2012 Lamborghini Lp570-4 Supertrofeo Stradale #123/150 on 2040-cars

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Mexico to auction Lamborghini, other seized assets to help poor

MEXICO CITY — Mexico's government will auction a Lamborghini, homes and other assets seized from gangsters and at least one former politician, officials said on Tuesday, part of a "Robin Hood" program to use millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains to aid the poor. The first auction, set for Sunday, will seek bids for 77 vehicles with a total starting price of around $1.5 million, Ricardo Rodriguez, head of the newly created Institute to Return Stolen Goods to the People, said at a news conference. "Before, this worked like a reverse Robin Hood ... taking from the people and giving to the corrupt. Not anymore," Rodriguez said. The proceeds will go to two municipalities in the southern state of Oaxaca, which President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said are among the poorest in the country. The vehicles up for auction include Porsches, Corvettes, Mercedes-Benzes, a Mustang convertible and a 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago. A 2017 report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development noted that recent studies estimated Mexico lost between 5% and 9% of its gross domestic product (GDP) to corruption annually. Since taking office in December, Lopez Obrador, a leftist, has rolled out a string of welfare programs for the poor and the elderly, cut salaries for top civil servants and said he is saving public money by eliminating corruption. He announced plans for a "Robin Hood" institute in April. The Mexican president, who has shunned the often luxurious trappings of the country's wealthy elites and was known to drive through the capital in a modest white Volkswagen Jetta, added that two cars and an ambulance donated by the King of Jordan will go to the National Guard, a new security force. One of the auctions will seek to sell three homes worth at least $7 million, including one with an indoor pool in an upscale Mexico City neighborhood. The money will go towards a youth drug rehabilitation program. Proceeds from another auction of jewelry seized from organized crime groups will go to communities in the mountains of Guerrero state, where many families struggle to eke out a living by growing opium poppies. Not all the assets come from drug lords. Rodriguez said one of the homes up for auction belonged to a former politician. Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon.

Lamborghini Urus ST-X due out in 2020, hybrid with boost mode still on the way

LAS VEGAS — Lamborghini will expand the Urus range by taking it in two completely different directions. The SUV will go racing by the end of 2020, and it will gain a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain. Autoblog sat down with Maurizio Reggiani, the head of the Italian firm's research and development department, at CES to get the latest on both projects. An updated variant of the track-bound Urus ST-X concept (pictured) made its debut in 2019. Development work is ongoing in the automaker's Squadra Corsa department, Reggiani told us, and the model is scheduled to appear during the 2020 Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Final taking place in Misano, Italy, Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. "There will be a demo race where we'll present the format," Reggiani said. Meanwhile, another team is busily developing the plug-in hybrid variant of the Urus. It's a relatively straightforward process, because the model's platform was designed with electrification in mind, and the other models built on it (including the Porsche Cayenne and the Bentley Bentayga) are already available with hybrid power. The trick is figuring out what Lamborghini can bring to the table to differentiate itself from its sister brands. "The most important part will be to define in what way a Lamborghini must use this electric energy, and in what way we can be different from the other users of this platform," Reggiani said. While he stopped short of revealing what his team has decided, and he didn't share the model's unveiling date, he told us the driving mode selected will have a big effect on how the plug-in hybrid system dispenses electricity.  "We have seven different driving modes in the Urus, and what will be important is that every driving mode use electric power in a different way." Pressed for details, he singled out a "boost-oriented mode" created for maximum performance and an efficiency-focused mode that puts fuel economy front and center. Lamborghini is also taking its supercars into hybrid territory. We already know the Aventador's successor will offer a gasoline-electric powertrain, but the system won't be related to the one fitted to the Urus. Making a hybrid supercar is far more challenging than putting the system in an SUV, due to weight and packaging constraints, and going entirely electric would be even more difficult. Reggiani asserts the technology isn't ready yet. "When you drive a super-sport car, you want to have the freedom to do what you want.

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 learns a few tricks from the STO

Lamborghini is keeping its promise of adding new variants to the Huracan line-up. Shortly after introducing the Tecnica, the middle child of the family, it unveiled a track-only model named GT3 EVO2 that benefits from several design updates and learns a few tricks from the STO. Here is a quick refresher course. The Huracan has spawned two basic racing derivatives since it entered production in 2014. The first one competes in the Super Trofeo one-make series. It received a round of updates that notably brought the EVO2 designation in June 2021. The second one races in GT3 endurance events around the world, and it's the one that Lamborghini just made several significant changes to. Lamborghini focused on updating three main areas: the drivetrain, aerodynamics, and safety. Power for the GT3 EVO2 still comes from a naturally-aspirated V10 engine that spins the rear wheels, but it gains 10 electronically-actuated throttle bodies added to boost efficiency. Four screws secure the system to the engine, an Essenza SCV12-inspired setup that facilitates maintenance by saving mechanics time. And, for better responsiveness, air reaches the engine via a system that consists of snorkel integrated into a roof-mounted scoop. Designers and engineers worked hand-in-hand to give the GT3 EVO2 a new aerodynamic profile. Some of the changes are easy to spot: the front splitter and the rear diffuser have been redesigned. Others are hidden from view: Lamborghini re-engineered the underbody panels. We're told that new aluminum-alloy pillars similar to the STO's make the position of the massive rear wing easier to precisely adjust. On the safety front, the Huracan now comes with a roll cage that features two rear pillars, carbon-Kevlar honeycomb side panels, plus new brake pads and calipers. ABS brakes and a track-specific traction control system remain on the list of standard features. Lamborghini will begin delivering the Huracan GT3 EVO2 in the second half of 2022, and the coupe is scheduled to make its competition debut at the 2023 edition of the grueling Daytona 24 Hours. The company noted that the teams currently racing a GT3 EVO will be able to buy a retrofit kit to turn their car into an EVO2, though pricing information for the kit and for the full car hasn't been released yet.  Keeping the Huracan fresh has paid off: Lamborghini recently built the 20,000th unit, a highly impressive feat in this segment. Related Video This content is hosted by a third party.