2004 Lamborghini Gallardo Base Coupe on 2040-cars

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Lamborghini may bring a hybrid Espada successor to market in 2025

Lamborghini's CEO Stefano Domenicali was recently interviewed by Automotive News. And in the interview, there are some tantalizing tidbits about future product plans. In particular, he talks a little about the company adding a fourth mainline car to its current lineup of Aventador, Huracan and Urus. Note, this probably wouldn't have any affect on a super-limited production model like the rumored hypercar based on the Terzo Millennio. The news outlet specifically asked if it would be a successor to the Espada grand touring car, and while doesn't explicitly say that it is, he does mention the importance of space and getting the right powertrain. So it sounds like it will be something at least more practical than the company's current supercars. Domenicali also noted that we won't be seeing this new fourth Lamborghini for a while. It's targeted to come out between 2025 and 2027. When asked about an electric variant, he said that the current plans are just for a plug-in hybrid version. He doesn't rule out the possibility of a full electric, but the company hasn't seen the demand quite yet for a full electric Lamborghini, and the company would want to work with Volkswagen to figure out how such a car would fit in with the larger corporation's plans and goals. That particular tidbit would be a sign the aforementioned hypercar won't feature an electric powertrain like the Terzo Millennio concept with which it supposedly shares its design. The other product information Domenicali talked about was related to hybrids. He again confirmed that the next Aventador and Huracan, or whatever the successors are called, will feature plug-in hybrid powertrains. The first will be a V12 plug-in for the Aventador replacement, and the Huracan replacement will have a V10 plug-in. The company is still working on a Urus plug-in hybrid, too. It has, however, had some problems getting the desired performance from test engines that have included twin-turbo V6s and a V8. You can read more about what's next for Lamborghini in the full Automotive News interview. Related Video:

Lamborghini takes Veneno out to play on wet Vallelunga [w/video]

With only four examples in existence, you're not very likely to ever see a Lamborghini Veneno roaming your local highways and byways. That's what makes this clip a little out of the ordinary.
Lamborghini brought the super-rare supercar out to the Vallelunga circuit near Rome for the World Finals of its Super Trofeo series, where, incidentally, American driver Andrew Palmer beat out the competition from Europe and Asia to claim the world title. Prospective buyers for the even more expensive Veneno Roadster were taken for laps to give them a taste of what to expect, because with no roof whatsoever, the open-top supercar wouldn't be our choice for a drive in the rain.
Lambo also brought out the Sesto Elemento, the previous release from the company's new prototype development center, to play on the wet track alongside the anthracite Veneno that remains the company's property. Check out the action in the image gallery above and the video below.

Lamborghini Concept S up for auction in New York

Reach back a decade into your supercar memory banks and you may recall that in 2005, Lamborghini rolled in to the Geneva Motor Show with a dramatic Gallardo speedster concept. That was the Concept S, designed by Luc Donckerwolke long before he shifted over to (and subsequently left) the Bentley design department. It packed all the cutting-edge angular design of the Gallardo coupe that had just debuted the year before, but predated the emergence of the Gallardo Spyder that followed the next. The Concept S featured more radical bodywork that bisected the open cockpit, with a pair of low-profile wind deflectors instead of a single-frame windshield. Sort of like the Aventador J concept from a few years ago, but in a more compact (and relatively more stylistically restrained) form. The original show car wasn't a runner, but it proved such a hit that Lamborghini made a second one – this time fully functional with V10 power – and brought it to Pebble Beach that summer. The static model is still on display at the Lamborghini Museum in Sant'Agata, and we took our time ogling it while in town for the opening of the new Trigeneration plant last week, but the runner was sold to a private collector, and now it's set to cross the auction block as part of RM Sotheby's upcoming sale in Manhattan. The auction house expects that it'll fetch between $2.4 and 3 million, and given this particular model's rarity, we don't doubt it'll command every penny, if not more. After all, the Veneno went for more than that, and as scarce as that crazy hypercar was (and remains still), between the coupes and roadsters, Lambo made a baker's dozen of those. In fact, the Concept S stands to set a new record for the highest amount ever paid for a Lamborghini at auction, which according to Sports Car Market was set in 2009 when a Reventon sold online for $2.5 million. The Reventon was a more dramatically styled version of the Murcielago and precursor of the Aventador, of which 21 were made. So just imagine how much collectors might prove willing to spend on the one-of-a-kind Concept S.