Orange Over 2 Tone Hides Loaded With Options Must See! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #323 LIVE!

We're set to record Autoblog Podcast #323 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments regarding the rest of the week's news via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #323
Lamborghini Veneno

Lamborghini's Centenario Roadster has arrived and it's already sold out

We love a good crazy Lamborghini design. While Pagani and, arguably, Koenigsegg have overtaken Lambo in the crazy department lately, Lamborghini still has its magic touch. For evidence, let us introduce you to the Centenario Roadster. It was unveiled this afternoon at Pebble Beach. Based on the Centenario coupe that was built in honor of Ferruccio Lamborghini's hundredth birthday (if he were still alive today), the roofless version is essentially the same supercar, but with the added luxury of unlimited headroom. Both Centenarios are based on the underpinnings of a Lamborghini Aventador and built around a carbon monocoque with a 759-horsepower, 6.5-liter V12 in the middle. Thanks to the naturally aspirated V12, the Centenario Roadster can sprint to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds, which is only a tenth of a second slower than the coupe. Not bad. Only 20 Roadsters will be built, the same number as the coupe, and, according to Automotive News, they've all been sold. While the hardtop went for $2 million, the Centenario Roadster, in all of its roofless glory, will run roughly $2.3 million. To us, even though we can't afford it, the insane price tag somehow makes sense. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lamborghini Centenario Roadster Debut View 17 Photos Related Gallery Lamborghini Centenario Roadster News Source: Lamborghini, Automotive News-sub. req.Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Misc. Auto Shows Lamborghini Convertible Performance Supercars Pebble Beach lamborghini centenario

Lamborghini exploring more elegant designs

Ferrari's front-engined V12s and mid-engined V8s have taken turns monopolizing the brand's perception; the 550 Maranello was probably the last front-engined V12 to be first-to-mind, now the 458 Italia leads the family. Not so at Lamborghini, where a mid-engined V12 has been the go-to and centerpiece since the extraterrestrial Countach landed, and it still is no matter how much the Huracan outsells the Aventador. That shape, those doors, that engine – they're the franchise. That doesn't mean Lamborghini isn't trying new things. The Asterion LPI 910-4 concept from last year's Paris Motor Show was more than the marque's first draft of a hybrid, it was an exploration of a different avenue in design. According to design chief Filippo Perini, "We need to understand if we can open another window in our future to be not so extreme but also a little bit more politically correct and elegant." The Asterion points at elegance and "a daily use of the car" with more room inside, a slimmer rocker panel and sill for easier entry, and a raised hip point in the seats for a higher driving position. Perini said that from the driver's seat, "You can see the color of the car. That is something unknown in our very extreme designs." Extreme Lamborghinis aren't going away, however – note that Perini spoke of opening "another window" of design. The goal, he said, "is to understand if [its] design language will be appreciated by a different kind of customer." We can't imagine why not, and we hope we get more news about the "hyper cruiser" GT outside of magazine articles and auto show grandstanding. If it were up to us, Lamborghini would open that window all the way.