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VW pulls Lamborghini and Bentley from the Paris Motor Show

It's been slightly more than a year since the news that Volkswagen had intentionally cheated on diesel emissions testing broke. Since then, the company's reputation and image have suffered and it has struggled to regain its footing and composure. The automaker is shelling out billions in fines, so cost cutting is inevitable. Today, Reuters reports that Volkswagen subsidiaries Lamborghini and Bentley won't bring their elaborate displays to the Paris Motor Show next week. Auto shows can cost automakers millions of dollars, especially for supercar and luxury car brands that constantly try to compete and one-up with each other. Much of the money and fanfare goes to catering the media, and if an automaker has nothing new to reveal it can be difficult to justify the expense. The company told Reuters that it plans to attend smaller events that focus more on potential buyers. The Volkswagen group as a whole has shifted it's focus, both when it comes to products and auto shows like Paris. Next week, the automaker will be focusing on electric vehicles and electromobility. The company plans to reveal a new EV with 373 miles of range, eclipsing both the Tesla Model 3 and Chevy Bolt. Volkswagen has plans for 30 new electric vehicles by 2025. Lamborghini and Bentley aren't the only major automakers skipping Paris. Ford, Volvo, and Aston Martin have all decided to save money and focus their efforts elsewhere. Related Video:

Lamborghini Sian's supercapacitor hybrid system explained by company's CTO

"We are a game-changer and a provocateur," Lamborghini's CTO, Maurizio Reggiani told Engadget. The automaker has a long history of making waves with traffic-stopping designs and more recently, innovative tech. At last week's Frankfurt Motor Show, the Italian company unveiled its Sian hybrid supercar. But it ditched the traditional battery pack in favor of a supercapacitor to power an electric motor, which is exactly what you would expect from the Italian company. Typically a hybrid uses a lithium-ion battery pack to store energy. Then when needed, it transfers an electrical current to a motor (or motors) to either help the gas-powered engine or take over propulsion entirely. It's a recipe that has successfully improved gas mileage and sold over six million examples of the Toyota Prius, not to mention countless other hybrids. "It's too easy to follow," Reggiani said. "If you want to move for the first time in electrification you must guarantee that the implementation will not destroy the DNA of a car and brand." With that in mind, the automaker went with a supercapacitor instead of a battery. According to Reggiani, the supercapacitor offers up three times the power of a battery pack from the same weight and packaging. Plus, it stores and discharges energy much quicker. The spent power can be fully regenerated very quickly during normal braking. Reggiani explained that this could be particularly useful while cornering. Going into a corner, the driver applies the brakes and replenishes any spent energy. Then, as the driver accelerates out of the corner, all the available power is there for acceleration. Then as the driver brakes for the next curve, the process starts all over again. Plus, the supercapacitor doesn't have to cool down like traditional battery, it's just ready to go at all times -- which is exactly what Lamborghini owners want. The output of the 48-volt motor installed into the gearbox is 34 horsepower which brings the total power output of the V12 Sian to 819 horsepower. While 34 horsepower doesn't seem like much, it means the vehicle can do zero to 62 miles per hour in under 2.8 seconds. That's Tesla Model S Performance and Porsche Taycan levels of fast. But there are other benefits. The electric motor reduces the torque hits of the gears shifting. You know those momentary losses -- then explosions of power -- you feel in the car as it speeds up, that's the vehicle going through its gears.

Lamborghini Huracan replacement reportedly gets twin-turbo V8

Lamborghini is planning on electrifying its entire lineup by the end of the 2020s. One of the hybrid models in the pipeline is a supercar that will replace the popular Huracan. Its name hasn't been revealed yet, but an unverified report allegedly outlines what it will be powered by. Without citing sources, Motor Trend wrote that the Huracan's successor will downsize from a naturally-aspirated V10 to a twin-turbocharged V8. If true, that's a big deal: Lamborghini has proudly eschewed forced induction for its line of supercars, and the only turbocharged member of its lineup is the Urus SUV. The eight-cylinder will reportedly be related to the unit that powers the Urus, but the two engines won't be identical. Motor Trend learned that the turbos will be programmed to spool up between 7,000 and 10,000 rpm, which is high in the rev range. An electric motor installed between the V8 and the transmission will add a hybrid component to the drivetrain, though figures such as horsepower and torque haven't been published. An earlier report pegs the total output at 850 horsepower, but it's not official. We also don't know if the car will be a standard hybrid or if it will get a plug-in system, and whether it will use mechanical or through-the-road all-wheel-drive. Motor Trend believes that the model will be longer than the Huracan to accommodate the electrified parts of the powertrain, however, and we're curious to find out how Lamborghini will offset the hybrid system's mass. The battery pack and the motor will inevitably add weight. Lamborghini hasn't commented on the rumor, and it hasn't revealed what will power the Huracan's successor. In fact, it's not done with the Huracan: the final road-going version of the car is due out by the end of 2022 as a hot-rodded off-roader (we're not kidding!) called Sterrato. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.