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VW has received several tentative bids for Ducati

Italy's Benetton family is vying with motorbike firms and buyout funds for control of Italian motorcycle brand Ducati, which is being sold by Germany's Volkswagen, sources involved in the process told Reuters. Volkswagen, whose Audi division controls Ducati, has received several tentative bids with the Benetton family's investment vehicle Edizione Holding valuing the Monster motorbike maker at $1.2 billion, one of the sources said. As well as Edizione Holding, U.S. buyout fund Bain Capital, which owns a stake in Ski-Doo snowmobiles maker BRB, and two Indian motorbike firms, Eicher Motors and Bajaj Auto, have also bid for Ducati, the sources said. Indian carmaker Eicher controls Royal Enfield, a motorcycle brand established in 1893 which ranks as one of the oldest. Strategic bidders also include U.S. automotive firm Polaris Industries, which earlier this year said it would wind down its struggling Victory Motorcycle brand. A shortlist of bidders for a second stage of the auction could be selected as soon as Saturday, two of the sources said. Volkswagen adviser Evercore has a long list of bidders including private equity funds such as Ducati's previous owner Investindustrial, CVC Capital Partners, Advent and PAI, all hoping to outbid industry players, the sources said. If it gets to the second round, Edizione Holding could seek to form a consortium with a financial investor, two of the sources said, in a bid to secure control of Ducati, whose racers have won the Superbike world championship 14 times, with Carl Fogarty and Troy Bayliss its most successful riders. Audi, Edizione Holding, Investindustrial, Advent and PAI declined to comment, while the other interested groups were not immediately available for comment. PRICING CHALLENGES For some buyout funds, Ducati's valuation of up to $1.4 billion – which sources said is based on a multiple of more than 10 times its core earnings of roughly 100 million euros – is a tall order as they lack the synergies that some motorbike makers could achieve. But Investindustrial founder Andrea Bonomi, who sold Ducati to Audi for about 860 million euros in 2012, is serious about a comeback, one of the sources said. China's Loncin Motor was among a group of industry players that initially showed interest in Ducati, alongside Harley-Davidson. The latter has, however, decided against making a bid due to Ducati's price tag, while it could not be established if Loncin Motor had carried on bidding.

Lamborghini Huracan Superleggera spotted on 'Ring

Ever since Lamborghini introduced the Huracan to replace the Gallardo in 2014, we've been waiting for the Superleggera version to follow. This seems to be it. Spied testing at the Nurburgring is what appears to be a more hardcore version of Bologna's ten-cylinder supercar. It may be hard to tell from looking at it, because while the finished product will undoubtedly wear more aggressive aerodynamic appendages and fresh rolling stock, this prototype looks the same as the version we already know – with one exception. Around back, there's a big black box that looks as though it were lifted straight off a fighter jet. Now Lamborghini's been known to take its cues from military aircraft, but what we're seeing here is likely a disguise for the new exhaust system, mounted higher up the rear bumper. Our paparazzi on the ground in the Eifel Mountains tell us this prototype sounds meaner than your run-of-the-mill Huracan, which bodes well. The standard version packs a 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10 good for 602 horsepower. The Super Trofeo racing version offers up 611, and we'd expect the Huracan Superleggera to pack at least that much, given the ten-horse gap between the preceding Gallardo and its Superleggera variants. Expect it also to come stripped out to help further optimize the power-to-weight ratio, but it will likely keep the all-wheel drive system in place. One way or another, we hope to find out before the year is out. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lamborghini Huracan Superleggera: Spy Shots View 10 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Lamborghini Supercars lamborghini huracan superleggera

Last Lamborghini Diablo of the 20th century heads to auction

Even among rare sports cars, some examples are simply more special than others because of their place in history, and for Lamborghini fans this 1999 Diablo SV might be something truly exceptional. Silverstone Auctions claims this is the final Diablo SV and arguably the last "true" Lambo before Volkswagen Group's complete takeover. This Diablo SV left the factory on December 21, 1999, which made it the final Lamborghini of the 20th century. At that point, VW Group already had financial control over the Italian sportscar maker, but Silverstone Auctions claims the German company really asserted its power starting in 2000. Whether you want to consider this the final "true" Lamborghini or not, it's still a fantastic looking sports car. This right-hand drive example has covered about 32,200 miles and underwent a chassis and suspension restoration in 2013. Silverstone Auctions believes this is the only Diablo to wear this three-coat Pearl Red/Orange exterior color, and the interior upholstery is a mix of black leather and Alcantara. Silverstone Auctions will sell the Diablo at the Practical Classics Restoration and Classic Car Show in Birmingham, England, on March 6. The company expects the sportscar to sell for 150,000 to 170,000 pounds ($218,000 to $247,000 at current rates). We're curious to see if the car's place in Lamborghini history has any effect on the sale price. LAST 'TRUE' LAMBORGHINI FOR AUCTION A special 1999 Lamborghini Diablo SV, believed to be the very last Lamborghini to leave the Sant'Agata factory before Volkswagen took full ownership, will be auctioned at Silverstone Auctions' sale at the Practical Classics Restoration and Classic Car Show. An important piece of Lamborghini history, the car is also believed to be the last Diablo imported into the UK as well as the last Diablo SV off the production line. It is estimated at between GBP150,000 and GBP170,000 and will be offered in the sale taking place at the NEC, Birmingham on 6th March. 'V12 SVR' left the factory on the 21st of December in 1999 immediately before Lamborghini shut down for the Christmas break and their celebrations to mark the end of the Century. For the previous few months the Volkswagen Group had been in financial control of the company but the end of that year marked a turning point. From the beginning of 2000 Teutonic efficiency began to replace the magic of Italy in terms of the bloodline, style and general madness of the Italian supercars.