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Lamborghini Telemetry X gives you real-time track driving lessons

Lamborghini may not sound like the type of carmaker you associate with CES, but the brand has numerous new technologies in the pipeline. One is an experimental track connectivity system called Telemetry X that leverages three technologies to help the driver set faster lap times. Telemetry X builds on Lamborghini's currently-available telemetry system and on the lessons that the company has learned from years of racing. It's a blend of three systems: the Real-Time Remote Garage, the Biometric Data System, and the Digital Co-Pilot. Showcased in a Revuelto, its first function is to record and display real-time videos and telemetry data of a given driver's on-track performance. Add in 5G connectivity, and a remote driving coach can use the system to guide you through the ins and outs of, say, the Nurburgring track in Germany. For example, the instructor can provide advice, such as "brake later" or "accelerate sooner," via a headset by keeping an eye on key data points as they come in. Meanwhile, the Biometric Data System monitors the driver's biometric data, such as heart rate and stress level, and sends these figures to the driver's coach as well. Both systems work with the Digital Co-Pilot, which is a voice assistant that analyzes the data gathered by the Real-Time Remote Garage and the Biometric Data System to give the driver additional feedback on how to drive faster. While the brand stresses that Telemetry X remains at the prototype stage, it also hints that there's a good chance the system will reach production in the not-too-distant future. "Telemetry X is a perfect preview of the connected services our customers will be able to experience in the coming years," said company boss Stephan Winklemann in a statement. Perhaps tellingly, Lamborghini has at least two major product launches for the next few years: it will release the successor to the Huracan, and it will bring its first electric model to the market in 2028.

Bulls on vacation: Lamborghini Giro 2015

Twenty-one owners were on hand for the Lamborghini Giro 2015, the tenth edition of the exclusive brand's most exclusive event. Hailing from the US and Canada, the small group blazed over some of the best roads in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Luxury accommodations were provided at each stop on the four-day tour in late July. Twenty-one owners may sound like a minuscule showing, but it represents nearly 3% of the yearly American customer base. The colorful collection of Aventadors, Huracans, and Gallardos charged around New England like a high-speed string of Skittles. Challenging drives included the storied climb of New Hampshire's famed 6,288-foot Mount Washington and a mad dash up sinuous Route 17 through Vermont's Appalachian Gap. It all concluded with a police-escorted romp into the heart of Boston. Brilliant as the driving is, the Giro is also an opportunity for the Italian brand to connect with and take the pulse of owners in America, its largest market. Twenty-one owners may sound like a minuscule showing, but consider this: Lamborghini sold just over 2,000 cars globally in 2014, 736 of them in the US. This privileged few represents nearly three percent of the yearly American customer base. For comparison, Ford Motor Company sold 2,480,942 vehicles in 2014. If a similar portion of American Ford owners breezed into New England for a Ford Giro, that would equate to more than 70,000 "Ford-istas." Begun in 2006 in the US, the event is relatively unknown, even among Lamborghini owners. Capped at a maximum of 25 couples/cars, the Giro draws some of the most loyal customers of the Bologna-based icon. Exclusivity – participants mix with top management and are looked after by Lamborghini "concierges" – is what sets it apart from larger yet still select activities for the faithful, including the Lamborghini Esperienza (track events for owners) and Accademia (track and winter driving academies). Given the statistical significance of the participants, we couldn't help but survey the well-heeled swells running their bulls on the 2015 Giro about what they thought of the company's gamble on a third Lamborghini model in the form of an SUV – the upcoming Urus. Will it diminish the flamboyant brand's street cred? Half said "No", citing the celebrated Porsche Cayenne parable. Half said, "What the ****?!" "It's not only a nice drive," says Alessandro Farmeschi, Lamborghini America Chief Operating Officer.

Road & Track goes inside Lamborghini's Sant'Agata engine factory

While it's fair to think that the Lamborghini factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese is a place where mustachioed Italian sorcerers weave spells into hypercars, the truth is sadly far less magical (although the results are just as impressive). Road & Track took a peek behind the curtain and toured the home of Lamborghini's engine works, where the 691-horsepower thumper from the Aventador is bolted together. Not only is it an interesting look inside the facility, R&T's host provides a great contrast with the current facility and its low-tech past.