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If VW defaults on loans it may sell Bentley or Lamborghini

If something goes catastrophically wrong with Volkswagen Group's recent $21 billion loan, brands like Bentley or Lamborghini could hit the auction block. According to two insiders to Reuters, the beleaguered German automaker agrees with its creditors to sell assets if the company somehow can't pay back the debt in a year. One of these anonymous people claimed the company hasn't yet deliberated over what to sell. However, the sources were willing to speculate that the power engineering portion of Man could be among the first to go. "Volkswagen may also consider divesting luxury car brands Bentley and Lamborghini or motor bike brand Ducati, although these units don't really move the needle," an insider said to Reuters. VW Group negotiated with the banks earlier this week to get the massive loan. The cash is necessary as a buffer in case the automaker doesn't have enough money on hand to repair vehicles or settle upcoming fines. VW would reportedly issue bonds in the spring to begin paying the debt. The company's bills will start racking up quickly in the new year. German authorities mandate a recall there in early 2016, and repair campaigns in the US for the 2.0- and 3.0-liter diesel engines are inevitable. There are also hundreds of class-action lawsuits to settle. The company needs to resolve its CO2 emissions scandal in Europe, too. In response to these financial threats, VW management created a cost-cutting plan to slash the research and development budget by $1.1 billion next year.

Previewing the 2014 Paris Motor Show

Don't let the shiny objects detract from the serious side of the show. Sales, fuel economy and regulations are part of the conversation.
The Paris Motor Show is one of the glitziest events on the automotive calendar. Yes, it helps that it's in the City of Light, but the glamorous surroundings only enhance the spectacular wares that automakers bring to the show. This is where Europeans debut their best new cars for the coming year, both as eye-catching concepts and in production trim.

Undamaged 'Wolf of Wall Street' Lamborghini Countach sells for $1.66M

The tale of the two Lamborghinis from "The Wolf of Wall Street" took another turn this month. Two genuine examples of the 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition in Bianco Polo saw screen time. One made it through filming unscathed. The other, used to demonstrate how not sane and sober protagonist Jordan Belfort was during a drive home, ended up beat to pieces and undriveable, more art installation than car. The soap opera began back in August, when RM Sotheby's announced it would auction the pristine example this month, December. At the time, we didn't know where the other car was. Not far into November, Bonhams solved the mystery in announcing it would auction the wrecked car at the end of that month during the season-ending Formula 1 race weekend in Abu Dhabi. Given the same pre-sale estimate as the working Lamborghini of $1.5M to $2M, the high bid came in at $1,350,000 during the Abu Dhabi auction. The consigner turned that sum down, the car didn't sell. The clean RM Sotheby's car did sell, and on schedule, fetching $1.65M after fees on December 8 in New York City. Not bad for a vehicle Hagerty values at $780,000 in concours condition. Lamborghini only made about 660 of the Silver Anniversary coupes for global sales, 12 came to the U.S. in Bianco Polo.  As for the car itself, RM Sotheby's says the Maryland owner drove the car to New York for filming, and that this car was specced a bit differently than the second Lamborghini; this one wore the smaller European bumpers and its cabin had a black-and-white steering wheel, for instance. The owner had also removed the rear wing, which was put back on for the film. What the two cars shared was a With a 5.2-liter V12 making 449 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque, bolted to a five-speed manual transmission. The owner sold the coupe sometime after the film made its mark, the new owner — the consignor for the RM Sotheby's auction — reinstalled a larger U.S.-spec bumper and kept the rear wing. Now that the bar's been set, we're waiting for the second Countach to appear in an auction catalog. We suspect that consignor won't turn down $1.35M a second time. Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2022 Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 revealed