsepower. The Egoista was never displayed at any auto shows, going straight to the museum in Sant'Agata Bolognese at the entrance to the company's factory and headquarters. At the time of its creation, Lamborghini said that "the Egoista is pure emotion, Never Never Land, which no one can ever possess, and which will always remain a dream, for everyone." The reported filing of the trademark application would ostensibly suggest a change of heart on Lambo's part, or at least that it could be entertaining the use of the name for some application beyond the concept that's now two and a half years old. One can dream, at any rate. Related Video:

Lamborghini recalls Aventador over headlamp problem

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a bulletin over a recall for up to 144 examples of the 2012 Lamborghini Aventador here in the States. The affected models, built from July 15, 2011 to April 20, 2012 have headlights that apparently don't conform to US federal motor vehicle safety standards. The lamps can be aimed horizontally but not vertically, which can reduce their usefulness for the driver and blind oncoming traffic if aimed improperly.
Lamborghini is expected to begin notifying affected owners next week, at which time they can take their Aventadors to their dealers for a fix free of charge. The complete bulletin from NHTSA is below.