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Rear-wheel-drive Lamborghini Huracan coming to LA

We've got an invite to attend a "Lamborghini global product debut" in Los Angeles, and if an Autocar report is legit, it looks like that new car will be a rear-wheel-drive version of the Huracan. Despite touting all-wheel drive across its model range, Lamborghini did offer a rear-drive version of the Gallardo – the Huracan's predecessor – so a two-wheel-drive version of the new car makes a whole lot of sense. Autocar believes the RWD Huracan will be a lighter, more hardcore version of the already-good coupe. This new model is also tipped to be a limited-production car. The two-wheel-drive Gallardo was limited to just 250 units worldwide, and the same could be in store for this Huracan. Also, remember that Lamborghini does technically already make a rear-wheel-drive version of the Huracan: the LP 620-2 Super Trofeo racecar. What's more, Autocar says that Lamborghini could offer a rear-drive version of the topless Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder. Seems like an easy thing to do, especially if this RWD Huracan is, in fact, a more powerful, lightweight take on the entry-level Lambo. We'll know more during the Los Angeles Auto Show festivities, which kick off in just two weeks. 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.

All 12 Lamborghini Venenos have been recalled for risk of fire

From time to time, the fiery personality of Italian cars becomes a bit too literal, and this is one of those times. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has acknowledged a recall for fire risk on the 2012–2017 Lamborghini Aventador, as well as all of its variants, including all three customer Veneno coupes and nine customer roadsters. We imagine the fourth non-production Veneno coupe is also affected. The recall involves 1,453 cars in the US, and Bloomberg reports that it also affects cars in other markets, for a total of 5,900. The report Lamborghini submitted to NHTSA says the issue lies with the gas tank's EVAP system. Liquid fuel can get into the EVAP system if an owner overfills it or in "particular handling situations," which we assume includes hard acceleration and cornering that sloshes the fuel around. If the fuel gets into the EVAP system, flammable vapors can escape. These vapors could potentially ignite, and the report states that high revving at a stop or using an aftermarket exhaust increases the danger due to the possibility of flames coming from the exhaust. According to NHTSA documentation, owners of affected vehicles will be notified of the issue by Lamborghini, and they will be able to schedule a time at the dealer to have the EVAP system fixed. The remedy includes a new type of purge valve, and the change will be done for free. Also, owners of the new Aventador S and the latest versions of the Aventador SV have nothing to worry about, since their cars already have the new parts. As for other Aventador and Veneno owners, we'd recommend not filling up your cars quite so full, and maybe don't show off at stop lights too much until the car is fixed. Related Video: