2023 Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica Coupe 2d on 2040-cars

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BMW Z8, Lambo LM002 sell for $192,500 apiece in Detroit [w/poll]

Think a car are a bad investment? That all depends on what kind of car you're talking about. Because while most cars depreciate in value as soon as you drive them off the lot, others can do even better than hold their value. The cars that appreciate tend to be pretty high-end exotics, but they don't have to be multi-million-dollar classics to command a premium at auction. Just look at the results from RM Sotheby's Motor City sale in Detroit this past weekend. The auction house moved a solid $7.4 million worth of metal, which is pretty impressive when you consider that – unlike events at Lake Como or Pebble Beach – not one of the lots dipped into seven figures. 1930s-era American classics performed the strongest, with Duesenbergs, Packards, Auburns and the like all fetching hundreds of thousands. But what intrigued us most were the European exotics that rounded the top ten results. Amidst the Depression-era American steel were a BMW Z8 from 2001 and a 1988 Lamborghini LM002, each of which sold for an equal $192,500. Hardly the highest figures paid for European exotics this year, but considering how much they were worth just a few years ago, they've proven solid investments. BMW only made 5,703 examples of the Henrik Fisker-designed retro Z8, of which only 2,543 were brought to the United States, where they originally sold for $128,000. The most anyone had ever paid for one at auction, according to Sports Car Market, was $184,082, just this past March at Silverstone. That makes the price achieved this weekend a new record for one of the slinkiest vehicles the Bavarian automaker has ever made, representing an impressive 50-percent increase in value over the course of fourteen years. This particular example – chassis WBAEJ13481AH60437 for those keeping track – is decked out in silver over black, with less than 15,500 miles on the odometer. This Rambo Lambo was produced early in the 301-unit production run, with the sought-after carbureted engine and 32,000 miles on the clock. It didn't set any records at the same price, other examples of the LM002 having traded over the past few years for over $200k. But considering that Sant'Agata originally charged around $120-130k for the SUV when it was new, its selling price still represents about 50-percent appreciation (leaving inflation aside).

Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 revealed, basically a retro Sian

Update: We've added some additional information from an interview with Lamborghini's Chief Technology Officer. Yes, the Lamborghini Countach really has returned, though only for a seriously limited run. Not only that, it's more of a retro Sian than its own unique model. But that also means it packs Lamborghini's most technologically advanced powertrain yet. According to Lamborghini's Chief Technology Officer Maurizio Reggiani, the car is meant as more of a "celebration" or tribute to the car that set the pattern for future Lamborghinis, rather than a revival or reintroduction of the model. Lamborghini really leaned into the retro cues on this new Countach, too. It's mainly based on the original prototype and production models. The prototype design cues come in with the louvred vents behind the side windows, the horizontal slit of a front grille and the way the rear window and engine cover blend together. Then there's a dash of the early production models with the enormous interpretation of the side NACA ducts. The wheels have a nod to later Countach models with circular openings between the spokes like past phone-dial wheels. And the rectangular headlights and trapezoidal wheel arches are just universal Countach touchstones. The car also features quad exhaust tips, which is unique among Aventador-derived Lamborghinis. The interior on the other hand is pretty much modern Lamborghini, though the seats get similar stitching to older models. Powering the Countach is the Sian's mild-hybrid 6.5-liter V12. It makes 803 horsepower in total, with most of it coming from the engine. In fact, 769 of those ponies come from the V12, while 34 come from the 48-volt electric motor. It gets its electrons from a lightweight and fast charging and discharging supercapacitor, though. The engine winds up to 8,700 rpm, and it's in the same longitudinal layout as Lamborghinis stretching back to, well, the original Countach. It's connected to a seven-speed automated manual transmission and powers all four wheels. Apparently, the powertrain was retuned for smoother shifting. But the company didn't sacrifice any performance, as Lamborghini claims a 0-62 mph time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 221 mph. It also features pushrod suspension with magnetorheological adjustable shocks, and carbon ceramic brakes with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers. Only 112 Countachs will be built. The number comes from the protoype's designation LP 112.

Lamborghini Miura Retro Review: What it's like to drive the original supercar

“Glon, youÂ’re in the Miura.” Hang on, IÂ’m in what now? About a minute later, I have the keys to a 1973 Lamborghini Miura SV finished in Oro Metallizzato. Five minutes later, IÂ’m annoyed by the frosty winter air whooshing onto my face but too enthralled by the V12Â’s noise to close the window. The person who coined the phrase “never meet your heroes” clearly hasnÂ’t been let loose in the original supercar, a model of paramount importance in the pantheon of automotive history. Unveiled in 1966, and positioned above the 400 GT as LamborghiniÂ’s range-topping model, the Miura may as well have landed from a far, unexplored corner of the galaxy. It stretched about 172 inches long, 69 inches wide, and merely 41.5 inches tall, dimensions that gave it proportions more closely aligned with todayÂ’s definition of a supercar than with the crop of GTs whizzing by in the left lane of the Italian autostrada in the 1960s. I canÂ’t say that the Miura broke with tradition, Lamborghini didnÂ’t have much in the way of tradition three short years after its gutsy inception, but it looked nothing like the 400 GT. Highly respected Italian designer Marcello Gandini penned the Miura while working for Bertone. Its Fiat 850 Spider-sourced headlights were mounted nearly flat, its door handles were integrated into a column of fins, and its roof line peaked above the seats before flowing into a Kammback-like rear end. Mamma mia! It may look humble parked next to an Aventador, but its design was revolutionary in the 1960s. Equally revolutionary was the technical layout. While the 400 GT — and most high-end GTs sold during this era — were fitted with a front-mounted engine, the MiuraÂ’s 3.9-liter V12 was positioned directly behind the passenger compartment. Odder still, it was mounted transversally. Some historians claim that the inspiration for this arrangement was the original Mini, which stretched just 120 inches long thanks in part to a transverse-mounted engine. The MiniÂ’s role in shaping the Miura has never been proven, but whatÂ’s certain is moving the engine back and turning it 90 degrees changed LamborghiniÂ’s history. More than simply a new model for what was then a small, obscure company, the Miura became nearly a deity in the automotive stratosphere. It blazed the course that dozens of supercars have followed since. Rejigging the proportions required rearranging the interior.