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Why Italians are no longer buying supercars

Italy is the wound that continues to drain blood from the body financial of Italian supercar and sports car makers. The wound was opened by the country's various financial police who decided to get serious about superyacht-owning and supercar-driving tax cheats a few years ago, by noting their registrations and checking their incomes. When it was found that a rather high percentage of exotic toy owners had claimed a rather low annual income - certain business owners were found to be declaring less income than their employees - the owners began dumping their cars and prospective buyers declined to buy.
Car and Driver has a piece on how the initiative is hitting the home market the hardest. Lamborghini sold 1,302 cars worldwide in 2010, 1,602 cars in 2011 and 2,083 cars in 2012 - an excellent surge in just two years. In Italy, however, it's all about the ebb: in 2010, the year that Italian police began scouring harbors, Lamborghini sold 96 cars in Italy, the next year it sold 72, last year it sold just 60. The declines for Maserati and Ferrari are even more pronounced.
Head over to CD for the full story and the numbers. What might be most incredible isn't the cause and effect, but where the blame is being placed. A year ago the chairman of Italy's Federauto accused the government of "terrorizing potential clients," this year Luca di Montezemolo says what's happening has created "a hostile environment for ­luxury goods." Life at the top, it ain't easy.

Lamborghini previews a supercar with no top, no windshield, and lots of power

Fall weather be damned, Lamborghini's racing division is developing a roadster that has no top and no windshield. It published an image of a camouflaged prototype to give enthusiasts an early look at the model. Carefully study the psychedelic wrap, and you'll notice the roadster's passenger door wears a decal that says "attenzione: macchina veloce aperta," which means "warning: fast open car" in Italian. If this alert sounds familiar, it's likely because the track-only SCV12 unveiled earlier in 2020 wore similar decals. This suspicious coincidence leads us to speculate we're looking at an open-top version of Lamborghini's latest limited-edition supercar. Its full design remains hidden, though the silhouette is vaguely reminiscent of the Aventador J's. While technical specifications have yet to be announced, the SCV12 connection suggests power comes from a naturally-aspirated V12 that develops over 830 horsepower. It's mounted directly behind the passenger compartment, and it spins the rear wheels via a new six-speed automatic transmission. Carbon fiber keeps weight in check, while numerous aerodynamic add-ons designed by Lamborghini Squadra Corse keep the four wheels on the ground. Lamborghini will release additional details about its enigmatic drop-top in the next few weeks. Our crystal ball tells us the model will make its debut as a limited-edition car not developed for the street, but the lucky few owners will have the opportunity to put it through its paces in a series of global events organized by the brand. Related Video:

Lamborghini Asterion leaked in print ahead of Paris debut

The first purportedly leaked images from an Italian magazine of Lamborghini's new vehicle for the Paris Motor Show are on the web, and they closely echo the model's silhouette from the teaser. However, there's no official mention of a name to confirm that this is being called the Asterion, as rumored.
The profile image (right) definitely suggests this is the same model that Lamborghini is previewing for Paris. It features the same slightly arcing hood and roof, and it has a rear air intake behind the door. The shape also seems to support the belief that this concept has a 2+2 seating arrangement to echo earlier Lambo models like Espada.
According to Autoblog.nl, which has posted the images, the vehicle may use a hybrid V10 with three electric motors to produce in the neighborhood of 900 horsepower. Furthermore, it claims that this might be just one of two concepts that Lamborghini is bringing to the Paris show. For now it's still a mystery, but all should be revealed on October 2 for the vehicle's unveiling.