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One-off Lamborghini Revuelto Opera Unica took 435 hours to paint
Thu, Dec 7 2023Lamborghini turned the Revuelto, its new flagship model, into a one-off art car to celebrate its 60th birthday. Unveiled ahead of its public debut at the 2023 Art Basel show in Miami Beach, Florida, the 1,001-horsepower coupe named Opera Unica was designed in-house. Beyond commemorating 60 years of Lamborghini's V12-powered cars, the Opera Unica showcases what the brand's Ad Personam team is capable of. It was painted entirely by hand. The front end is finished in a color called Viola Pasifae, and the livery gradually fades into a shade of black called Nero Helene. That's just the base layer; Lamborghini then added blue, red, and orange accents to emphasize speed. Getting it perfect was more difficult than it might sound. Lamborghini notes that the livery required 76 hours of development and testing plus around 435 hours (that's over 18 days!) to apply. The finish touch is a 60th Anniversary logo on the hood that's only visible in the right light. That's just the exterior; the interior took 220 additional hours to complete. It's characterized by two-tone Nero Ade and Viola Acutus leather upholstery to echo the paint job's base layer and the 60th Anniversary logo embroidered into the seats and door panels. The color of the thread used matches the color of the brush strokes applied to the exterior. This color combination appears on the start button cover as well. "We wanted to create something purely artistic using brushes and a combination of colors, as if the Revuelto was a canvas. This is what fueled our inspiration for this special livery," summed up Mitja Borkert, the head of Lamborghini's design department, in a statement. It's business as usual under the body, meaning power for the Opera Unica comes from a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain built around a new, 6.5-liter V12. Crucially, the engine is naturally aspirated; Lamborghini resisted the urge to downsize and add turbos. The system also includes three electric motors and a 3.8-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Its output checks in at 1,001 horsepower and 793 pound-feet of torque, which is enough for a manufacturer-claimed zero-to-62-mph time of 2.5 seconds and a top speed of over 217 mph. Lamborghini hasn't revealed what the future holds for the Opera Unica. It could end up in the company's museum in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, or it might find its way into private hands. Either way, you'll know it when you see it: this is the kind of one-off car you can't miss.
Wrecked Lamborghini Countach from 'Wolf of Wall Street' fails to sell in Abu Dhabi
Sat, Dec 2 2023Martin Scorsese used two genuine 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Editions in "The Wolf of Wall Street." They're both headed to auction in December, one of them for the second time. See, in August, RM Sotheby's announced that it would auction one of the movie cars in New York in December, its lot being an undamaged Bianco Polo Countach 25th Anniversary. At the time, no one had information on the location or condition of the second car that had been damaged rather badly as part of filming, victim of the main character driving under severe influence and the stunt department putting in some sledgehammer work. In November, the second, wrecked car showed up in the catalog for Bonhams' On the Grid auction at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix. Bonhams put the presale estimate at $1.5 million to $2 million. Someone submitted a bid for $1.35 million, which the seller rejected, so the auction house is putting the car up for sale at a later date. For some perspective on that rejected bid, Hagerty values the 1989 Lamborghini Countach Silver Edition in good condition at $440,000, the qualification being that the car "Runs and drives well. Flaws not noticeable to passersby." An example in concours condition, which is "World-class. Could compete in the world's best Concours d'Elegance events," is valued at $780,000. Classic.com, which tracks transactions of exotics and classics, shows a number of sales this year. Bring a Trailer sold three over the summer, one for $577,600, a second for $632,000, a third for $670,000. Other summer auctions for the same model pulled $472,500, $465,000, and a rejected high bid of $342,000. The highest prices paid this year are $775,000 for a car with 154 miles and $715,000 paid for a car with 102 miles. "The Wolf of Wall Street" car is an undriveable heap, a piece of cinematic sculpture at best, for which the owner seeks at least double the price of a practically new car. And what's wrong with that? Art regularly goes for more than $1.5 million, if that's what this is to be considered — and that might indeed be the consideration. RM Sotheby's recently put a 1962 Ferrari 250/330 GTO on the block at one of its art auctions in New York, perhaps Bonhams plans to do something similar. Car & Bike wrote that the Lamborghini heads to auction again in December. Bonhams' site lists three car-centric auctions in December, the Countach so far not shown among the lots.
