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Phony Fauxrrari and Shamborghini replicas seized in Brazil

A shop in the state of Santa Catarina in Brazil has been raided and shut down by police after it was discovered that it was turning out shoddy replica supercars. The Fauxrrari and Shamborghini (we borrowed the latter clever term from the Associated Press) copies themselves look impressively detailed considering that they were reportedly coming out of a father-son operation, but the engineering, underpinnings and powertrains are surely a wee bit shy of what's flowing out of the real factories in Italy. According to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, one replica was powered by the engine from a Chevrolet Omega, which we knew at one time in the U.S. as the Cadillac Catera. Scrolling through the image gallery above, though, we see at least one Ferrari knock-off that appears to have a bright red intake manifold behind the passenger compartment, so who knows? Police reported that the replicas were being offered on unknown social media channels for between $45,000 and $60,000. Needless to say, that's nowhere near the price of a real Ferrari or Lamborghini. And this isn't the first (and likely, not the last) time this has happened, either. According to the AP, the raid was conducted after at least one of the Italian marques tipped off authorities. Eight vehicles in various states of completion were found, along with tools, molds and what looks to be a treasure trove of car parts. It's not clear how many finished vehicles may have rolled out of the shop, or how many may already be in the hands of buyers. The father and son duo who ran the operation have been arrested on industrial property charges.

Watch the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento used as a commuter car

Lamborghini never homologated the limited edition Sesto Elemento for the road, but this guy threw caution to the wind by taking the track-only sports coupe on the highway. He even recorded the high-speed blasts on video and had a Rolls-Royce along as a posh camera car. Lamborghini made just 20 examples of the Sesto Elemento, and they sold for 2 million euros each, which equaled $2.8 million at that time. The powertrain was the 570-horsepower V10 and all-wheel drive system from the Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, and Lambo made extensive use of carbon fiber for the special coupes, which cut the weight to just 2,200 pounds. The company claimed they could sprint to 62 miles per hour in only 2.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 198 mph. This driver was clearly very excited to show off the copious power from the limited edition Lamborghini, but he might have had a better time at the track. That is where Lamborghini means for the Sesto Elemento to play, and there would be no worries about the authorities potentially confiscating his rare ride. Related Video:

Lamborghini teaser previews rebirth of original Countach LP500

Lamborghini's Countach revival at last month's Monterey Car Week perhaps didn't quite make the splash the company was hoping for. Many critics skewered the reskinned Sian as a retro cash grab, leaving Acura's vague announcement of a new Integra at the same time to generate far more excitement on the interwebs. Now Lamborghini's teasing the return of another Countach, but we think this one will face sunbstantially less ire. Lamborghini posted a mysterious teaser to social media yesterday, but kept coy on what exactly it was. The teaser's text merely said, "50 years ago it paved the road to the future. Now it's back on the road," accompanied by a roaring V12 soundtrack. No image of the car is actually shown, but we do get footage of craftsmen crafting a fantastic bucket seat that looks like the love child of Irving Harper and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe sofas. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This is almost certainly a re-creation of the driver's perch of the original Countach LP500 concept that debuted on March 11, 1971, at the Geneva Motor Show. The yellow Gandini wedge would go into production in 1974 and sear itself into the imaginations of adolescents around the globe. However, this isn't a straightforward restoration project from Lamborghini's Polo Storico restoration center. After the show rounds, the Countach LP500 concept was used as a test mule, its 5.0-liter V12 reportedly destroyed and replaced with a four-liter closer to the production LP400's. Ultimately, according to Lamborghini, the concept gave its life in a 1974 crash test in order to homologate the production car. As the car was scrapped, it's technically not possible to restore the original. So, is Lamborghini re-creating the Countach LP500 concept? That part remains to be seen, but whatever it is, it'll likely be a better homage to the legend than the LPI800-4.