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Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4 is silent but deadly [w/video]

The weirdest thing happened last night. During the annual Volkswagen Group Night festivities, everyone waited in anticipation for the Lamborghini section of the press conference. It's usually a treat for the senses - cool to look at, backed up by a ferocious sound that bellows throughout the venue. But not this time. There was no music, there were no laser lights, and most remarkably, there was no sound. The Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4 drove onto stage under fully silent electric power. Audibly, at least, it was perhaps the most anti-climactic Lambo introduction we've ever witnessed.
And that's the big story with this new Lamborghini concept: it's a plug-in hybrid. Of course, it's still a product of the storied Italian supercar maker, so that electric powertrain is mated to a 5.2-liter V10, and total system output is rated at a staggering 910 horsepower. It'll run up to 31 miles on pure electric power at speeds of up to 78 miles per hour, and its 0-62 time is estimated to be three seconds flat. Top speed? 199 mph. In other words, it may be capable of silence, but it still carries a stick, and it's still very much a Lambo.
So will the company actually build something like this? Right now, it doesn't look likely. Back in August at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Autoblog spoke with Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann about the then-off-the-record Asterion concept, who told us that if the automaker should choose to expand its model range, the bigger priority right now would be the Urus crossover. This is merely just a way to show how Lamborghini might present a gasoline-electric vehicle. And after scoping it out in person here at the Paris Motor Show, we have to say, it's cool. The styling is a bit softer and understated compared to the audacious Aventador or angular Huracán. But it still has quite a presence and it's still very much a Raging Bull.

Lamborghini hired 192 new employees in 2014

If you took a census of boyhood bedroom walls... well, first of all, you'd probably be arrested, so we wouldn't recommend it. But if you did, before they'd cart you off and put you on some list, you'd likely come to the conclusion (based purely on the posters of exotic supercars) that Lamborghini was one of the biggest, most important automakers in the world. But in fact it's quite small: just a year ago it had less than 1,000 employees on the payroll. That number is rapidly expanding, though. The Bolognese automaker reveals that just over the course of 2014, it expanded its workforce by "192 highly qualified technicians and specialists," bringing its roster up to 1,175 employees. That's a large share of the 500 new staffers it has hired over the last four years, and the company plans to hire more in 2015 "with equally significant numbers." Just as impressively, while unemployment is booming in Italy, especially among the younger generation, about half of those new recruits at the factory in Sant'Agata are under 30. Human resources isn't the only part of the company that's expanding, though. The Raging Bull marque is participating in motorsports more than it ever has before, but the biggest achievement can be seen in its sales figures. The company sold a record 2,530 units last year, which is a good hundred more than its previous record from 2008 and about ten times the numbers it was moving when Volkswagen and Audi took over in the late '90s. The arrival of the new Huracan promises to drive its sales even higher, and if Wolfsburg ever gives it the green light, a third model line (like the Urus crossover) would shoot its numbers through the roof. Automobili Lamborghini: A record hiring of of nearly 200 new employees in 2014 Sant'Agata Bolognese, 28 January 2015 - 2014 was an extraordinary year for Automobili Lamborghini: not only from the standpoint of sales (2,530 cars delivered to customers), but other indicators also demonstrate the growth of the House of the Raging Bull. In 2014, the company hired 192 highly qualified technicians and specialists, bringing the total number of permanent employees to 1,175. Over the last four years, nearly 500 new employees have been hired, all with open-ended contracts. Further recruitment is planned in 2015 with equally significant numbers. Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, commented: "Lamborghini is undergoing a strong phase of growth in both sales and in terms of recruitment.

Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato, the Lamborghini rally car we didn't know we wanted

Usually, the answer to a question no one asked is a bad thing. But every now and then, it leads to something wonderful, like the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato concept car you see above. It's Lamborghini's take on a rally version of the 2020 Lamborghini Huracan EVO, and it's something we weren't asking for but now desperately want. The Sterrato (translation: "dirt") is mostly a stock Huracan EVO underneath, but that's not bad with a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 making 640 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. It also retains its all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering and torque vectoring, but they've all been retuned for dirt and loose surfaces. To get around on rougher surfaces, Lamborghini raised the car by 1.85 inches, which the company says improves the approach angle by 1% and the departure angle by 6.5%. The Sterrato's exterior receives huge fender flares that allow for a one-inch wider track front and rear. It wears 20-inch wheels with chunky off-road tires. Aluminum skid plates have been added to the front and rear, and the rear plate doubles as a diffuser. The rocker panels also get aluminum plates for extra protection. Mud guards are fitted, too, as are little deflectors ahead of the intakes to keep rocks from flying in and doing damage. Finally, like any good rally car, it gets huge auxiliary lights with a pair of hexagonal units on the front, and a wide bar on the roof. Inside the Sterrato are a pair of carbon fiber bucket seats plus four-point racing harnesses. But the real showpiece is a full titanium roll cage. Lamborghini didn't say anything about putting the Sterrato into production. But this concept isn't particularly out there, especially compared with some of Lamborghini's concepts, so we suspect if the car gets a good enough reaction, Lamborghini might consider production. And if it doesn't, we're sure there are some aftermarket companies that would be happy to help wealthy car enthusiasts re-create the car.