Lamborghini Gallardo, Superleggera Look, Immculate Condition on 2040-cars

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Audi CEO says brand's EVs are almost as profitable as its other cars

After, oh, a hundred years or so of building vehicles primarily powered by internal combustion engines, automakers around the world have been and still are pumping billions of dollars into the development of electric vehicle technology. Everything from platforms and batteries to motors and the software to control it all requires untold hours of development, and that takes time and money. Fortunately, it's not going to take long for that massive investment to start paying off, at least according to Audi CEO Markus Duesmann, who told Reuters in an interview that "The point where we earn as much money with electric cars as with combustion engine cars is now, or ... next year, 2023. They are very even now, the prices." As a brand, Audi contributed more than a quarter of overall profit for the massive Volkswagen Group, which has such powerhouse brands as Volkswagen and Porsche among others. Under the Audi umbrella are Lamborghini, Bentley and Ducati, and it seems those high-end branches aren't going anywhere, at least for now. "These brands ... are very valuable very profitable brands, where we can even expand the synergy level in the future," Duesmann said in the interview. "There are no plans whatsoever to get rid of them." Despite the overall profitability of the brand, the ongoing global chip crisis is causing headaches. "We had a very strong first half in 2021. We do expect a much weaker second half," said Duesmann, who added, "We really have trouble." In fact, so serious is the trouble that the brand is forced into "a day-to-day troubleshooting process" to limit the chip-shortage damage. The good news for the automaker is that Audi has been able to boost its profit margin from 8% prior to the pandemic in 2019 to 10.7% in the first half of 2021. The bad news is that various chip shortages aren't expected to get a whole lot better over the rest of the year. Related video:

New Lamborghini Urus variant sets SUV record at Pikes Peak

Lamborghini has dethroned sister company Bentley and set a new record for SUVs on the track used for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The next evolution of the Urus — which hasn't been unveiled yet — beat the time set by the Bentayga in 2018 by over 10 seconds. Draped in camouflage, the mysterious Urus raced up the 156-turn course in 10 minutes and 32.06 seconds. For context, the Bentayga that just got knocked off the podium's top spot set a time of 10 minutes and 49.9 seconds in June 2018. Lamborghini doesn't want to give away too many details before it unveils the record-setting Urus but it noted that the model was largely stock. The only modifications made were required to comply with safety regulations; the list includes a roll cage, race seats with six-point harnesses, and a fire extinguishing system. If you're wondering "wasn't Pikes Peak held in June?," you're absolutely right. Lamborghini clarified that the Urus was not entered in the official hill climb that celebrated its 100th edition in 2022. Its time was recorded by the event's official time-keepers, however, and the course was evidently closed to traffic for the occasion. Italian racer (and Pirelli test driver) Simone Faggioli set the record. We won't have to wait long to find out what's behind the camouflage. Lamborghini will unveil the next Urus evolution in August 2022. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.  

Italian cops get a Lamborghini to haul some precious cargo

Three years ago, we told you about Lamborghini's gift to law and order: a Huracan LP 610-4 that was donated to the Italian State Police. That car went into service near Rome in 2015, replacing a Gallardo they'd been using previously. Now, a second Huracan has just been delivered for service in the region around Bologna. Law enforcement may be done a bit differently in the country that convicted, acquitted, re-convicted and re-acquitted Amanda Knox. But why would a police agency need a $200,000, 610-horsepower supercar? Firstly, no one in their right mind turns down a free Lamborghini. Second, it's a display of national pride, decked out, to quote the press release, in "the official colors of the Italian Police (Police Medium Blue), with the white areas and lettering specially executed to match the Huracan's dynamic look. The livery is completed by a stripe divided into the three colors of the Italian flag, which runs along both sides of the vehicle. As is true for all Lamborghini cars, the Huracan Polizia is equipped with P Zero Pirelli tires, but their sidewalls are tinted in Police Medium Blue and were specially created for the occasion." And third, they actually did dream up a role that suits its capabilities. In addition to the usual cop-car complement of police radio, tablet computer, gun holster, fire extinguisher and hand-held sign for directing traffic, the Lambo has been designated for medical responses and, like many police cars in the States, carries a defibrillator for medical emergencies. More to the point, its front trunk is equipped with a special refrigeration system for transporting human organs for transplant. The authorities describe two cases in 2016 in which a series of transplants had donor organs busily crisscrossing the Lombardy and Tuscany regions to various recipients – a situation in which speed is of the essence. Between organ transplants, presumably the car's primary duty will be to look good, serving as an ambassador of goodwill for both the Polizia as well as Lamborghini. Related Video: