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Volkswagen Group names Paefgen head of classics program

You may remember the name Franz-Josef Paefgen. Until recently, the German engineer and executive was head of both Bentley and Bugatti. Before that he was chief executive of Audi, after working for several years at Ford. He technically "retired" earlier this year, but like the cars he helped create, an executive like Paefgen could never really retire. So it should come as little surprise that the Volkswagen Group has named Dr. Paefgen head of its Classic program.
In his new capacity, Paefgen will oversee the historic automobile activities of the entire VW Group, including those of Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Audi, Lamborghini, and of course Bentley and Bugatti. It strikes us as a suitable semi-retirement for the man responsible in no small part for the Bugatti Veyron and Bentley Mulsanne, to name just two, and who was decorated in 2006 by the ACO as the "Spirit of Le Mans" for his contribution to endurance racing. Read the official announcement after the break.

Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato shows its off-road-friendly design

The all-terrain Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato is nearly ready to make its debut. The supercar's final (and most extreme) evolution will break cover on November 30 in Florida, and a batch of photos showing the coupe without camouflage reveals how designers SUV-ified a supercar. We've never seen anything quite like the Huracan Sterrato; at least not in showrooms. Lamborghini previewed the model in June 2019 by unveiling a close-to-production concept, and it's clear that the overall design hasn't changed much in the past three years. Sitting far higher than the average supercar, the Sterrato gets a pair of LED driving lights up front, wheel arch flares, specific side skirts, and roof rails. These styling cues were previewed by the concept, but the air scoop seemingly connected to the engine bay is a new addition to the look. Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato View 4 Photos It's reasonable to assume that there's much more going on than meets the eye. We're impatient to find out how Lamborghini modified the Huracan's suspension system for off-road use, for example. And, there's no word yet on what the model is powered by. Our crystal ball tells us it's a version of the standard car's naturally-aspirated, 5.2-liter V10 but it's too early to provide horsepower and torque figures. The Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato is scheduled to make full its debut at Art Basel show in Miami, Florida, on November 30, 2022. It will be the last evolution of the Huracan; its successor is due out in the coming years. Official details remain few and far between, but an unofficial report claims the upcoming new model will land with an 850-horsepower gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain built around a twin-turbocharged V8 engine. The birth of a new segment? The idea of a supercar that keeps going after the pavement ends is unconventional; for decades, supercars were bound to roads while SUVs and pickup trucks were designed to go off-road. There have been a handful of notable exceptions to this rule, the mega-obscure Mega Track built in France in the 1990s comes to mind, but the idea didn't catch on until recently. Volkswagen-owned Italdesign Giugiaro alchemized the Lamborghini Gallardo into an off-roader called Parcour at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and Audi followed-up with the Nanuk concept later that year. Fast-forward to 2022 and Porsche wants a slice of this segment, too: it's preparing a 911 on stilts called Dakar. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party.

Lamborghini may bring a hybrid Espada successor to market in 2025

Lamborghini's CEO Stefano Domenicali was recently interviewed by Automotive News. And in the interview, there are some tantalizing tidbits about future product plans. In particular, he talks a little about the company adding a fourth mainline car to its current lineup of Aventador, Huracan and Urus. Note, this probably wouldn't have any affect on a super-limited production model like the rumored hypercar based on the Terzo Millennio. The news outlet specifically asked if it would be a successor to the Espada grand touring car, and while doesn't explicitly say that it is, he does mention the importance of space and getting the right powertrain. So it sounds like it will be something at least more practical than the company's current supercars. Domenicali also noted that we won't be seeing this new fourth Lamborghini for a while. It's targeted to come out between 2025 and 2027. When asked about an electric variant, he said that the current plans are just for a plug-in hybrid version. He doesn't rule out the possibility of a full electric, but the company hasn't seen the demand quite yet for a full electric Lamborghini, and the company would want to work with Volkswagen to figure out how such a car would fit in with the larger corporation's plans and goals. That particular tidbit would be a sign the aforementioned hypercar won't feature an electric powertrain like the Terzo Millennio concept with which it supposedly shares its design. The other product information Domenicali talked about was related to hybrids. He again confirmed that the next Aventador and Huracan, or whatever the successors are called, will feature plug-in hybrid powertrains. The first will be a V12 plug-in for the Aventador replacement, and the Huracan replacement will have a V10 plug-in. The company is still working on a Urus plug-in hybrid, too. It has, however, had some problems getting the desired performance from test engines that have included twin-turbo V6s and a V8. You can read more about what's next for Lamborghini in the full Automotive News interview. Related Video: