2020 Lamborghini Urus on 2040-cars

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Italy to offer Lamborghini 100 million euros to build Urus

The Lamborghini Urus' prospects for production may have just received the impetus they need as the Italian government is preparing to offer significant incentives to produce the high-end SUV in the country. According to a report from Bloomberg, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government is prepared to extend as much as 100 million euros (approximately $112 million) – but not in cash. That'd be a bit much for the borderline bankrupt national government. Instead the motivation is reportedly being offered in the form of tax breaks and other such incentives. In exchange, Lamborghini would pledge to hire 300 new workers to build the crossover. The Urus, for those who may not recall, was a crossover concept which Lamborghini presented way back at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show. We caught a closed-door glimpse of it in New York shortly before its debut and saw it again in Monterey the following summer. Ever since, the Bolognese automaker has been petitioning its patrons at Audi and Volkswagen to give it the green light, but the Germans have been dragging their feet at the prospect of investing the necessary capital to pull it off. Lamborghini is reportedly hoping to get a final decision next month, and the government incentives could help it make the business case to its parent company. While the Italy's terms would require final assembly to take place in that country, much of the work could end up being done at the same plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, where the Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, and Porsche Cayenne are built. Bentley is expected to undertake a similar process for its new Bentayga, with assembly to be finalized in the UK. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lamborghini Urus Concept: Monterey 2012 View 10 Photos News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Earnings/Financials Government/Legal Plants/Manufacturing Lamborghini Crossover Performance tax incentives

Wrecked Lamborghini Countach from 'Wolf of Wall Street' fails to sell in Abu Dhabi

Martin Scorsese used two genuine 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Editions in "The Wolf of Wall Street." They're both headed to auction in December, one of them for the second time. See, in August, RM Sotheby's announced that it would auction one of the movie cars in New York in December, its lot being an undamaged Bianco Polo Countach 25th Anniversary. At the time, no one had information on the location or condition of the second car that had been damaged rather badly as part of filming, victim of the main character driving under severe influence and the stunt department putting in some sledgehammer work. In November, the second, wrecked car showed up in the catalog for Bonhams' On the Grid auction at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix. Bonhams put the presale estimate at $1.5 million to $2 million. Someone submitted a bid for $1.35 million, which the seller rejected, so the auction house is putting the car up for sale at a later date. For some perspective on that rejected bid, Hagerty values the 1989 Lamborghini Countach Silver Edition in good condition at $440,000, the qualification being that the car "Runs and drives well. Flaws not noticeable to passersby." An example in concours condition, which is "World-class. Could compete in the world's best Concours d'Elegance events," is valued at $780,000. Classic.com, which tracks transactions of exotics and classics, shows a number of sales this year. Bring a Trailer sold three over the summer, one for $577,600, a second for $632,000, a third for $670,000. Other summer auctions for the same model pulled $472,500, $465,000, and a rejected high bid of $342,000. The highest prices paid this year are $775,000 for a car with 154 miles and $715,000 paid for a car with 102 miles. "The Wolf of Wall Street" car is an undriveable heap, a piece of cinematic sculpture at best, for which the owner seeks at least double the price of a practically new car. And what's wrong with that? Art regularly goes for more than $1.5 million, if that's what this is to be considered — and that might indeed be the consideration. RM Sotheby's recently put a 1962 Ferrari 250/330 GTO on the block at one of its art auctions in New York, perhaps Bonhams plans to do something similar. Car & Bike wrote that the Lamborghini heads to auction again in December. Bonhams' site lists three car-centric auctions in December, the Countach so far not shown among the lots.

Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche and Koenigsegg Lego sets coming this summer

Lego has announced a slew of new automotive-themed sets. As is typical fashion for brand of building toys, the subject matter leans toward ultra-exotic, ultra-expensive vehicles, ranging from a $139,000 Mercedes SL63 on the low end to a $3 million Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut on the high end. If you can't afford those cars in real life, soon you'll be able to build your own plastic models of them. Some of the real-world counterparts aren't obtainable no matter what the cost. Take the Lamborghini Lambo V12 Vision Gran Turismo, for example. The one-off concept was designed by Lamborghini exclusively for Gran Turismo, the PlayStation racing simulator. However, Lamborghini did build a 1:1 version for the physical world, with the 808-horsepoewer hybrid V12 from the Sian FKP 37 beneath its bodywork. The Lego version is part of the company's Speed Champions line, which measure about 6 inches long. It does an excellent job of capturing the original's insectoid look and Y-shaped taillights. The set is made up of 230 pieces and will retail for $26.99. This is Lego's first Vision Gran Turismo car but we hope to see more.  Also joining the Speed Champions line are two 2-car sets. An Aston Martin-themed set pairs a Vantage safety car with an AMR23 Formula 1 racer. Both are finished in AMR's bright green with actual sponsor logos. The set contains 564 pieces and will cost $44.99. Also arriving as a 2-car set are a pair of Mercedes-AMGs. A black G 63 and yellow SL 63 Roadster, along with a pair of sunglasses-clad bros, make up the 808-piece set. It also retails for $44.99. All three Speed Champions sets arrive on June 1, 2024. If you're looking for something a bit more advanced and detailed, Lego also offers the Technic line. First up is a Porsche GT4 e-Performance, a 1,000-horsepower race car based on the 718 Cayman. This set can also function as a remote controlled car that moves forward, backward, and steers via a downloadable smartphone app. The 834-piece set costs $169.99. Last but not least, there's the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, a model of the Swedish supercar that is said to have a top speed of over 300 mph. The model does an admirable job of capturing the car's 0.278 Cd drag coefficient, considering it's comprised of 801 individual plastic bricks. This set will retail for $49.99 and, along with the Porsche, comes out August 1, 2024. Related Video LEGO Speed Champion Build: 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback