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VW has received several tentative bids for Ducati

Italy's Benetton family is vying with motorbike firms and buyout funds for control of Italian motorcycle brand Ducati, which is being sold by Germany's Volkswagen, sources involved in the process told Reuters. Volkswagen, whose Audi division controls Ducati, has received several tentative bids with the Benetton family's investment vehicle Edizione Holding valuing the Monster motorbike maker at $1.2 billion, one of the sources said. As well as Edizione Holding, U.S. buyout fund Bain Capital, which owns a stake in Ski-Doo snowmobiles maker BRB, and two Indian motorbike firms, Eicher Motors and Bajaj Auto, have also bid for Ducati, the sources said. Indian carmaker Eicher controls Royal Enfield, a motorcycle brand established in 1893 which ranks as one of the oldest. Strategic bidders also include U.S. automotive firm Polaris Industries, which earlier this year said it would wind down its struggling Victory Motorcycle brand. A shortlist of bidders for a second stage of the auction could be selected as soon as Saturday, two of the sources said. Volkswagen adviser Evercore has a long list of bidders including private equity funds such as Ducati's previous owner Investindustrial, CVC Capital Partners, Advent and PAI, all hoping to outbid industry players, the sources said. If it gets to the second round, Edizione Holding could seek to form a consortium with a financial investor, two of the sources said, in a bid to secure control of Ducati, whose racers have won the Superbike world championship 14 times, with Carl Fogarty and Troy Bayliss its most successful riders. Audi, Edizione Holding, Investindustrial, Advent and PAI declined to comment, while the other interested groups were not immediately available for comment. PRICING CHALLENGES For some buyout funds, Ducati's valuation of up to $1.4 billion – which sources said is based on a multiple of more than 10 times its core earnings of roughly 100 million euros – is a tall order as they lack the synergies that some motorbike makers could achieve. But Investindustrial founder Andrea Bonomi, who sold Ducati to Audi for about 860 million euros in 2012, is serious about a comeback, one of the sources said. China's Loncin Motor was among a group of industry players that initially showed interest in Ducati, alongside Harley-Davidson. The latter has, however, decided against making a bid due to Ducati's price tag, while it could not be established if Loncin Motor had carried on bidding.

Meet the Lamborghini Hurac'an LP 610-4

The "610" in the Huracán's designation is the amount of power this new supercar packs.
This holiday season, Lamborghini has a very special gift for automotive enthusiasts - the all-new Huracán LP610-4, also known as the long-awaited replacement for the Gallardo.

Recharge Wrap-up: Energica Ego drag race video, GM recycles Flint Crisis water bottles

Watch the electric Energica Ego streetbike face off against a race-spec Kawasaki and Lamborghini. First, the street-legal EV bike takes on the Pedercini Racing World Superbike Kawasaki ZX-10R. While they're about equally matched in 0-62 mph acceleration (at three seconds), the race-spec Kawasaki appears to finish first. It's a closer finish compared to the stock version of the bike. The Energica, however, leaves the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570 Super Trofeo far behind in the quarter mile. Watch the video above, and if you're hungry for more, watch the Energica Ego take on a Tesla and a Ferrari in an earlier video. GM is recycling 2 million water bottles from the crisis in Flint, Michigan to make coats for the homeless, engine covers, and air filters. The bottles are an addition to the automaker's ongoing Do Your Part recycling program. Of the 2 million bottles being transformed into other products, a number will become engine covers for the Chevrolet Equinox V6, while others will be turned into air filters for 10 GM manufacturing facilities. The most novel and noble use, though, will be to turn the recycled plastic fleece into coats for the homeless. The coats themselves – which are made by formerly homeless women through The Empowerment Plan – transform into sleeping bags. Read more from GM. An urban mobility organization called the Transit Center is calling for simpler bus routes to make riding more bearable. Using the hastag #StraighterIsGreater, the group has called upon citizens to share the most convoluted routes that lead to long, boring, inconvenient, and inefficient travel. The Transit Center believes smarter, simpler bus routes would improve commute times and help convince more people to use public transportation. There are certainly obstacles to streamlining routes while continuing to accommodate the most riders, though, but many people are sharing their favorite successful examples on Twitter. Read more from CityLab. Related Gallery Energica Ego: First Ride View 26 Photos News Source: YouTube: ih8u2be, GM, CityLab Green Motorsports GM Lamborghini Automakers Green Automakers Transportation Alternatives Motorcycle Electric Videos recharge wrapup