2011 Lamborghini Superleggera Lp570-4 on 2040-cars

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Jaguar Land Rover seeks to block U.S. imports of Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, VW SUVs

You wouldn’t know it was about Jags and Lambos, to judge by its rather dry name: In the Matter of Certain Vehicle Control Systems. But thatÂ’s the complaint Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc filed on Thursday to block U.S. imports of Porsche, Lamborghini, Audi and Volkswagen sport utility vehicles it says are using its patented Terrain Response technology without permission. Jaguar Land Rover, a British carmaker owned by IndiaÂ’s Tata Motors Ltd., said in its filing with the U.S. International Trade Commission that the technology helps negotiate a “broad range of surfaces” and is a key feature in JaguarÂ’s F-Pace and Land Rover Discovery vehicles. “JLR seeks to protect itself and its United States operations from companies that have injected infringing products into the U.S. market that incorporate, without any license from JLR, technology developed by JLR and protected by its patent,” JaguarÂ’s lawyer, Matthew Moore, said in the filing. Representatives of Volkswagen didnÂ’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the complaint. Jaguar wants to block imports of PorscheÂ’s Cayenne; LamborghiniÂ’s Urus; AudiÂ’s Q8, Q7, Q5, A6 Allroad and e-tron vehicles; and VWÂ’s Tiguan vehicles. It said there are plenty of other luxury midsize SUV and compact crossover vehicles to meet consumer demand if the SUVs are banned from the U.S. Still, the premium Porsche and Audi lines provide much of the profit VW is using to fund its investments in technology for electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles and further innovations. In addition to the four brands, Volkswagen Group owns other upscale nameplates, including Bentley and Bugatti. The International Trade Commission is an independent, quasi-judicial agency that investigates complaints of unfair trade practices, like patent infringement. It canÂ’t award damages but does have the power to block products from entering the U.S. Owners of patents and trade secrets like it because it can work faster than the federal district courts -- the typical investigation is completed in 15 to 18 months. But Jaguar also filed patent lawsuits against the companies in federal courts in Delaware and New Jersey, seeking cash compensation for the use of the technology. Those cases are likely to be put on hold once the trade commission launches its investigation. The case is In the Matter of Certain Vehicle Control Systems, 337-3508, U.S. International Trade Commission (Washington).

Lego Technic's first Lamborghini is a 1/8-scale, 3,696-piece Sian

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. The sold-out Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 represents a milestone in the company's history — its first production-bound hybrid, its most powerful street-legal car, and the first Raging Bull added to the Lego Technic catalog. Denmark's best-known brick builder turned the Sian into a monster of a kit made up of 3,696 pieces. They come together to form a 1/8-scale model that's over 23 inches long, five inches tall, and nine inches wide. We hope you have a big enough desk (or shelf) to display it on. Going big allowed designers to make the plastic Sian surprisingly realistic. Opening the scissor doors reveals a detailed cockpit with a steering wheel that turns the front wheels and a pair of shift paddles connected to a fully functional eight-speed sequential gearbox. Up front, there's a frunk containing a Lamborghini-branded bag and a unique serial number that unlocks special content, though neither Lego nor Lamborghini has shed light on what buyers will be able to access with it. Most of the space behind the passenger compartment is hogged by a naturally-aspirated V12 engine with movable pistons, carbon fiber-like trim, and a plaque showing its hypothetical firing order. Builders will also need to mount Lamborghini-branded calipers onto the discs and assemble a movable suspension system on both ends. Lego's version of the Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 will be available on its website and in its stores on June 1. Other retailers (like toy stores) will begin receiving the model on August 1. Lamborghini told us it will cost $380. For context, the life-sized, 819-horsepower Sian is strictly limited to 63 examples worldwide and every example was spoken for before the model made its public debut at the 2019 Frankfurt auto show. Lamborghini hasn't revealed pricing for it, either, but it's reasonable to assume that it landed well into seven-digit territory. 2020 has been a good year for fans of scaled-down Italian cars sold with some assembly required. Lego Technic's first Ducati, a Panigale V4 R, made its debut in April as a 12.6-inch long, 646-piece kit with a two-speed transmission. In March, the rear-engined Fiat 500 joined Lego's Creator Expert catalog in a box with 960 pieces. Related Video:    

Lamborghini confirms next-gen Aventador and Huracan to be PHEVs

It's official, Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed to Top Gear magazine that the next-generation Aventador and Huracan will get plug-in hybrid powertrains. Autocar reported last October that the next Huracan would get "next-generation" batteries to aid its naturally aspirated V10 when it debuts around 2022. The fate of the Aventador S's successor, however, was unclear beyond the certainty of it featuring a mid-mounted V12. Now we know it will get a naturally aspirated V12 with electric help when it arrives in 2020 or so, and both cars will boast a small all-electric range. Top Gear imagined how much each coupe could gain — both in weight and in power — by mating each car's current engine with the 134-horsepower electric motor and 14-kWh lithium-ion battery pack from the Porsche Panamera Turbo S e-hybrid. TG figures the Aventador S replacement would go from 730 hp and 508 pound-feet of torque to 860 hp and 566 lb-ft. That's the good news. The bad news is that Porsche said the hybrid system adds 661 pounds to the weight of the Panamera. Tack that onto the Lamborghini, and an Aventador S goes up a weight class to 4,354 pounds. The new Huracan output stretches from 602 hp and 412 lb-ft to 728 hp and 471 lb-ft, and 3,796 pounds. Judged on the results of that purely imaginary fancy, Top Gear says the numbers "well and truly stack up." We think that given the chance to add 130 horsepower at the price of putting a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy in the trunk — or the weight of second complete engine — we might ask if there were other tradeoffs available. We're certain Lamborghini's working all the angles, though, and confident the Sant' Agata carmaker will translate its actual figures into another duo of brutal, bewitching sports cars. The brand is looking beyond the near-term hybrids to what could come after, as well. Domenicali said he doesn't believe there will be sufficient potential in electric powertrains until 2026, but he's ready with concepts like the Terzo Millennio whenever the powertrains are. Lamborghini's also working with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to "write an important page in the future of super sports cars for the third millennium," suspected to center on lightweight materials, solid-state batteries, and alternative fuels. On that last note, Domenicali's already eyeing the potential of using hydrogen fuel cells in the distant future.