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Bertone's Lamborghini-V12-powered minivan was ahead of its time

PARIS — Italian design house Bertone traveled to the 1988 edition of the Turin auto show (which was still a big deal in the late 1980s) to unveil a Lamborghini-powered design study. This wasn't unusual, as the two companies had worked together for decades, but the Genesis concept turned every head in the convention center because it was a van. Now it's turning heads again this week at the Retromobile Show in Paris. Bertone's styling and prototype-building teams allegedly spent a total of 30,000 hours making the Genesis look more futuristic than the minivans many kids carpooled to school in during the late 1980s, and much sportier. It needed to tick both boxes. It was a concept car, so it had captivate the public's attention, and it was powered by a 455-horsepower, 5.2-liter V12 borrowed from the Countach Quattrovalvole, so looking the part was a must. The mighty, front-mid-mounted 12 channeled its power to the rear wheels through a rather lame three-speed automatic transmission provided by Chrysler, which owned Lamborghini at the time. Sliding doors gave the rear passengers access to one of the more unusual interiors we've seen. There were two front-facing seats positioned over the rear wheels, and a single rear-facing chair in the middle of the interior. The front passengers faced forward, as you'd expect, but they could also move their seat cushion around to look at the folks riding in the back. Someone still needed to drive, so this configuration was best used when parked. While naming the concept Genesis was a little bit optimistic on Bertone's part, putting a Lamborghini engine in a minivan with butterfly doors was a courageous move. It was ahead of its time, too, because blob-shaped vans are a dime a dozen at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and they're almost universally welcomed as the transportation of the future. Bertone may not have had autonomous technology to play with, but it had a V12. Related Video:     Featured Gallery 1988 Bertone Genesis at Retromobile 2020 View 9 Photos Auto News Lamborghini Minivan/Van Performance Classics

Lamborghini Centenario possibly revealed in patent photos

Newly published Lamborghini patent images might give us a preview of the upcoming Centenario, which celebrates the hundredth anniversary of Ferruccio Lamborghini's birth. The low-slung design features a pointed nose, and the profile has an arc running from the tip of the front to the rear. The shape looks like it would slice through the air, and the massive diffuser is definitely attention grabbing at the rear. From the top, there appears to be a small, roof-mounted vent into the engine compartment. Three exhausts poke out the rear, including a slightly smaller one in the center. In traditional Lamborghini fashion, visibility out the back seems practically nonexistent. Hopefully, the company mounts a camera back there to make life easier. Lamborghini reportedly bases the Centenario on the Aventador, which seems likely from these renderings. The company allegedly plans to build 20 coupes and 20 convertibles for $2.4 million each, and power would come from a more potent version of the supercar's V12. Rumors suggest we might see the Centenario launch at the Geneva Motor Show in early March, but the debut might be perfunctory. Even at the astronomical price, they're supposedly already sold out. These renderings come from the Office of Harmonization for the Internal Market, which handles patents and trademarks in the European Union. The documents with this listing unfortunately don't give away the model name, but it shows Lamborghini registered for the design patent on October 26, 2015. The renderings were just published on February 17, 2016. Related Video:

Dave Lang lands 180 Rollerblade jump over Lamborghini, Bam Margera crashes it anyway

Lending further credence to the internetism "This is why we can't have nice things," real-life court jester Bam Margera had a tough weekend with his Lamborghini Murciélago after letting rollerblader Dave Lang perform a 180-degree jump over it.
While the stunt seemed to go off without a hitch, a second video has emerged showing Margera attempting to back his Lamborghini convertible up. Despite the presence of side mirrors, the former Jackass host hits a Cadillac. The damage to the Murciélago appears largely cosmetic, although we highly doubt the error is going to come cheap.
There is some salty language in the video, although everything, even the subtitles, are bleeped out. We've got both videos below, so if you're in the mood for a little schadenfreude, feel free to take a look.