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Rare U.S.-spec 1990 Lamborghini LM002 fetches $467,000 at auction

A rare "Rambo Lambo," an American-spec 1990 LM002 that was Lamborghini's first SUV and arguably the first high-performance sport utility, has sold at auction in New York for $467,000. RM Sotheby's says the luxury ute, which has 19,153 miles on the odometer, underwent a comprehensive five-year mechanical and cosmetic restoration and was originally priced at $158,000 when it arrived in the U.S. through a Florida port of entry. The auction sale price is more than twice the cost of the new Urus, the sleek new crossover that Lamborghini unveiled earlier this week. The LM002 traces its lineage to the Cheetah, a rear-engine-mounted 4x4 that Lamborghini made with an American defense contractor for the U.S. Army, which did not reward the automaker with a contract. It was Lamborghini's first production SUV, based on the Cheetah's basic engineering, and it added luxurious wood and leather to the interior, a spacious cargo area and the 5.2-liter Countach V12 engine that took it from 0-60 in 7.7 seconds. Only 301 examples were ever made between 1986 and 1993, with just 48 of them built to the LM/American specs and delivered to the U.S. Sotheby's notes that the exotic car market of the early '90s "was in full flourish thanks to a new generation of millionaires and billionaires seeking the ever-greater 'toy' — and nothing was bigger or better than the LM002." It boasts a massive 76-gallon fuel tank, and the model that just sold was equipped with specially designed Pirelli Scorpion run-flat tires. Jay Leno took an LM002 of the same model year for a spin two years ago on an episode of "Jay Leno's Garage." The restoration effort was valued at $325,000 and covered the Countach engine, new exhaust and a full, new interior, adding an Alpine stereo head unit and integrated Bluetooth to bring things up to modern speed. It also features the rare rear cargo toolbox, tonneau cover, and correct LM/American floor mats and chrome bumpers. The owner also got correct tools, keys, books, jack, full receipts and photographic documentation of the restoration process, plus two OEM ECU computer units.Related Video:

This Lamborghini could become the most expensive car ever sold on Bring a Trailer

The collector-car auction site Bring a Trailer has seen some wildly high sales results recently, including a 2000 Honda Civic Si for $50k, a 1997 Acura Integra Type R for $82k, and a '71 Datsun 240Z for $310k. Now, a 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 up for auction right now could set a new high-water mark for the most expensive car ever to sell on the site. Any Miura is a blue-chip collectible, a seminal supercar that was designed by Marcello Gandini of Bertone and considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cars of all time. The transverse-oriented, mid-mounted, quad-cam V12 is fed by four Weber carburetors and was said to be capable of propelling the Miura to 170 mph. This one appears to be a compelling, restored example. As a P400, it is an early series car (the P400 S and SV followed). The audacious lime green paint is a color change from the original white and is paired with a blue interior that records show to be the original hue. The car has been shown at the Quail in 2016, has run the Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance in 2018, and won an award at Concorso Italiano in 2016. Bidding at the time of writing is $800k with 10 days still to go. In order for this Lambo to ring the bell as the most expensive BaT sale ever, it will have to top the current champion, BaT's own 1956 Mercedes-Benz Gullwing that was the first car sold via the site's premium listings. A no-reserve sale, it brought $1,234,567. Yes, we see what the bidder did. Current Miura values would appear to give this P400 a shot dethroning that Gullwing. Hagerty assigns the 1968 Miura P400 a value of $1.1m in #1 condition. Recently, Gooding and Co. sold a 1969 Miura P400 S at Scottsdale in January for $1,242,500. A never-restored 1969 P400 S sold for nearly $1.6m at RM Sothebys London sale last fall, while a non-running 1968 P400 sold by RM earlier this month in Europe for $800,000. It looks like it will be a close call for this Miura to achieve top honors at BaT. But whatever it sells for, the new owner may want to send a professional car hauler rather than simply bringing a trailer. Although the most ballsy move would be to fly in and drive it home. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Lamborghini applies to trademark 'Revuelto' name in Europe

Lamborghini's path to an electrified lineup begins with plug-in hybrid versions of its Huracan, Aventador and Urus by the end of 2024. It's first battery-electric vehicle is due before the end of the decade, reporting last year putting the launch in 2028. We expect there will be a few concepts and show cars presaging the first pure EV from Sant'Agata Bolognese, and a couple of trademark filings could tell us what a forerunner or the car itself will be called. CarBuzz discovered Lamborghini filings in Europe and Italy to reserve the name "Revuelto." The Spanish word has quite a few meanings, like mixed, untidy and nauseous. Then there are two meanings that could apply to a revolutionary electric product from a brand known for screaming V12s: Restless and turbulent. If we want to push the wordplay, there's a third meaning we could apply: Scrambled, as in eggs, although that could also apply to expectations. The supercar maker wants to cover every base with the name, it seems. The applications with the European Union Intellectual Property Office specify four classes, an umbrella sheltering everything from electric cars and EV components specifically to car parts and accessories in general, as well as scooters, car-related games and toys, and clothes. We have no idea what kind of battery-powered go-fast is coming from that corner of Italy, except that it will be a 2+2 GT described as having "a bit more ground clearance." Superficially, that sounds like an elevated version of the Asterion LPI 910-4 hybrid concept car (pictured), something we'd be totally OK with, but the target is "a four-seater two-door like the GT cars of the Fifties and Sixties." Designers and engineers are working on it now, still in the exploratory phases of how to deliver everything buyers want from a raging bull the minus the trademark V10 and V12 noises. Company boss Stephan Winkelmann noted two vital aspects in comments to TopGear last year, the first being, "Yes, we have opportunities to be different in terms of body styles, but the cars will always be immediately recognizable as Lamborghinis." After looks comes handling, Winkelmann adding that performance EVs have great straight-line acceleration, but not enough lateral capability to satisfy Lamborghini. "It’s about how you put all the handling capabilities inside the car, which today is missing in electric cars.