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Lamborghini wants to grow, but it will never become big

Lamborghini had a record year in 2021: it delivered 8,405 cars, an increase of 13% over 2020 and, tellingly, 6,803 units more than in 2011. Almost all of the company's production capacity for 2022 is spoken for, so its popularity doesn't look like it's going to wane anytime soon. Andrea Baldi, the head of the Americas region for Lamborghini, sat down with Autoblog to talk about what this growth means for the future. "We have more than a year-long waiting time for every model. Even for the Huracan, which we launched in 2014. It's not just the STO; it's the all- and rear-wheel-drive variants as well. We pre-sold the Aventador Ultimae in three weeks in July 2021, which was a record," Baldi pointed out. The more family-focused Urus has been hugely popular as well; it's the best-selling Lamborghini with 5,021 deliveries in 2021. Lamborghini plans to continue growing in the coming years, it will notably unveil four new models in 2022, but there's a set limit to how far it can stretch. The executive team's idea is not to rival Audi in terms of size, or even Porsche. "We definitely want to scale up our production a bit. The big chance for us is the jump into hybridization, because it means that we'll get a new generation of cars. We'll start in 2023 with the Aventador's successor, and the entire range will gradually be electrified after that. This gives us an opportunity for the Aventador and Huracan successors to have a production line that can make more cars," Baldi revealed. He stopped short of telling us precisely how many more, but the increase will be relatively small — and maintaining the brand's exclusivity will be of paramount importance. "The idea will always be to have one car less than demand," he noted. "We will always have a waiting time but it should be shorter, so we need a little more production capacity. If you sit in front of your house and watch 10,000 cars go by, one will be a Lamborghini. We're talking about a small-digit percentage increase, but for a luxury brand it will be a big change," Baldi added. Going hybrid unlocks other opportunities, like the ability to reach new buyers while letting the firm stay on the right side of ever-stricter regulations. And yet, many of its customers still associate a super-sports car with a mighty internal combustion engine.

VW, Mobileye to bring new automated tech to series production

Volkswagen will bring new automated driving technologies to series production as it deepens its partnership with Mobileye in automotive driving technologies, Europe's biggest carmaker said on Wednesday. Israeli automotive tech company Mobileye will provide driving assistance software based on its SuperVision and Chauffeur platforms to VW's luxury brands such as Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Porsche. The technologies, which later will be integrated by VW's software unit Cariad, include assistance systems for highway and urban driving, such as automated overtaking on multilane highways, automatic stopping at red lights and stop signs, and support in intersections and roundabouts. "New automated driving functions will significantly boost convenience and safety," VW Chief Executive Oliver Blume said. Mobileye is also set to supply further automated driving software to Volkswagen's commercial vehicles unit. In future, the German carmaker aims to rely on its own complete in-house software system. (Reporting by Christoph Steitz, writing by Andrey Sychev, Editing by Miranda Murray and Madeline Chambers)

2020 Lamborghini Aventador S Review | One last go in the ring

A sign at the Miura Ranch in Andalusia, Spain, warns any careless human, “Ganado Bravo – Prohibito Entrar.” Brave Cattle – Do Not Enter. The cattle at issue are specifically bulls, and Ferruccio LamborghiniÂ’s visit to the ranch in the 1960s – Lamborghini himself was a Taurus – would provide the thematic source for the names of his cars. Legend says Murcielago, a Navarra fighting bull, was sired into Don Antonio MiuraÂ’s breeding line in 1879 after surviving 24 stabs from the matadorÂ’s espada – the audience had clamored for the matador to spare the bullÂ’s life. The bull christened Aventador got no such reprieve, killed by Matador Emilio Munoz during a bullfight in 1993 in Zaragoza. Aventador did, though, fight fiercely enough to earn the accolade Trofeo de la Pena La Madronera, awarded to the bravest bull by ZaragosaÂ’s only female bullfighting club, La Madronera. Then someone cut off one of AventadorÂ’s ears and gave it to Munoz as a trophy. The Lamborghini Aventador, over a run of nine years and going, has fought just as bravely as its namesake and deserves the same trophy. It also – as much as it pains me to write this – deserves to be put to rest. The looks of the 2020 Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster donÂ’t disappoint. Despite the name changes since Marcelo GandiniÂ’s 1974 Countach, LamborghiniÂ’s flagship has largely been an acolyte of the Porsche 911 school of evolutionary design. Nevertheless, every one of the AventadorÂ’s angled, unsparing lines acts like an arrestor cable on passers-by. Long, low, wide in front, and swelling to a carrier-esque beam in the rear, the Aventador is the kind of ruthless transport weÂ’d expect from Cyberdyne Systems or the Weyland-Yutani Corporation – no trace of weakness in it, nor any compassion. Breathtaking instead of beautiful. The only respite from the malice of the test car was in its color, Blu Cephus Pearl. A vivacious neighbor, as soon as she saw the car, christened it Deja Blue. That took some edge off the menace. Almost everything in the cabin is tailored excellence. The look and feel of the stitched leather, the seats, the craftsmanship, all could have come from an Italian atelier – and essentially, for any whoÂ’ve seen the leather shop at SantÂ’Agata Bolognese, they did. The compact cabin provides room for 6-footers; the seats provide continent-crossing comfort.