Lamborghini Huracan STO SC 10 Anniversario won't race, but should
Sun, Nov 19 2023Lamborghini's one-make Super Trofeo racing series waved its first green flag in 2009. Installing the season-ending World Finals as a cap to the series didn't start until 2013, the same year the Italian automaker created its Squadra Corse motorsports division, making this year the 10th anniversary of both. In honor of that, and perhaps to the benefit of a client or clients, Lamborghini's Ad Personam custom division created the Huracan STO SC 10 Anniversario, a roadgoing Huracan with a special livery and aero package tweaked by the Squadra Corse racing division. And since the Huracan is also headed into retirement after 10 years on sale, this racing-themed special model repeats history: Lamborghini sold a run of 50 Gallardo LP-570 Squadra Corse coupes for the 2014 model year on the eve of that model concluding its 10-year production run.   The Verde Mantis and Nero Noctis livery shouts out to the SC63 hybrid endurance racer that will compete in the IMSA's Le Mans Daytona Hybrid class starting next year. The Huracan's flourished in the lower classes, having won the GTD class at the Rolex 24 at Daytona three years in a row. Unique touches include the Tricolore band running down the center, "Squadra Corse 10° Anniversario" logos on the sides and rear fin, plus Rosso Mars accents along the carbon fiber package pieces. Inside, a Nero Ade seats are contrasted by Verde Fauns stitching, four-point seat belts, a roll bar, and a carbon fiber floor. The company says this is the first time the Squadra Corse division has fiddled with a road car. The performance and aero changes count four-way adjustable racing-derived dampers replacing the adaptive shocks, specially developed Bridgestone tires, an Akrapovic titanium exhaust, new carbon fiber flics at the leading edges of the front cover vents, and a rear wing canted an additional three degrees for more rear downforce. The Gallardo Squadra Corse coupes got more downforce from a special rear wing, too, but the racing arm wasn't in charge of that back then. Chief technical officer Rouven Mohr described this as "a concrete demonstration of how experience gained in motorsport can be effectively transferred to the road product, enhancing performance and driving pleasure.
Performance cars old and new are headed to auction at Las Vegas Grand Prix
Fri, Nov 10 2023Auction house RM Sotheby's is hosting a sale ahead of the 2023 Las Vegas Formula One Grand Prix, and most of the lots that will cross the block were designed with performance in mind. Whether you want a supercar or a Formula One car, there's a chance you'll find it in Sin City. One of the highlights from the sale in terms of rarity and price is the Mercedes-AMG Petronas W04 that Lewis Hamilton drove in the 2013 F1 season. Assigned chassis number F1W04-04, it's the team's last car powered by a naturally-aspirated V8 engine, and you're on the wrong track if you're thinking of the 4.0-liter unit that powers AMG's road cars. The engine in question is a 2.4-liter unit that develops 750 horsepower and is capable of revving to a screaming 18,000 rpm. The KERS system injects 80 additional horses into the driveline. Hamilton drove F1W04-04 in 14 of the 2013 season's 19 races, and he won that year's Hungarian Grand Prix in the car. RM Sotheby's notes that F1W04-04 is "the sole example to be sold outside of the Mercedes-Benz organization," which explains why it expects the car will sell for anywhere between $10 million and $15 million excluding the buyer's fee and a 2.5% import duty that applies to American residents. That's a lot of money, but modern Formula One cars rarely come up for sale. Several other cars are expected to sell above the $1 million mark, including a 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR ($8 million to $9 million), a 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort ($1,650,000 to $1,850,000), and a 1996 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport ($2,500,000 to $3,250,000). The 1990 Ferrari F40 GT (one of 21 units built) could bring up to $4 million. You can take home a rare, high-end classic even if you cap your budget at $1 million. How about a 1984 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S that was delivered new to Ralph Lauren and that has been in the hands of its second owner since 1986? RM expects the coupe will sell for up to $900,000. The auction house is also giving enthusiasts two distinctly different ways to spend a six-digit sum on a 30-something-year-old Mercedes-Benz. There's a 1990 190E 2.5-16 Evolution with about 3,400 original miles that could fetch up to $700,000. That's a lot to pay for a W201, but this isn't a run-of-the-mill Baby Benz: It's one of 502 examples built for homologation purposes. Alternatively, the 1989 560SEC AMG 6.0 Wide-Body could sell for up to $900,000. It's one of the most emblematic cars designed by AMG before it joined Mercedes-Benz.
