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Lamborghini could be sold or spun off from the Volkswagen Group

Volkswagen is reportedly considering a sale or stock listing for its high-end Lamborghini brand. The German automaker is looking to fold the Italian supercar brand into a separate legal entity, reports Bloomberg, which cites "people familiar with the matter" who don't want to be identified "because the deliberations are confidential and no decisions have been made." Any of this sound familiar? The goal of spinning off Lamborghini would be to stockpile more cash and other resources for VW's massive planned push into electric vehicles. Back in March, reports circulated that Volkswagen's "Vision 2030" corporate plan might include plans to focus on the brand's core brands — VW, Audi and Porsche. That means the futures of fringe players like Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, motorcycle brand Ducati and design firm Italdesign (and note this isn't a comprehensive list of brand's under the expansive VW Group umbrella) are up in the air. VW, according to the report, is targeting a market value of $220 billion, which is a big jump from the brand's current $89 billion valuation. Bloomberg pegged Lamborghini's valuation at around $11 billion back in August, buoyed by sales and profits generated by the introduction of the Urus sport utility vehicle. On the flip side, Lamborghini is currently grappling with how best to update its supercar lineup in the face of ever-increasing emissions regulations.

Post Malone's very white Bugatti Chiron is up for grabs

Rapper and face tattoo enthusiast Post Malone is selling a 2019 Bugatti Chiron. It's not just any 2019 Bugatti Chiron, either, but one tailored to Mr. Malone's personal tastes, which is, apparently, white on white on white. Malone apparently eschewed the Chiron's available two-tone exterior for a single finish entirely in what Bugatti calls Glacier. Apparently, it's the hit songwriter's favorite color, his car collection consisting of a fleet of matching achromatic vehicular baubles. The interior complements it with swaths of bleached leather ensconcing every conceivable surface, from headliner to seats to dashboard to steering wheel. We didn't realize plain white could look so gaudy, but somehow the Bug makes it happen. The car is currently listed with DuPont Registry, and photos show the odometer reading just 586 miles. That would explain why the alabaster supercar still looks as unsullied as a pair of collector grade Drake Edition Air Jordan 12 OVOs, or THX 1138's torture room. When new, the supercar boasting 1,479-horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque stickered at about $3 million, but Malone opted for a few bells and whistles to set it apart from your more plebeian Chirons. Its black brake calipers, for example, are said to be a $6,400 option. The silver mesh grilles front and rear command another $38,200, a relative bargain compared to the $64,000 Caractere wheels. Inside, the center console inlay aluminum trim adds another $10,900, while contrast-stitching comfort seats are worth another $32,000, or the price of one new Mustang convertible. That's over $150,000 in options alone, but that's probably nothing for Mr. Malone, whose garage consists of a Lamborghini Aventador SV, Rolls Royce Phantom, Rolls Royce Wraith, McLaren Senna, Hennesey VelociRaptor 6x6, 2019 Subaru WRX, 1966 Lincoln Continental, and a 1992 Ford Explorer with Lambo doors. With all those other sweet rides and a career as a musical superstar, Malone probably didn't have the time to give the Bugatti's 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 regular workouts, but maybe you can. Just don't eat Chee-tos in it.

Bugatti not planning an EV or SUV in the next 10 years

Bugatti is at a turning point in its history: It will end production of the Chiron and the W16 engine that powers it in the coming years. What's next remains a little murky, but the company confirmed that it's not planning on releasing an electric car or an SUV for at least 10 years. "A purely electric version is not included in our 10-year plan for Bugatti. There will also be no SUV," said Bugatti-Rimac CEO Mate Rimac in an interview with industry trade journal Automobilwoche. "If it's comparable, then it's not a Bugatti," he added, citing the firm's founder. His comments put an end to the rumors that have hovered around Bugatti since Croatia-based Rimac purchased a controlling stake in July 2021. Rimac made a name for itself by developing high-performance EVs, and some feared it would leverage its expertise to launch a range of badge-engineered battery-powered Bugatti models. Rimac ruled out badge engineering early on and stressed the two brands won't overlap, though its CEO predicted that "within this decade there will be a fully electric Bugatti" shortly after the purchase was announced. Bugatti has started developing the Chiron's successor and Autoblog confirmed in August 2022 that the model will be powered by a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Rimac stopped short of revealing precise technical details about the yet-unnamed model but told Automobilwoche his team hopes to increase the system's electric-only range from approximately 12 miles in some gasoline-electric hypercars to 30 miles. More details about Bugatti's future should emerge in the coming months. In the meantime, the company has its work cut out for the coming years: it needs to finish production of the Chiron, build the track-only Bolide, and make the 99 planned units of the sold-out Mistral (pictured). Related video: