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Lamborghini shows off beautifully restored 350 GT

It might not look much like Lamborghini's latest creations, such as the Aventador S, but this gorgeous grand tourer is a very important model in the company's history: its first production car. And this is an early one, one of the first 15 examples to roll off the line. It's getting some attention at the Retromobile Show in Paris thanks to its full restoration by Lamborghini's in-house restoration arm, Polo Storico. Polo Storico is a little like the Heritage divisions of Jaguar and Land Rover, and similar divisions at Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and others. The unit, based in Sant'Agata, gives customers the opportunity to have their classic Lamborghinis restored by the company's expert staff. It is, as you might imagine, expensive. Polo Storico has previously restored a Miura, an LM002, and a Countach. This particular 350 GT is chassis No. 0121, and it received 1,150 hours worth of bodywork and 780 hours of mechanical restoration – in particular, the cooling system for the 3.5-liter V12 was thoroughly checked over. The car was repainted with an original-type paint, and recreation Pirelli Cinturato tires were fitted to match what the car originally had. It'll be on display in Paris if you're in the neighborhood. Related Video:

VW makes $23K on every Porsche sold, more than Bentley or Lamborghini

It's a good time to be in the luxury car business. In Volkswagen Group's financial report for the 2013 fiscal year, it is revealed that that Porsche enjoyed an operating margin of 18 percent. That means the Stuttgart brand made on average about $23,200 per car sold, according to BusinessWeek. Bentley wasn't far behind, and Audi (which was combined with Lamborghini) posted a 10.1 percent margin. This compares to only around 2.9 percent for the Volkswagen brand.
"Luxury brands are on fire," said Dave Sullivan, an industry analyst at AutoPacific. He said that the average profit margin is between six and eight percent. Brands like Porsche and Bentley have the benefit of competing in rarefied markets. Buyers looking at one their vehicles have fewer models to shop against and don't care as much about price. They can also charge more for options, which further boosts income, according to BusinessWeek.
In a way, we should be more impressed by the continued success from Audi. Its models generally have direct competitors in every segment from the other premium automakers. Plus, their buyers aren't the captains of industry who are shopping for a Bentley. Still, the Four Rings is leading rivals in sales so far this year.

Lamborghini owner forgives teen for using car as a bike ramp

A teenager in Singapore got off shockingly easy after he was caught on camera riding his bike across the hood of a Lamborghini last week. According to The New Paper, Izzadnaff Abdul Qusyairl was on his way to play some games at a local arcade in Bedok, Singapore, when he saw a bright yellow Lamborghini Gallardo parked outside of Bedok Stadium. Being a dumb teenager, Izzadnaff decided to pull a stunt he saw on YouTube. Izzadnaff rode his bike up the hood and over the top of the Lambo. Unfortunately for him, the Lambo's dashcam was on and caught him in the act. The Lambo's owner, Aaron Keder, uploaded the footage to Facebook, kicking off an internet manhunt for the young cyclist. Qusyairl's mother got wind of the situation and quickly took matters into her own hands by first giving her son a stern talking to and then contacting Keder through a mutual friend. "Izzadnaff is usually obedient. I don't know what happened to him that day," she told New Paper. "He was very afraid to admit to his mistake after that, but I told him that he had done something wrong, so he had to stand up and admit his mistake." Thankfully, Keder seemed to have a good sense of humor about the incident and agreed to sit down with the abashed teen and sort the situation out. "I met the family on Sunday afternoon and we have resolved the issue," said Keder. "All I wanted was an explanation from the boy and to know how he felt when he went on top of my car. I also wanted him to know that what he had done was wrong and not to repeat it."Related Video: Image Credit: Caddy Viral / YouTube Auto News Weird Car News Lamborghini singapore stunts bmx lambo gallardo