Second, smashed 1989 Lamborghini Countach from 'Wolf of Wall Street' to be auctioned
Sun, Nov 5 2023We're not sure if we should consider this situation trying to steal someone's thunder or, as is done in the NFL, trying to ice the kicker. In August, RM Sotheby's announced that in December in New York it will auction a 1-of-12, white 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary that starred in Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street." Resplendent in Bianco Polo, the auction star was one of two cars used in the film. Notably, it was the undamaged car. The second Bianco Polo 25th Anniversary Countach was damaged rather badly as part of filming, victim of the main character driving under severe influence. We said of the second car, "The location and current condition of the other Countach are unknown, but as far as we can tell, no one has attempted to restore or auction it in the years since filming." We now know the location and condition of the other Countach: Bonhams announced it will auction the other star car this month as part of the festivities around the season-ending Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Lamborghini in the same condition as when it was hauled off the set. In the listing description, Bonham's calls its offering the "Hero Car." Then it makes quite a bit of noise about its Lamborghini having been on screen for "approximately 3 minutes and 11 seconds" in the company of Leonardo DiCaprio as opposed to RM Sotheby's unhurt car being on screen for approximately 16 seconds, part of which was shot by a second unit filming a stunt driver, not DiCaprio. This, we suppose, is like concours judges arguing over whether patina and original condition imbue more value than restored to original condition. Except we're arguing about a famous, crashed Countach potentially being worth as much or more than a famous, uncrashed Countach. The auction houses set their pre-sale estimates in the identical range, $1.5M to $2M. Bonhams' put some sweeteners in the lot, though: A certificate of authenticity, DiCaprio's costume as character Jordan Belfort, the director’s chair and a clapboard signed by Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie, two hoodies like the kind the film crew wore, and two DVDs of the film. Frankly, the strangest twist in this drama might be someone spending $2 million on a wrecked Lamborghini and having to declare two DVDs to customs on the way home. It's not the star associations alone that justify the estimates.
2024 Lamborghini Revuelto First Drive: Wildly different, still wild
Tue, Oct 10 2023ROME – While some companies make comprehensive updates to an older model and market it as a new car, Lamborghini detoured this avenue when it began developing a successor to the Aventador. New from the ground up, the Revuelto stands out both as the brandÂ’s flagship and as its first series-produced plug-in hybrid. It has a lot to live up to – its predecessors notably include the Miura and the Countach – and it has a lot to prove because its drivetrain opens a path that the entire range will take in the coming years. From a visual perspective, the Revuelto looks like a logical evolution of the Aventador. ItÂ’s about 3 inches longer but its overall proportions havenÂ’t significantly changed; itÂ’s instantly recognizable as a Lamborghini. ThereÂ’s a lot more going on than initially meets the eye. Mitja Borkert, the brandÂ’s head of design, told me that the inspiration for the recessed headlights came from the world of motorcycles. The high-mounted dual exhaust tips migrated from two-wheeler planet as well (Borkert is an avid rider), while the carbon fiber engine cover is open to show off the V12. The bodyÂ’s lines also arenÂ’t as straight-cut as the AventadorÂ’s. Nothing about the design screams “this is a hybrid!” — that was intentional. “For me, it doesnÂ’t make sense to design a combustion car, a diesel car, or an [electric] car in a different way,” Borkert explained. At the end of the day, the Revuelto is a hybrid car but weÂ’re not emphasizing the hybrid part of it. WeÂ’re emphasizing the engine, which represents the full powertrain,” he added. From a technical perspective, however, the Revuelto is pegged lightyears away from the supercars you had posters of on your bedroom wall if you grew up in the 1990s. Even the Aventador, which entered production in 2011, is comparatively simple: Remove the body and youÂ’ll find a big, naturally-aspirated V12 engine, a transmission located in the tunnel named after it, and a great deal of carbon fiber bits. Going hybrid forced Lamborghini to make several significant changes. Power comes from a new, dry-sump 6.5-liter V12 that remains naturally-aspirated, which is remarkable in an era when enthusiasts are being force-fed a stew of downsizing and forced induction. Using anything else was ruled out.
