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Santa upgrades to Lamborghini Gallardo, spreads joy in LA

We understand. It's hard to slow down and really take in the holiday season, so it often comes and goes in a blur. That's especially so in Los Angeles, where almost everything moves fast and you feel like a face in the crowd. Determined to keep up with the fast pace and be noticed, one Santa Clause and his "elf" assistant decided to upgrade their "sleigh" - to a Lamborghini Gallardo (no reindeer needed).
We commend Santa's choice in the beloved Lamborghini and think Los Angelenos did notice him (though we're not sure he wanted to be approached by Freddy Krueger up there). Head below to watch Santa and his helper spread holiday joy with V10-powered goodness.

Volkswagen may 'carve out' Lamborghini to list on the stock exchange

FRANKFURT — Volkswagen is drawing up plans to set up Lamborghini as a more independent unit, and is discussing long-term supply deals that could make it easier to list it on the stock exchange, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. "Volkswagen is in the process of carving out Lamborghini, and to organize future supply and technology transfer deals," one of the sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Italian sportscar brand, which is currently a division of Audi, could be partially listed, with Volkswagen retaining a controlling stake, the first person familiar with the talks said. There is no formal decision to divest Lamborghini, a second source said, adding that the timetable of any deal remained unclear. "This is a first step which gives VW the option to list the unit further down the line," the second source told Reuters. A third source familiar with the discussions said the future of Bugatti, Lamborghini and Ducati was discussed during a supervisory board meeting last Friday. The possibilities for how to electrify the Lamborghini and Bugatti brands through partnerships and investors was discussed, the third source said. Bankers and potential cornerstone investors in an IPO have been approached by the carmaker, the sources said. Volkswagen declined to comment. Volkswagen Group's Chief Executive Herbert Diess on Wednesday said the carmaker will announce "important steps" about the company's future before the close of the year. Volkswagen is reviewing what role its high-performance brands Lamborghini, Bugatti and Ducati will play within the multi-brand carmaker as part of broader quest for more economies of scale, senior executives told Reuters. A global clampdown on combustion-engined vehicles has forced carmakers to accelerate development of low-emission technology for mainstream models, leaving Volkswagen managers struggling to find resources to electrify low volume sportscar models. Related Video:

Italy to offer Lamborghini 100 million euros to build Urus

The Lamborghini Urus' prospects for production may have just received the impetus they need as the Italian government is preparing to offer significant incentives to produce the high-end SUV in the country. According to a report from Bloomberg, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government is prepared to extend as much as 100 million euros (approximately $112 million) – but not in cash. That'd be a bit much for the borderline bankrupt national government. Instead the motivation is reportedly being offered in the form of tax breaks and other such incentives. In exchange, Lamborghini would pledge to hire 300 new workers to build the crossover. The Urus, for those who may not recall, was a crossover concept which Lamborghini presented way back at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show. We caught a closed-door glimpse of it in New York shortly before its debut and saw it again in Monterey the following summer. Ever since, the Bolognese automaker has been petitioning its patrons at Audi and Volkswagen to give it the green light, but the Germans have been dragging their feet at the prospect of investing the necessary capital to pull it off. Lamborghini is reportedly hoping to get a final decision next month, and the government incentives could help it make the business case to its parent company. While the Italy's terms would require final assembly to take place in that country, much of the work could end up being done at the same plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, where the Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, and Porsche Cayenne are built. Bentley is expected to undertake a similar process for its new Bentayga, with assembly to be finalized in the UK. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lamborghini Urus Concept: Monterey 2012 View 10 Photos News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Earnings/Financials Government/Legal Plants/Manufacturing Lamborghini Crossover Performance tax incentives