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1971 Lamborghini Countach LP prototype 500 lives again

On March 11, 1971, Lamborghini unveiled the Countach LP 500 prototype at the Geneva Motor Show on the Carrozzeria Bertone stand. Lamborghini had also brought the reworked Miura P400 SV to the show, and believing it would be the star, had placed the Miura at its own stand and dispatched the Countach to the design house stand. Admittedly, Lamborghini had done the same thing in 1966 when the Miura debuted in Geneva. The Countach ruled the 1971 show and was soon on magazine covers around the world. The Italian house spent three years developing the prototype for production, putting the Countach LP 400 on sale in 1974. The prototype sacrificed its life during crash testing for the production model. Now the prototype is back, or the best facsimile thereof. Lamborghini says "an important collector" approached the firm in 2017 asking if they could recreate the yellow shock that started the 50-year craze for V12 engines and scissor doors. That customer might have got his idea from the 1971 Miura P400 SV prototype that Lamborghini restored in 2017 using archival documents. So the automaker's classics division, Polo Storico, went back to the archives for drawings, documents, meeting notes and pictures; interviewed people who were there at the time; and contacted suppliers like Pirelli for an updated version of the Cinturato CN12 and paint maker PPG for the Giallo Fly Yellow Speciale color. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. It took 2,000 hours for the design house, Lamborghini Centro Stile, to reproduce the bodywork, all of it hand-beaten as it was in 1971. It took more than 25,000 hours to recreate the entire coupe with parts that were either original, restored, or fabricated from scratch ranging from the platform frame (instead of the tubular frame in the production car) to the partially electronic instrumentation. Lamborghini didn't mention the engine, though. The prototype contained a 5.0-liter V12; the production model downsized that for a more reliable 4.0-liter unit. We'll guess a collector committed enough to pay for 25,000 hours of Lamborghini work wouldn't compromise on the heart of the matter. Whatever's back there, it sounds righteous in the video.  The result is now on display in the concept class at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.

Mansory turns the Lamborghini Urus into a coupe you'll either love or hate

German tuner Mansory is known globally for putting controversial-looking body kits on high-end cars like the Maserati MC20. The company's first build of 2023 goes much further: called Venatus Coupe EVO C, it's a Lamborghini Urus that has been transformed into a coupe. Lamborghini doesn't offer a two-door version of the Urus, the popular SUV is exclusively offered with four doors, so a substantial amount of time and effort went into completing the transformation. Mansory started by removing the four doors and shifting the b-pillars back by nearly eight inches. It then extended the front doors, widened the quarter panels, and, of course, fitted a full body kit that includes a redesigned front bumper with numerous vents and a splitter, side skirts, not one but two rear spoilers, plus a massive diffuser, among other add-ons.  Why bother? Well, the company notes that it has received several requests for a two-door Urus in the past couple of years. Nearly every part of the cabin has been redesigned to some extent. The first Venatus Coupe EVO C features specific trim, blue leather upholstery, leather-upholstered floor mats, and ambient lighting integrated into the headliner. The ignition button has been relocated to the headliner as well (it's on the center console in the regular-production Urus) and the front seats now tilt forward to provide easy access to the individual rear seats separated by a center console. The word "Coupe" is embroidered into the four seatbacks, lest you forget what you're in. The modifications don't end there. Pop the hood and you'll spot an evolution of the 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 that powers the standard Urus. It has been tuned to develop 900 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque in this application. In comparison, the stock Urus S and the Urus Performante are both rated at 657 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. The eight-cylinder spins the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission linked to shift paddles. Mansory quotes a zero-to-62-mph time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 207 mph. Pricing hasn't been announced, but it's of little interest to someone in the market for a heavily-modified Lamborghini Urus. For context, the Urus carries a base price of about $230,000. Mansory notes that this is the first of eight Urus coupes it plans to build in the coming years. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Squadra Corse isn't mellow, comes in yellow

Normally, this is the part where we remind you that the Lamborghini Gallardo is about to be replaced, and that this LP570-4 Squadra Corse is the swan song for the model range. That first part may be true, but at this point, we'd be shocked if yet another special edition Gallardo didn't debut before the car's successor is unveiled. Gotta make that money, honey.
But back to the Squadra Corse. This latest Lambo shares the majority of its components with the Gallardo Super Trofeo, which itself is based on the Superleggera, meaning that car's 570-horsepower V10 carries over, as does the carbon fiber rear wing and removable engine hood. Massive weight-saving methods have been employed here with the Squadra Corse, and thus, the big coupe tips the scales at just 2,954 pounds - that's less than a Volkswagen Golf.
Of course, with that little weight and that much power, performance is pretty staggering. Hitting 60 miles per hour takes 3.4 seconds and the car will rocket to 124 mph in 10.4 clicks. Top speed: 199 mph. Just couldn't muster up that additional mph, we guess.