Lamborghini Lanzador Concept — what it's like to drive an extreme EV vision of the future
Wed, Sep 6 2023MONTEREY, Calif. — ItÂ’s not every day that an automaker gives you the chance to drive a priceless, one-of-one concept car on regular roads. ItÂ’s not every day that the car is LamborghiniÂ’s Lanzador concept, an EV thatÂ’s LamborghiniÂ’s (VOW3.DE) vision of what an electric, Lamborghini hypercar will look and feel like, when it comes out in 2028 — a distant five years from now. Yahoo Finance was one of only a handful of outlets allowed to drive the Lanzador. There are many rules in life, but when an automaker gives you the keys to a one-of-a-kind supercar — you take them. 'It looks like a spaceship' Many industry experts were surprised that Lamborghini even debuted this car, a 2028 model, during last month's Monterey Car Week — let alone allow a few select journalists to drive it, but here we are. At first blush, the Lanzador is unmistakably a Lamborghini. Industry watchers expected the car to be a GT-style sport touring car with two rows, or in this case a 2+2 seating design, but Lamborghini went with a two door coupe setup. WeÂ’ll see if this holds for the production model. The Lanzador sits higher up, with extra ground clearance, giving the car an almost crossover look, though with a much lower roofline. The car has LamborghiniÂ’s shark-like front and strong shoulder line, which flows into sporty, wide haunches and an extremely raked rear windshield housed in the rear hatch door. The car is all hard angles, no curves. “The starting point is a super sports car proportion in a higher position, a pilot position,” said Lamborghini head of design Mitja Borkert to Yahoo Finance. “Lamborghini is always designed with this one single center line — this is our trademark — this is where you recognize a LamborghiniÂ… So if I'm doing this and if I'm doing the sculpture already, you've got a beautiful Lamborghini because it looks like a spaceship, and something really innovative.” Inside, the Lanzador is even more “concept car,” with a floating dash and center console, featuring sharp angles you might see in an alien starcraft. The seats sit low in the cabin, though higher than in a sports car, and feature impossibly thin cushions giving it a stark, futuristic look. My first thought was, "Does the interior, with its amped up and dramatic vibe, give the EV the emotion it needs, given the fact an EV drivetrain usually subdued?" Rouven Mohr, LamborghiniÂ’s chief technology officer, thinks so.
Ford Mustang GTD, Acura ZDX and Pebble Beach recap | Autoblog Podcast #795
Fri, Aug 25 2023In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by News Editor Joel Stocksdale. In the news, there were a lot of recent unveilings, including the Ford Mustang GTD, Pininfarina B95, Lamborghini Lanzador, Acura ZDX and Fisker Alaska. We recap Pebble Beach and the Woodward Dream Cruise. Joel is fresh off a track drive of the Audi R8 (at Laguna Seca!), and we give ann update on our long-term Toyota Sienna minivan. Finally, we take to Reddit to help pick a new car with a V8 in this week's "Spend My Money" segment. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #795 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2025 Ford Mustang GTD revealed as a race car for the road — it costs $300,000 Pininfarina B95 revealed, 0-60 in 2 seconds, and at $4.8 million is the priciest EV ever Lamborghini Lanzador concept is a megawatt wedge previewing the first Lamborghini EV 2024 Acura ZDX revealed with up to 500 horsepower Fisker Alaska electric pickup specs, price and production plans revealed Cars we're driving 2023 Audi R8 Quattro Long-term 2023 Toyota Sienna Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Podcasts Acura Audi Fisker Ford Lamborghini Toyota Concept Cars Electric Future Vehicles Luxury Performance
Lamborghini Lanzador concept is a megawatt wedge previewing the first Lamborghini EV
