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Lamborghini confirms Urus SUV will be its only plug-in hybrid

According to Autocar, we'll be seeing the first production hybrid Lamborghini soon. The publication reports that Lamborghini's research and development chief, Maurizio Reggiani, confirmed that the Urus SUV will be offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. This would also makes sense considering former Lamborghini CEO Stephen Winkelmann's statement that if the company ever produced a hybrid, the Urus would be "the logical place for it to launch." Aside from this, Reggiani revealed nothing more about the gas-electric Urus. Reggiani did, however, provide some insight to Autocar into Lamborghini's powertrain decisions. He told the publication that the Urus's already confirmed twin-turbo V8 was chosen because of a need for torque in an SUV. With this in mind, it will be interesting to see what the company does with the hybrid since a big enough electric motor (or motors) could provide a remarkable amount of torque and, in turn, some impressive performance figures. Lamborghini has even shown this potential in the Asterion concept, which produced 910 horsepower from a 5.2-liter V10 and three electric motors. Of course we'd expect an Urus hybrid to be much less potent and probably connected to a version of the turbocharged V8. Reggiani also told Autocar that, just as the Urus has specific powertrain needs, the supercars do as well. He said that the company has no intention of adding turbocharging to any of its cars. On this subject, he told the publication, "A supercar is completely different; you need the responsiveness of the engine, to feel the spark of every cylinder." It will be interesting to see how long people like Reggiani can keep turbocharging and hybrid assistance out of the sports cars in the face of stricter emissions targets. He hints that future advancements in weight reduction and other areas may be key to that. It's certainly nice to hear that there are people at Lamborghini that still value the subjective aspects that make sports cars great. It's also news that's sure to put fans of Lamborghini's classic, naturally aspirated sports cars at ease. Related Video:

VW Group to split brands under four holding companies

The Volkswagen Group is planning a tremendous shift in its internal structure that will decentralize operations by splitting its 12 brands into four different holding companies. Here's the breakdown. Things will be split logically, considering the inter-sharing of parts, platforms, and engines. The Volkswagen brand, Seat, and Skoda make up a passenger vehicle division led by former BMW man Herbert Diess. Audi, which is tightly intertwined with Lamborghini and motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, will be managed by current Audi exec Rupert Stadler. Porsche and Bentley, which are already quite close, will be joined by Bugatti and run by Matthias Mueller. Finally, a commercial vehicles division will include Volkswagen Commercial, Scania, and Man. Former Daimler exec Andreas Renschler will take care of the big vehicles. The massive move, according to Automotive News Europe, is part of an internal VAG effort to move away from the structure established by ousted Chairman Ferdinand Piech, who favored a compact, but highly centralized, management structure to oversee the independent actions of the company's brands. Criticism of Piech's arrangement stemmed from the company's slow responses to changes in the market, ANE reports. The new structure should make for a more efficient, streamlined company that's better able to make crucial decisions. What are your thoughts? Should VAG decentralize, or did Piech have the right idea? Have your say in Comments.

Here are the cars Fast 8 characters will drive in Iceland

The eighth installment of the Fast & Furious franchise will feature some characteristic wheel-to-wheel adventuring, this time on Icelandic ice. As revealed by the F&F production team, here are some of the vehicles that will be seen in the film. What else could Dominic Toretto drive than a Dodge? The previous film showed a Charger fitted for off-road driving, and this time the classic shape has been formed into an ice racer. The muscle car is still recognizable, but the altered wheelbase and fender flares make this something quite different. And as the bullet holes testify, the matte black machine is definitely going to see some action. Letty drives a Local Motors Rally Fighter, which might be the best fit for the ice scenes. The off-road coupe has been modified with a brush bar and some serious roof-mounted lights. Roman will be seen behind the wheel of an orange Lamborghini Murcielago, easily standing out in the frozen wastes. To top it off, there are some tank-like machines: There's a tracked Ripsaw for Tej Parker and an "Ice Ram" for Hobbs, who is played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Both of these look like mean machines, and on the screen they'll probably prove to be the admission ticket's worth. Related Video: Featured Gallery Fast 8 Ice Cars Image Credit: Fast & Furious Facebook page Celebrities TV/Movies Dodge Lamborghini Off-Road Vehicles Special and Limited Editions Supercars local motors fast 8 ripsaw