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Volkswagen may 'carve out' Lamborghini to list on the stock exchange

FRANKFURT — Volkswagen is drawing up plans to set up Lamborghini as a more independent unit, and is discussing long-term supply deals that could make it easier to list it on the stock exchange, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. "Volkswagen is in the process of carving out Lamborghini, and to organize future supply and technology transfer deals," one of the sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Italian sportscar brand, which is currently a division of Audi, could be partially listed, with Volkswagen retaining a controlling stake, the first person familiar with the talks said. There is no formal decision to divest Lamborghini, a second source said, adding that the timetable of any deal remained unclear. "This is a first step which gives VW the option to list the unit further down the line," the second source told Reuters. A third source familiar with the discussions said the future of Bugatti, Lamborghini and Ducati was discussed during a supervisory board meeting last Friday. The possibilities for how to electrify the Lamborghini and Bugatti brands through partnerships and investors was discussed, the third source said. Bankers and potential cornerstone investors in an IPO have been approached by the carmaker, the sources said. Volkswagen declined to comment. Volkswagen Group's Chief Executive Herbert Diess on Wednesday said the carmaker will announce "important steps" about the company's future before the close of the year. Volkswagen is reviewing what role its high-performance brands Lamborghini, Bugatti and Ducati will play within the multi-brand carmaker as part of broader quest for more economies of scale, senior executives told Reuters. A global clampdown on combustion-engined vehicles has forced carmakers to accelerate development of low-emission technology for mainstream models, leaving Volkswagen managers struggling to find resources to electrify low volume sportscar models. Related Video:

Lamborghini Aventador SV Roadster spied testing undisguised

Lamborghini typically does more versions of its V10 models than it does with its V12s. Just look at how many model variants the Gallardo spun off over its many years of production, compared to the few the Murcielago did. But with both now retired, and the Aventador on the market longer than the Huracan, it's the larger of the two that's beefing up the Raging Bull's product portfolio. We're looking at and referring to the upcoming Aventador SV Roadster. Lambo has already confirmed that the Superveloce Roadster was in the works, and we even saw a heavily camouflaged prototype undergoing testing near the Arctic Circle. But this time it's completely undisguised, without a shred of camouflage to keep it from our prying eyes. It isn't hard to guess at the technical details here, since it combines the best attributes of two existing versions: namely the LP 700-4 Roadster and the LP 750-4 Superveloce. So look for a 6.5-liter V12 channeling 740 horsepower to all four wheels through the company's proprietary seven-speed ISR transmission, just like the SV coupe. It'll be a bit heavier with its removable carbon-fiber roof panel and the requisite extra bracing, but it's doubtful the slight weight penalty will actually translate to any substantial drop in performance. Noticeably absent, however, is the big rear wing that adorns the back of the SV coupe. We'll have to hold tight to find out if the production version will get the spoiler or not, and there's little precedent to go by here since Lambo has never really offered a convertible Superveloce before. With the wing or without, the Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce Roadster will likely debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show come September, with production already confirmed to be limited to 500 units – or 100 less than the existing coupe that's already sold out.

Tour Lamborghini museum with Google Street View

If you find yourself in northern Italy with some spare time on your hands, we could think of few places better to spend it than the Lamborghini Museum in Sant'Agata. The 16,000-square-foot facility houses what is surely the most magnificent collections of Raging Bulls in the world on two levels of glassed-in floorspace. But if your travel plans won't be taking you to Bologna, Lamborghini has teamed up with Google to provide the next best thing.
Now all you've got to do to get a closer look at the Lamborghini Museum is open another tab in your web browser and head over to Google Maps (or fire up the Google Maps app on your smartphone or tablet) to see the whole museum in Street View. There you'll find everything from production models like the Miura, Countach, Diablo and Murcielago to limited-production rarities like the Reventon and Sesto Elemento, prototypes like the Estoque and Zagato Canto, a Gallardo highway patrol car and a handful of Lamborghini-powered F1 cars, like Nicola Larini's 1991 Modena 291.
You can even get into a few of them, which the museum's curators aren't likely to let you do in person. So whether you're at home, at the office or in Sant'Agata Bolognese, it's there for you to check out on Google Street View. Short of that, you can scope out a few screen shots in the gallery above and the details in the press release below.