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Lamborghini loans an Aventador S to father and son building 3D-printed replica

In October we shared the story of Sterling Backus, the physicist in Erie, Colo., who was building a Lamborghini Aventador replica with his 11-year-old son Xander. In progress for nearly two years, Backus — who designs lasers as his day job — fabricated a steel chassis, sourced an LS1 V8 from a Chevrolet Corvette for power, bought lights on eBay and 3D-printed the body panels that were then encapsulated in carbon fiber. Backus and son call the coupe the Interceptor, and Sterling said he subtly changed every exterior panel to avoid legal issues with Lamborghini. The Sant'Agata automaker was paying attention to the Interceptor, though, as an exec phoned Sterling about it before Christmas. The subject of the call: Lamborghini's marketing chief wanted to know if he and Xander would like to borrow an Aventador S for a couple of weeks and shoot a video. The Italian automaker has been known to go on hunts for deep-down Lamborghini fans. Last year Lamborghini had a surprise for one lucky kid going Christmas shopping at a store in Italy; kids that said they wanted a model Lamborghini were told the store was out, and almost all the kids accepted a different model instead. One child made it clear he didn't want a substitute if he couldn't have the Lamborghini, so he not only got a the model he wanted, he got it delivered in a Lamborghini driven by factory driver Marco Mapelli. Xander's devotion to the Aventador in "Forza Horizon 3" is what compelled him to ask his father if they could build a real-life version. For that, Xander and Sterling earned Lamborghini's #RealLover distinction this year. Katia Bassi, Lamborghini's CMO, said, "Automobili Lamborghini is against any attempt at counterfeiting. However, a true story of such authentic passion deserves to be featured, which is why we chose to tell of SterlingÂ’s and XanderÂ’s project in our 2019 Christmas video." Lamborghini Real Lover Campaign View 21 Photos The Interceptor build continues, documented on Facebook. The senior Backus aims to turn his work it into an educational tool. "Ultimately, I want kids to get interested in STEM, and this is a great platform for it because of all the disciplines involved in a project like this." But after 20 months of effort, he and Xander will probably enjoy taking a holiday break in the car that started it all. Related Video:

Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato prototype spied testing in the snow

Back in the summer of 2019, which seems like so much longer than two and a half years ago at this point, Lamborghini showed an interesting concept called the Huracan Sterrato. It was a lifted, widebody version of the mid-engine supercar, and its name literally translated to dirt. It was quite cool, and surprisingly grounded. And it must've been received well not just by us, but possibly customers, because these spy photos seem to indicate Lamborghini is working on a production model. There are a few indicators, but the most clear is the fact this test car has a noticeably taller ride height than its pavement-pounding predecessors. The concept, for reference, had an extra 1.85-inches of ground clearance. Furthermore, the prototype is sporting roof rails like those seen on the concept. Some other interesting additions that may or may not indicate plans for the production car include the skid plate up front, the additional lighting on the hood, and a new roof scoop up top. They're all clearly temporary additions, but the concept had bodywork that suggested some sort of skid plate, as well as auxiliary lighting. The roof scoop is a bit of a head-scratcher, though. We're not one to turn down a sweet mid-engine supercar scoop, but roof rails would seem to suggest carrying stuff on the roof, which would seem to directly block said scoop. On the other hand, that scoop could provide cleaner air when out in the dirt. Missing from the concept are the fat fender flares, but that's not too much of a surprise. We would expect the powertrain is basically the same as that of the Huracan Evo with a naturally aspirated V10 and all-wheel drive. It will probably have specific driving modes that adjust the traction and stability control systems for sporty, slippery driving conditions. We could also see the car being shown sometime either this year or next year, since it will likely be based on the current Huracan. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Leno stretches Lamborghini Diablo's legs for latest Garage installment

While posters of the Lamborghini Countach decorated the walls of many boys' walls in the 1980s, the Diablo filled that spot for young men in the early 1990s thanks to its extreme styling. In its latest video, Jay Leno's Garage welcomes a beautiful, white 1991 Diablo into his garage for a look back on what is now a classic supercar.
Unlike some of the vehicles Leno shows off, this one doesn't belong to him. Instead, veteran Italian car mechanic Franco Barbuscia owns it. He has been maintaining Jay's Countach for years. A '91 Diablo is an archaic supercar by today's standards. It doesn't have power steering, anti-lock brakes or obviously anything like traction control. It's just a big V12 hanging behind the driver with a wonderfully meaty roar that emanates from the exhaust.
Franco's Diablo might actually be better than new. It has a few upgrades to aid in drivability, like re-spaced pedals, a carbon-Kevlar clutch and more. Apparently all of the tweaks help a lot because, "it rides smoother than my Carrera GT," Leno enthuses about the car. Scroll down to reminisce about this Italian classic and get an ear full of its wonderful sound.