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Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae Roadster ends non-hybrid V12 production

To quote Hall & Oates: "She's gone," the "she" here being the Lamborghini Aventador. The last of the scissor-doored supercars with a naturally-aspirated V12 rolled off the line in LP 780-4 Ultimae Roadster form colored an Ad Personam light blue, headed for a quiet life in Switzerland. That also closed the chapter on the 350 coupes and 250 roadsters made in Ultimae spec. This is a belated end-of-life, the Italian concern restarting production lines after 85 Lamborghinis, 15 of them Aventador Ultimaes destined for the U.S. market, got torched on the cargo ship Felicity Ace in March of this year. The final tally for the latest V12 spreadsheet counts 11,465 cars delivered in 11 years, more than doubling the entire sales count of its predecessor, the Murcielago, and exceeding the combined sales of every one of Lamborghini's V12 models since the 3.5-liter V12 in the 350 GT in 1964.  What began with the 6.5-liter 12-cylinder with 691-horsepower and 509 pound-feet of torque in 2022 ended with that engine making 760 hp and 531 lb-ft in the Ultimae. The official 0-to-62 mile per hour dash came down a tenth of a second in that time, depending on where you look, from 2.9 seconds to 2.8. Top speed rose from 217 mph to 220. Plenty fast then, plenty fast now. Between those yardposts there have been more than 10 one-offs and limited editions. The former group includes the Jota, SVJ Xago, and the SC18 Alston track car. The latter group counts the Anniversario, Veneno, Centenario, and Sian FKP 37. There were also innovations like the enclosed carbon fiber monocoque supported by "flying doctors" that traveled the world to help diagnose and repair damage that benefited owners. There was the pushrod suspension that turned a heavyweight into a flickable canyon runner, benefiting all drivers. There was the Independent Shifting Rod (ISR) single-shift transmission, which Lamborghini says was "chosen for lightweight compactness and the most emotive shift." Given its tidal shifting motion and occasionally clumsy changes under partial throttle or when trying to figure out what the driver wanted in changing conditions, we never figured out who that benefited. What comes next will be a hybrid V12 powertrain wrapped in looks that, based on spy shots, will evolve the latest design language with details like new lights, bladed B-pillars, and high-rise exhaust. Shouldn't be long to wait now.

Former Ferrari F1 chief could be new Lamborghini CEO

The word on the street in Bologna is that Lamborghini is in for a changing of the guard. Current CEO Stephan Winkelmann is tipped to step down after 14 years at the helm in Sant'Agata, likely to move to another role at Audi. And in his place, the German automaker is anticipated to appoint Stefano Domenicali. Domenicali was formerly the head of Scuderia Ferrari, rising through the ranks at Maranello to succeed Jean Todt as team principal in 2008. He resigned in 2014 to be replaced first by Ferrari US chief Marco Mattiacci and then by Marlboro man Maurizio Arrivabene as the team has struggled to find its form again. Shortly after leaving Maranello, Domenicali took up a new position at Audi, where he was rumored to be working on the company's anticipated foray into Formula One with Red Bull. But after that program was shut down in the wake of the diesel emissions scandal, Domenicali is now tipped to move back to Italy to take over the supercar business. Stefano would be the second Domenicali to head an Italian performance brand under the VW/Audi umbrella, joining Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali (they not believed to be related). The move would also be a particularly emphatic gesture to Sergio Marchionne. The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles chief has previously lost top lieutenants to Volkswagen, most notably Luca de Meo, who headed up VW brand's passenger car marketing department before taking over at Seat. While previous Ferrari chiefs Todt and Montezemolo came up through the racing department, Marchionne assumed the chairmanship in Maranello and brought in outside talent instead. Meanwhile Winkelmann has been in charge of Lamborghini since 2005, when he was appointed by Audi to run the company it had just acquired a few years prior. Under the tenure of the German-Italian executive, Lamborghini sales have risen from 1,600 units per year to over 2,500 last year. The introduction of the forthcoming Urus crossover, birthed under Winkelmann's leadership, is expected to more than double that overall figure. Given his success in transforming Lamborghini, it isn't likely that the Volkswagen Group will simply show Winkelmann the door. Word has it that he'll receive another posting at Audi, potentially taking over the growing Quattro GmbH division in Neckarsulm. The division is responsible for all of Audi's RS models as well as the R8 – the latter of which Audi sells as many units as the entire Lamborghini division does in a year.

Lamborghini's 830-hp V12 hypercar speaks out for the first time

Although the future of the brand includes electrification and hybrid technology, Lamborghini is still here in 2020 displaying the wonder of its brash V12 engine. Following the release of its first solo project called the SC18 Alston, Lamborghini Squadra Corse (LSC) is preparing to debut a limited-edition naturally aspirated track car with a hearty amount of power. A new teaser video gives fans a first listen as to what the car will sound like. LSC first teased this car in October, 2019, and it unveiled a surprising amount of the design (seen below). Sporting a shape that fits the bill of a rumored entry into the Le Mans Hypercar arena, the new Lambo has a carbon fiber monocoque with an aluminum front frame, an airscoop on the roof, a motorsport-focused hood with dual air intakes, and a massive fixed carbon fiber wing. It will be powered by an 830-horsepower version of the 6.5-liter V12 engine, it'll be stopped by big Brembo brakes, and it will have an "innovative self-locking type differential." Like the Alston, the Sian, and the V12 Vision GT that came before it, the upcoming hypercar wears the number 63. Additional style comes from White Peacock wheels wrapped in Pirelli color edition tires. As mentioned, the video below gives multiple views of the car and it appears the rear features a spine similar to that seen on the Sian, and it will wear tri-point graphics that seem to be inspired by the Sian's headlights. Get a glimpse of the internals in the new teaser video above, and listen to its exhaust, as it works the dyno. The car will debut "before the end of the year."  This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.