2019 Lamborghini Aventador Svj on 2040-cars

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Reiter Extenso R-EX shows Gallardo's still got it

Lamborghini is moving on from the Gallardo to the new Huracan, and with it, is taking its racing program in house. But the Bolognese marque's longtime racing partner Reiter Engineering has a thing or two to say about that, and is showing what it can still do with an old platform by introducing the new Gallardo Extenso R-EX. Designed to comply with GT3 regulations, you can tell just from looking at it that Reiter's new competition-spec Lambo is meaner and more aggressive than any version it's done before. Reiter widened the rear track by five inches to make it over 80 inches broad (the widest allowed under FIA GT3 regulations), cloaked it in carbon-fiber bodywork (to make it look more like the Murcielago R-SV the company built for GT1), fitted new camshafts (for a fatter torque curve) and Mahle pistons (for improved efficiency and reliability), and retuned the exhaust to give the fans something to cheer for. The result is an even more extreme take on the Gallardo than anything we've seen to date, and promises to give even the upcoming Huracan GT3 a run for its money in series like the Pirelli World Challenge, Blancpain GT Series and SRO GT Sports Club. Privateer racing teams will be able to get their hands on one for ˆ248,000 (a little over $300k) with the full confidence that Reiter's experience has to offer: To date the company has built over 100 racing cars that have gone on to win over 200 races and score some 400 podiums. The Bavarian company further claims that every one of those built since 2012 is still on its original engine. THE NEW REITER GALLARDO EXTENSO R-EX Wider, lighter, more powerful – the new REITER Gallardo EXTENSO Reiter Engineering develops a far-reaching evolution of the proven GT3 car as Lamborghini's official Gallardo GT3 partner and plans to enter the new racecar in the Blancpain GT Series, the US Pirelli World Challenge and the SRO GT Sports Club. The name reflects the aim: the Reiter Gallardo FL2 GT3 receives a far-reaching and comprehensive facelift, 'Extenso', just like the Spaniards would say. The innovations do not only include looks and sound, but also handling and engine: The rear of the Reiter Gallardo EXTENSO is significantly wider. The rear aluminium side panels are replaced by new carbon fibre rear quarter panels. At the same time, the rear axle track width is increased by a whopping 13 cm using new wishbones. As a result, the maximum...

Tourist in Dubai nets more than $47,000 in speeding fines in four hours

Before I went to Dubai last fall, I imagined a sea of supercars running rampant with few repercussions. I couldn't have been more wrong (at least when it comes to the repercussions bit). Speed cameras in Dubai are no joke. The drivers, though occasionally erratic, steadfastly follow speed limits. And the penalties for breaking the law in the United Arab Emirates are quite severe. Apparently, a 25-year-old British tourist was expecting more freedom when he racked up more than $47,000 in fines in a rented Lamborghini Huracan in fewer than four hours. The list of fines is impressive in its own way. All the infractions occurred between 2:31 a.m. and 6:26 a.m. on July 31, the day after he rented the car. He was caught driving between 78 and 143 mph on two stretches of road — 32 times on Sheikh Zayed Road and once on Garn Al Sabkha Road. That's nearly twice the legal limit in some areas. Several of the fines were fewer than two minutes apart. Once, he managed to rack up two fines in under a minute. Rather than waiting for a ticket in the mail, the fines were immediately sent to the registered owner, in this case Saeed Ali Rent a Car. The tourist paid just over $1,600 to rent the Lamborghini for two days. He left his passport with the rental agency as a guarantee. The tourist listed his address as a hotel. Because there's a disagreement over who pays the fees, according to The National, he's still in possession of the car, and the rental agency has his passport. The rental company doesn't want to take the car back because it knows it will be stuck with the bill to get it out of impound. The impound fees totaled more than $27,000, more than the cost of the speeding fines themselves. The rental company filed a motion for a travel ban, but it was denied. It has since contacted the British embassy, letting the embassy know that the passport is in their possession in case the tourist claims it's lost. One way or the other, someone is going to have to pay. Related Video:

Lamborghini Urus ST-X due out in 2020, hybrid with boost mode still on the way

LAS VEGAS — Lamborghini will expand the Urus range by taking it in two completely different directions. The SUV will go racing by the end of 2020, and it will gain a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain. Autoblog sat down with Maurizio Reggiani, the head of the Italian firm's research and development department, at CES to get the latest on both projects. An updated variant of the track-bound Urus ST-X concept (pictured) made its debut in 2019. Development work is ongoing in the automaker's Squadra Corsa department, Reggiani told us, and the model is scheduled to appear during the 2020 Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Final taking place in Misano, Italy, Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. "There will be a demo race where we'll present the format," Reggiani said. Meanwhile, another team is busily developing the plug-in hybrid variant of the Urus. It's a relatively straightforward process, because the model's platform was designed with electrification in mind, and the other models built on it (including the Porsche Cayenne and the Bentley Bentayga) are already available with hybrid power. The trick is figuring out what Lamborghini can bring to the table to differentiate itself from its sister brands. "The most important part will be to define in what way a Lamborghini must use this electric energy, and in what way we can be different from the other users of this platform," Reggiani said. While he stopped short of revealing what his team has decided, and he didn't share the model's unveiling date, he told us the driving mode selected will have a big effect on how the plug-in hybrid system dispenses electricity.  "We have seven different driving modes in the Urus, and what will be important is that every driving mode use electric power in a different way." Pressed for details, he singled out a "boost-oriented mode" created for maximum performance and an efficiency-focused mode that puts fuel economy front and center. Lamborghini is also taking its supercars into hybrid territory. We already know the Aventador's successor will offer a gasoline-electric powertrain, but the system won't be related to the one fitted to the Urus. Making a hybrid supercar is far more challenging than putting the system in an SUV, due to weight and packaging constraints, and going entirely electric would be even more difficult. Reggiani asserts the technology isn't ready yet. "When you drive a super-sport car, you want to have the freedom to do what you want.