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Weekly Recap: Takeaways from the Frankfurt Motor Show

We obsessively covered the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, and naturally, we selected our favorites from this fall's biggest automotive event. Now that the dust has settled, we're looking ahead to what it all means. Here are three takeaways from the floor in Frankfurt. The Germans are serious about electric vehicles: It's a bit cliche to say BMW, Mercedes, and Audi have downplayed electrics in favor of other technologies, like diesels. For a time that may have been true, but those three companies, along with Porsche and Volkswagen, are emerging as leaders in EV development. That was on display in Frankfurt, when all of them revealed either all-electric or plug-in hybrid models. Gas prices are relatively low in the United States, but clearly the Germans are thinking long-term and globally. Everyone is serious about SUVs: You gotta have one, even if you're Bentley or Jaguar. It's 2015 and it's what consumers want. As Jaguar design director Ian Callum put it, "Not to be in the sector would be a little naive for the sake of purity." It's not just the flashy exotic luxury makers. Nissan showed the Gripz concept, which is rakish, radical, and meant to blend traits of SUVs and sports cars into a vehicle that really crosses over. Look for more, especially in the luxury sector, as Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin ramp up their own SUV efforts. There's no ceiling to the luxury market: Speaking of high-end cars, companies are continuing to invest in extravagant wares beyond just SUVs. Even during the recession, ultra-luxury makers remained relevant, and now they're back at full stride. In Frankfurt, that was illustrated by yet another S-Class model, the cabriolet, which will come in S550 and S63 AMG variants in the United States. Ferrari also showed off the 488 Spider, and Lamborghini opened up the Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder. Meanwhile, Bugatti's Vision Grand Turismo concept reminded enthusiasts that it's plotting life after the Veyron. European auto shows always draw the glitziest reveals from luxury makers, and this year didn't disappoint. OTHER NEWS & NOTES 2016 Honda Civic redesigned with snazzier style, turbo power The 10th-generation of the Honda Civic debuted this week at events in Los Angeles and Detroit ahead of its launch in the United States this fall as a 2016 model. Honda fortified the Civic with LED lights, an available turbo engine, and a more tech-laden cabin.

Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali talks doubling production and saving the V12

Stefano Domenicali took over the reins of Automobili Lamborghini from Stephan Winkelmann back in February. A few of the most important decisions in Lamborghini history were made shortly before Domenicali's tenure started, like the green-lighting of the Urus SUV, so we jumped at the chance to speak to him about the company's future at Pebble Beach this past weekend. If you don't know the name, a little background: Domenicali's previous job was running the Ferrari Formula 1 team. So not only has he switched from Ferrari to arch-rival Lamborghini, he moved from a racing program to a supercar company that has historically been much less involved in motorsport. That being said, Domenicali has indicated he will stay his predecessor's course. Our interview is below. Alex Kierstein: We're here at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. You were judging this morning – what were you judging? SD: I was an honorary judge of category on elegance, on open cars. I had six cars, actually, 1911 to 1930 supercars, I would say. It's my first time here in Pebble Beach. My previous business [as director of Ferrari's Formula 1 team] I was always busy in that moment of the year. I say that I was impressed by the quality, the presentation, and the level of cars – and the people that are here. AK: And it's a great way to involve the owners. SD: Yeah. It is really super. I have to say that on top of this, I go home with a very, very positive [feeling], and on the other side, a big responsibility. Really, the comments, the things that came out during this weekend are extraordinary. That means that we have taken the right path that's the future. Now is the time where we need to grow in the right dimension, with the right step, both from the technological point of view and the branding positioning point of view. Don't forget that in two years' time, when the new SUV will come, this will represent for us a new challenge ... Even if you can say that we had the LM002. We need to prepare ourselves, the network, the company, and this is what we are doing. For example, so far, in the Sant'Agata plant, we are building the premises for the new SUV. I can assure you that for sure on our side, the super sports car remains the key market. We will never take Lamborghini out of this segment. It's a niche of which we will never push on the volume approach more than the numbers [we expect to see at the end of the year]. It should be, touching wood, another record year.

Lamborghini Urus to get twin-turbo V8

The Lamborghini Urus won't use one of the Italian supercar brand's familiar V10 or V12 engines upon its arrival around 2018, but will instead pack a Lambo-exclusive twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. Company boss Stephan Winkelmann and research chief Maurizio Reggiani confirmed the powerplant selection to Autocar, which verified earlier rumors. The choice of turbocharging rather than the brand's usual naturally aspirated mills comes returns lower carbon dioxide emissions and a greater breadth of torque from the powerband. Even if Urus owners never take the CUV off-road, Lamborghini's engineers want it to be possible. They feel that significant grunt at low revs is necessary for the vehicle to excel in the dirt, and the company only plans to offer the Urus with all-wheel drive. Winkelmann also promises the model to live up to the automaker's huge performance reputation. "This engine is not used by anybody else, only for Lamborghini. To be the most powerful in the class it must have something that is dedicated to our brand," he said to Autocar. For buyers looking for even more exclusivity from their Lamborghini crossover, the company could offer multiple variations of the Urus after the initial launch. Winkelmann re-confirmed to Autocar that both a plug-in hybrid version and high-performance Superveloce are under consideration; there also could be a luxury-focused edition. The company hasn't signed off on any of these yet, though. Lamborghini will build the Urus in a new factory near its headquarters in Sant'Agata Bolognese, and the brand will hope to deliver around 3,000 of them annually. Expect the final model to look like an evolved version of the earlier concept. Autocar claims prices for the UK market similar to the Aventador, which starts at around $400,000 in the US. Related Video: