2012 Aventador Coupe on 2040-cars

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Weekly Recap: Lamborghini fires on all cylinders

Lamborghini added 192 technicians and specialists in 2014 as the Italian automaker expands under the ambitious growth strategy of parent company Volkswagen AG. The additional workers helped Lamborghini increase its sales 19 percent last year to 2,530 supercars, and further expansion is planned for this year. Lambo has added more than 500 people in the last four years, bringing its headcount to 1,175. "Lamborghini is undergoing a strong phase of growth in both sales and in terms of recruitment," CEO Stephan Winkelmann said in a statement. "We invest significantly in our people ... in 2015 we plan to hire further." The supercar maker's solid performance last year came during a time of transition. Lambo sold off the final 265 Gallardos, which were the brand's best-selling models ever. Its 10-cylinder successor, the Huracan, immediately filled the void. It garnered 3,300 orders, and 1,137 of them were delivered in 2014. The other Lamborghini, the 12-cylinder Aventador, saw its sales increase 13 percent to 1,128 copies. The sales leap comes as Volkswagen drives sales expansion across its portfolio of brands. The German carmaker sold 10 million vehicles around the world for the first time last year. Though Lambo will never make supercars in great numbers, it is expected to contribute to VW's bottom line through its image and profitable sales. Look for further growth this year, and a Super Veloce version (shown above) of the Aventador has already been spotted during testing. Lamborghini has been working on a sport utility vehicle for years, though the company has never publicly approved the project. It also showed a hybrid, the Asterion, at last year's Paris Motor show, suggesting the automaker is considering an electric future. Other News and Notes GMC ponders Jeep Wrangler fighter GMC is considering adding a competitor to the Jeep Wrangler and has discussed the idea with its dealers, according to the Wall Street Journal. Details of the vehicle are unclear, but the report suggested the vehicle could have cues from General Motors' old Hummer brand. The move would broaden GMC's lineup of trucks and SUVs and attract new customers. GMC sold 501,853 vehicles in 2014, making it GM's second-best selling brand. GMC had more volume than Cadillac and Buick combined, though it's still well behind Chevrolet's tally of more than two million vehicles. The notion of a "Wrangler fighter" could be a moving target.

Donald Trump-owned 1997 Lamborghini Diablo sells for $1.1 million

Like every former president since the 1960s, Donald Trump is not allowed to drive on public roads; he's driven around by trained Secret Service agents. He owned some pretty cool cars before becoming president, and one just sold for $1.1 million at a Barrett-Jackson auction. Part of the auction company's Scottsdale 2024 sale, this 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT roadster was reportedly configured and purchased new by Trump. It's finished in a shade of blue called Blu Le Mans that allegedly wasn't available to run-of-the-mill customers that year, fitted with a two-tone off-white and black interior, and equipped with a gated five-speed manual transmission. Power comes from a 5.7-liter V12 that's tuned to develop 492 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to send the supercar to a top speed of 202 mph. Barrett-Jackson notes that Trump sold the Diablo in 2002, so the "TRUMP 2016" decal on the rear window was added over a decade after his ownership, but there's a small "Donald Trump Diablo 1997" plate on the inside part of the driver's door that seemingly confirms he bought it new. The auction house notes that this car has had two owners since Trump sold it, so the person who paid $1.1 million for it is the third. @thestradman Crazy price for a Diablo VT Roadster #Lamborghini ? original sound - TheStradman While the odometer displays about 24,900 kilometers, which represents approximately 15,500 miles, the Carfax report indicates a mileage inconsistency in August 2003. That didn't deter bidders: it took less than 30 seconds for bidding to reach $500,000 and the winner spent more than twice that figure on the car. It was offered without a reserve, so the highest bidder would have taken it home regardless of where bidding stopped, but $1.1 million likely exceeded everyone's expectations; even the VT variants of the Diablo usually sell for under $500,000. For example, auction house RM Sotheby's sold a 1999 VT Roadster with about 18,800 miles for $456,000 in 2023 and a 1998 model with a little over 3,000 miles for $467,500 the previous year. Earlier rear-wheel-drive versions of the Diablo normally sell for considerably less. Celebrity ownership and an allegedly one-of-one configuration helped this Diablo VT cross the seven-figure mark. Beyond that, it looks like it has been relatively well preserved. It hasn't been questionably modified, and it was sold with its owner's manual as well as two tool kits.

Lamborghini SC63 endurance race car unveiled for LMDh category

Lamborghini has set its sights on beating Porsche, BMW, and Cadillac, among other teams, in the top tier of endurance racing. The company has unveiled a race car named SC63 that was designed to compete in the LMDh category, and Autoblog sat down with CEO Stephan Winkelmann to get additional details about the upcoming model and its significance. Lamborghini has run a one-make racing series for over a decade, and its Huracan has competed in the GT3 category for several years, but the Italian brand has never been present on the highest echelon of the endurance racing world. Winkelmann explained why that changed. "This is a race series that's giving us a lot of visibility. We're not only racing in IMSA or in the WEC; we're racing in both. This is good for North America, it's good for Europe, and it's good for the Asia-Pacific region. It's a race series where the major OEMs are participating, so I think that also here there is an opportunity," Winkelmann told us. "We're a super-sportscar manufacturer; it's important." Power for the SC63 comes from a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain built around a new, 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 developed in-house specifically for the racing program. The system's total output checks in at about 670 horsepower, which is the maximum allowed by racing regulations, and the gearbox, the battery, as well as the motor-generator unit are standard components that other teams are using as well. That's not to say the SC63 is identical to, say, the BMW M Hybrid and the Porsche 963. Lamborghini explains that racing regulations give its engineering team the freedom to customize the gear ratios and the slip of the mechanical differential, among several other parameters.  Lamborghini asked a French firm named Ligier to develop and build the SC63's monocoque, though its engineers played a big role in dialing in the car's specifications. They notably requested a push rod-type front suspension system, ensured it has the ideal weight distribution, and made sure that critical parts are easy to access and service; every second count during a pit stop, even when you're competing in a 24-hour-long race. Lamborghini and Ligier also paid special attention to the brakes to find the right middle ground between weight and durability. Honing the SC63's aerodynamic profile was easier said than done, because LMDh regulations allow teams to use only one body kit per season, and the scope of the changes that can be made between races is limited.