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Lamborghini exploring more elegant designs

Ferrari's front-engined V12s and mid-engined V8s have taken turns monopolizing the brand's perception; the 550 Maranello was probably the last front-engined V12 to be first-to-mind, now the 458 Italia leads the family. Not so at Lamborghini, where a mid-engined V12 has been the go-to and centerpiece since the extraterrestrial Countach landed, and it still is no matter how much the Huracan outsells the Aventador. That shape, those doors, that engine – they're the franchise. That doesn't mean Lamborghini isn't trying new things. The Asterion LPI 910-4 concept from last year's Paris Motor Show was more than the marque's first draft of a hybrid, it was an exploration of a different avenue in design. According to design chief Filippo Perini, "We need to understand if we can open another window in our future to be not so extreme but also a little bit more politically correct and elegant." The Asterion points at elegance and "a daily use of the car" with more room inside, a slimmer rocker panel and sill for easier entry, and a raised hip point in the seats for a higher driving position. Perini said that from the driver's seat, "You can see the color of the car. That is something unknown in our very extreme designs." Extreme Lamborghinis aren't going away, however – note that Perini spoke of opening "another window" of design. The goal, he said, "is to understand if [its] design language will be appreciated by a different kind of customer." We can't imagine why not, and we hope we get more news about the "hyper cruiser" GT outside of magazine articles and auto show grandstanding. If it were up to us, Lamborghini would open that window all the way.

One-off Lamborghini supercar coming to Geneva

At a reception in Monterey, CA, last night, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann confirmed something we've kinda-sorta known for a while. The Italian automaker will debut a one-off supercar – sort of like the Veneno – at the Geneva Motor Show next year. We don't know anything about the bespoke machine, but Road & Track suggests it'll be a hybrid. Even though Lamborghini is iffy on this powertrain technology, electrification is a good way to make sure this supercar is on the same level as things like the Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder. Makes sense to us. Even though Lamborghini won't publicly show the car until March, a few folks are getting a preview this weekend in Monterey. Lamborghini invited a very small, very special group of owners and prospective customers to check out the supercar. Of course, we aren't sure if they're seeing the actual car or just some drawings or renderings. Not that it matters. We're sure this will be another case of the car already being spoken for as soon as it makes its debut. Related Video:

Autoblog's top 50 car photos of 2016

This one shouldn't need much explanation. We like cars a whole lot, and that includes not just driving them but taking great pictures of them. We've collected our 50 favorite images from this year in the mega-gallery above. It's a mix of old and new, with a healthy dose of vintage and modern race cars mixed in, and not one single shot under the harsh lights of an auto show. So click through and enjoy. Featured Gallery Autoblog's Top 50 Photos of 2016 View 50 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Autoblog.com Audi BMW Chevrolet Dodge Ferrari Ford Lamborghini Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Porsche Rolls-Royce Volvo Convertible Coupe Motorcycle Luxury Racing Vehicles Performance Supercars Classics