2005 Lamborghini Gallardo, Egear, New Clutch, Nav, Pearl Yellow! We Finance! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lamborghini Countach LP 500 prototype reconstruction baptized on track

After making a static debut at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, the reconstructed 1971 Lamborghini Countach LP 500 prototype has met the track for a proper shakedown. A banner day for all involved, no doubt, Pirelli loaned its Vizzola Ticino test track to Lamborghini, collector Albert Spiess from Germany and the contributors who helped create the car from scratch. Spiess said he saw the original prototype at the Geneva Motor Show and then put a Countach poster on his wall as a kid, determined like so many other children for the next 15 years to have one. With the Geneva show car destroyed during crash testing, Spiess eventually determined to convince Lamborghini to build one anew. It likely didn't take him more than 25,000 hours of cajoling to get a "Si" from the principals in Sant'Agata Bolognese, but that's how long the carmaker's historic division, Polo Storico, spent on the reconstruction. Polo Storico chief Stefano Castricini said it took "mad and desperate" research through archival materials, on top of the interviews with original workers and help from suppliers like Pirelli and PPG.   It doesn't look like they worked the LP 500 too hard on track, but it's not like they needed to. In a world awash in seven-figure customs and restomods from manufacturers, and smaller makers putting out cars with specs to make your eyes go googly — there will probably be three more announced next week — this one is special at any speed. For any who'd like to see it for themselves, this very item will be on display at Lamborghini's MUDETEC Museum of Technologies in Sant'Agata Bolognese until November 15, alongside the bare tubular chassis of the production LP 400 (the customer cars got a more reliable 4.0-liter 12-cylinder instead of the prototype's 5.0-liter unit), the second production LP 400 to go down the line, and a Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lamborghini Huracan Superleggera spotted on 'Ring

Ever since Lamborghini introduced the Huracan to replace the Gallardo in 2014, we've been waiting for the Superleggera version to follow. This seems to be it. Spied testing at the Nurburgring is what appears to be a more hardcore version of Bologna's ten-cylinder supercar. It may be hard to tell from looking at it, because while the finished product will undoubtedly wear more aggressive aerodynamic appendages and fresh rolling stock, this prototype looks the same as the version we already know – with one exception. Around back, there's a big black box that looks as though it were lifted straight off a fighter jet. Now Lamborghini's been known to take its cues from military aircraft, but what we're seeing here is likely a disguise for the new exhaust system, mounted higher up the rear bumper. Our paparazzi on the ground in the Eifel Mountains tell us this prototype sounds meaner than your run-of-the-mill Huracan, which bodes well. The standard version packs a 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10 good for 602 horsepower. The Super Trofeo racing version offers up 611, and we'd expect the Huracan Superleggera to pack at least that much, given the ten-horse gap between the preceding Gallardo and its Superleggera variants. Expect it also to come stripped out to help further optimize the power-to-weight ratio, but it will likely keep the all-wheel drive system in place. One way or another, we hope to find out before the year is out. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lamborghini Huracan Superleggera: Spy Shots View 10 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Lamborghini Supercars lamborghini huracan superleggera

6 car mashups that God never intended

In the 2000s, the musical mashup genre saw a peak of popularity with releases like The Grey Album from Danger Mouse that mixed The Beatles and Jay-Z. UK artist James Pursey from Carwow decided to take the same concept of shoehorning two disparate things together but applied the concept to cars. Your opinion on the results will vary with your sense of humor. These creations are either some funny pieces of abstract art or absolute monstrosities that prove good design should be left alone. Likely the best of the bunch is the Lambotomic (pictured above), which combines a Lamborghini Miura and an Ariel Atom. Granted, the Ariel is little more than a skeleton to begin with, and the outcome looks like a slightly stretched Atom with the new nose and tail from one of the most beautiful vehicles ever. This could actually work. Though, not all of the mashups are quite so pleasant. The Porschiac WW RS (pictured right) is absolutely disgusting. It combines a Pontiac Aztek, which isn't a beauty queen to start with, and a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Obviously, the 911 is an iconic shape in autonobolia, but that can't save it from the horror of the Aztek. Pursey fits the its nose, wheel, wing, roll cage and stripes onto the Pontiac. The outcome: A design that will show up in your nightmares. Check out the gallery for the rest of the mashups, including the Humi (a Humvee and a Mini), Aston Smartin (Aston Martin and Smart), Rangerini (Range Rover and Lamborghini Aventador) and the Mazdafenda (Mazda MX-5 Miata and Land Rover Defender). They might not all be beautiful (or even pretty), but it's fun to imagine these oddball creations actually driving down the road. Featured Gallery Car Mashups News Source: CarwowImage Credit: James Pursey Design/Style Humor Lamborghini Pontiac Porsche ariel atom lamborghini miura pontiac aztek mashup