Fri, Aug 18 2023Two years ago, Lamborghini confirmed that it would launch a fully-electric car of some sort. Today, we get our first glimpse of what that will be with the Lanzador concept. It's a precursor to a production model that will be sold alongside the other mainline models such as Urus, Revuelto and the Huracan's successor. The Lanzador's styling is very obviously Lamborghini, what with its wedge shape that runs from stem to stern. The huge fenders, squinting headlights and hexagonal taillight elements are familiar, too. The question is, is it more of a squashed Urus, or a pumped-up Revuelto. We're not sure there's a wrong answer. It does seem to be something of an SUV or crossover with its relatively high ride height and the 2+2 seating position. Lamborghini calls it an "Ultra GT," which reminds us a bit of Aston Martin calling its DB12 a "super tourer." Whatever it is, it happens to have just two doors, or three if you count the rear hatchback. We particularly like the 23-inch wheels that are hexagonal renditions of classic Lambo phone-dial wheels. Just above those wheels are some nifty hidden wheel well air vents that are part of an extensive array of active aerodynamic elements to optimize either drag for efficiency or downforce for performance. Inside, two sets of aggressive-looking sport seats are available for the driver and their friends to enjoy the "Ultra GT" life. The dash consists of two cowls with screens for the driver and passenger. Down the center is a cluster of controls that looks straight out of an alien spacecraft for operating infotainment functions. The typical Lamborghini starter button with safety cover returns, and amusingly, it still references starting an engine in an electric vehicle that has no engine. Lamborghini also notes that the interior uses wool upholstery, more sustainable leather and recycled materials. Even some carbon fiber is recycled using a method that combines layers of reprocessed pieces with a more attractive top layer to finish them off. And besides space for four people, the rear cargo area seems quite spacious as well as versatile thanks to folding rear seats and the hatch. And if that's not enough, there's a front trunk, too. Mechanically, details are a little scarce, but Lamborghini says the Lanzador would feature a pair of electric motors for all-wheel drive, and output would be more than 1,300 horsepower (more than 1 megawatt as Lamborghini put it).
Lamborghini previews electric concept ahead of Monterey unveiling
Tue, Aug 15 2023Lamborghini will preview its first series-produced electric car (and the fourth member of its range) with a concept scheduled to break cover on August 18. It's keeping details about the model under wraps, but it published a dark teaser image that hints at what's in the pipeline. Posted on the Italian brand's social media channels, the picture shows what looks like the top of either a low-slung sedan or a big coupe. We're not 100% sure what we're looking at yet, but we're nearly certain that it's not a crossover. Instead, the silhouette vaguely reminds us of the Estoque, a close-to-production design study that could have morphed into a high-performance sedan but ultimately remained a concept. Keep in mind that this is pure speculation; Lamborghini's image doesn't show shut lines so we don't know whether the concept — whose name hasn't been revealed yet — has two or four doors. Officially, company executives have described the car as "a grand tourer with a 2+2 seating layout" developed to fill the gap between super-sport cars like the Revuelto and the Urus SUV. It will offer "comfortable" rear seats. If it's a coupe, the fourth model will land in a very small segment. While two-door models with a 2+2 layout were reasonably common in the 1960s and the 1970s, even in the Lamborghini range, they've all but disappeared in recent years. Some of the more notable torchbearers left include the second-generation Maserati GranTurismo, which is also offered with an electric powertrain, and the Bentley Continental GT. As for the drivetrain, we'll need to be patient to find out how Lamborghini plans to deliver an electric model that's as engaging to drive as its gasoline-powered cars. The brand has stressed that its fourth model will arrive as a standalone car, so it won't land as an electrified version of, say, the Huracan's replacement. We're betting it will be electric-only; we're not expecting this Bull will offer several powertrain options. More details about Lamborghini's next concept will emerge in the coming days, and its unveiling will take place on August 18. However, note that what you'll see in Monterey in a couple of days isn't necessarily what you'll see in showrooms when production starts later in the 2020s. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.
