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Italdesign Giugiaro Parcour Concept

Coachbuilt Italian Finery Rides High In The Mediterranean
Apparently, the appropriate gift to give for the 45th anniversary of almost anything is a blue sapphire stone. I cannot imagine Autoblog readers craving a story about that, so I'm glad that Italdesign Giugiaro spared me that gig and instead created this truly interesting Parcour concept to mark its 45th anniversary.
Parcour is named after the generally urban activity of French origin (spelled "parkour"), of throwing one's (presumably) agile body off walls and railings in an anti-gravity freestyle momentum ballet. This sometimes ends up being broadcast on YouTube, particularly to show a parkour session gone horribly wrong, with the star taking a metal banister in the cojones or receiving a fetching bouquet of twisted fingers. Clearly design boss at Giugiaro, Fabrizio Giugiaro (son of legend Giorgetto), and his squad had more coordinated good parkour-ing in mind when they let me drive their cool creation on the island of Sardinia. (I live not far away, so it's a one-hour flight with the herds on a low-cost airline.)

Weekly Recap: Takeaways from the Frankfurt Motor Show

We obsessively covered the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, and naturally, we selected our favorites from this fall's biggest automotive event. Now that the dust has settled, we're looking ahead to what it all means. Here are three takeaways from the floor in Frankfurt. The Germans are serious about electric vehicles: It's a bit cliche to say BMW, Mercedes, and Audi have downplayed electrics in favor of other technologies, like diesels. For a time that may have been true, but those three companies, along with Porsche and Volkswagen, are emerging as leaders in EV development. That was on display in Frankfurt, when all of them revealed either all-electric or plug-in hybrid models. Gas prices are relatively low in the United States, but clearly the Germans are thinking long-term and globally. Everyone is serious about SUVs: You gotta have one, even if you're Bentley or Jaguar. It's 2015 and it's what consumers want. As Jaguar design director Ian Callum put it, "Not to be in the sector would be a little naive for the sake of purity." It's not just the flashy exotic luxury makers. Nissan showed the Gripz concept, which is rakish, radical, and meant to blend traits of SUVs and sports cars into a vehicle that really crosses over. Look for more, especially in the luxury sector, as Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin ramp up their own SUV efforts. There's no ceiling to the luxury market: Speaking of high-end cars, companies are continuing to invest in extravagant wares beyond just SUVs. Even during the recession, ultra-luxury makers remained relevant, and now they're back at full stride. In Frankfurt, that was illustrated by yet another S-Class model, the cabriolet, which will come in S550 and S63 AMG variants in the United States. Ferrari also showed off the 488 Spider, and Lamborghini opened up the Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder. Meanwhile, Bugatti's Vision Grand Turismo concept reminded enthusiasts that it's plotting life after the Veyron. European auto shows always draw the glitziest reveals from luxury makers, and this year didn't disappoint. OTHER NEWS & NOTES 2016 Honda Civic redesigned with snazzier style, turbo power The 10th-generation of the Honda Civic debuted this week at events in Los Angeles and Detroit ahead of its launch in the United States this fall as a 2016 model. Honda fortified the Civic with LED lights, an available turbo engine, and a more tech-laden cabin.

Lamborghini Huracan Spyder promises 201-mph top speed

After chopping the roof off the Aventador SuperVeloce in Monterey, Lamborghini has, unsurprisingly, decapitated its entry level Huracan and given birth to the successor to the Gallardo Spyder. The new Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder is set to debut this week at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, offering the same 5.2-liter, 610-hosrepower V10, seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and all-wheel-drive system. The top speed is a hair-raising 201 miles per hour, down just a single digit from the hardtop model, while the 0-62-mph time has fallen from 3.2 to 3.4 seconds. Blame the increase in weight for the slight drop in performance – the Spyder model adds 264 pounds to the hardtop's 3,135-pound dry weight. Of course, unlimited headroom and looks that can kill more than make up for that. According to Lamborghini, the lightweight softtop can be dropped in just 17 seconds and at speeds of up to 31 miles per hour. Impressive though that may be, it's the improvements that Lambo has made over the old Gallardo Spyder that are really newsworthy. Torsional rigidity is up 40 percent over Sant'Agata's last entry level droptop, while downforce jumps by 50 percent with the Huracan Spyder. Prices for Lamborghini's newest convertible start at 186,450 Euros ($211,341 at today's rates), with deliveries slated to begin in the spring of 2016. Read on for the official press release, and check back soon for live images from the floor of the Frankfurt Motor Show. Or, if you really want to see the debut go down, you can watch the livestream of the reveal, here. Related Video: Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder: Performance and lifestyle under the open sky • Inspiring Huracan technology and performance with open air emotion • Electrohydraulic, lightweight soft top for pure Spyder feeling • Smart aerodynamic solutions for maximum open-top driving comfort • Naturally aspirated 5.2 l V10 engine with 449 kW/610 hp, 0 - 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, top speed 324 km/h (201 mph) • 'Cylinder on demand' technology in combination with stop-and-start system for lower CO2-emissions Sant'Agata Bolognese/Frankfurt, 14.09.2015 – Automobili Lamborghini presents the new Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder at Frankfurt International Motor Show. The open top version of the Huracan LP 610-4 combines the power and performance of the coupe with the emotion of open-air driving.