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Ferdinand Piech (1937-2019): The man who made VW global

Towering among his peers, a giant of the auto industry died Sunday night in Rosenheim/Upper Bavaria, Germany. Ferdinand Piech, a grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who conceived the original Volkswagen in the 1930s, was the most polarizing automotive executive of our times. And one who brought automotive technology further than anyone else. Ferdinand Porsche had a son, Ferdinand (called "Ferry"), and a daughter, Louise, who married the Viennese lawyer Anton Piech. They gave birth to Ferdinand Piech, and his proximity to two Alfa Romeo sports cars — Porsche had done some work for the Italians — and the "Berlin-Rome-Berlin" race car, developed by Porsche himself, gave birth to Piech's interest in cars. After his teachers in Salzburg told his mother he was "too stupid" to attend school there, Piech, who was open about his dyslexia, was sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. He subsequently moved on to Porsche, where he fixed issues with the 904 race car and did major work on the 911. But his greatest project was the Le Mans-winning 917 race car, developed at breathtaking financial cost. It annihilated the competition, but the family had had enough: Amid growing tension among the four cousins working at Porsche and Piech's uncle Ferry, the family decided to pull every family member, except for Ferry, out of their management positions. Piech started his own consultancy business, where he designed the famous five-cylinder diesel for Mercedes-Benz, but quickly moved on to Audi, first as an engineer and then as CEO, where he set out to transform the dull brand into a technology leader. Piech killed the Wankel engine and hammered out a number of ambitious and sophisticated technologies. Among them: The five-cylinder gasoline engine; Quattro all-wheel drive and Audi's fantastic rally successes; and turbocharging, developed with Fritz Indra, whom Piech recruited from Alpina. The Audi 100/200/5000 became the world's fastest production sedan, thanks to their superior aerodynamics. Piech also launched zinc-coated bodies for longevity — and gave diesel technology a decisive boost with the advent of the fast and ultra-efficient TDI engines. Less known: Piech also decided to put larger gas tanks into cars. Customers loved it. Piech's first-generation Audi V8 was met with derision by competitors; it was too obviously based on the 200/5000.

Mansory loads up the Lamborghini Huracan with more power, carbon fiber

Mansory drenched the Lamborghini Huracan in carbon fiber and cranked the engine to more than 1,000 hp. The result? Something called the Torofeo, which was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show. The name refers to toro, which is Spanish for bull, and the Super Trofeo Motorsports line. Mansory added new air intakes up front to improve cooling, widened the body, made the wheel arches more prominent and gave the supercar new mirrors. There's also a new rear spoiler and diffuser that enhance air flow. The tuner says the carbon-fiber pieces are even lighter than Lamborghini's stock parts. There are also enhanced daytime running lights as a passive safety feature. Under the hood, the 5.2-liter V10 gets two turbochargers and is rebuilt with new pistons, camshafts, connecting rods, a new fuel system and a water-cooled intercooler. There's also an upgraded exhaust system. The enhancements lift the Huracan to a claimed-1,000 hp, up considerably from the usual 600-plus hp. The cabin is upgraded with more leather, Alcantara-covered seats and a new steering wheel. It all rolls on forged alloy wheels that measure 20 inches in front and 21 in the rear. Sound good? Mansory also brought plenty of other cars, including a slightly less powerful Lamborghini, to Geneva, as well. Related Video: MANSORY TOROFEO –Lamborghini Huracan in an exclusive MANSORY-carbon fibre suit. March 2015 A radical, new interpretation of the Lamborghini Huracan is the latest development from the premium manufacturer MANSORY. Referring back to the Spanish "Toro" meaning bull and the Super Trofeo Motorsports Range, MANSORY have christened the sports car TOROFEO. Radical changes have been made to the body, engine and interior, making the "little" Lambo a real MANSORY car. And as you would expect from MANSORY, they didn't hold back in their use of carbon fibre. Where Lamborghini thought they had maximised the use of carbon fibre, MANSORY have added an extra touch based on their core competency. No other company in the market is as closely linked to the use of carbon fibre as MANSORY. These specialists manufacture and process this ultra-light, extremely strong material taken from the world of motorsport in their own in-house autoclaves, which means they don't have to rely on suppliers. This gives them complete freedom in the scope, fit and design of components. The best proof of this can be seen in the completely newly designed carbon fibre body.

2015 Lamborghini Hurac?n LP 610-4 greets the public

If you're into cars and are familiar with this little thing called the Internet, you've no doubt seen the new Lamborghini Huracán by now. And while it might seem redundant to talk about the hot new Lambo again, the stunning coupe finally, officially makes its public debut here at the Geneva Motor Show. In other words, it's an excuse for us to bring you yet another set of photos, ripe for the droolin'.
Senior Editor Seyth Miersma already divulged the important factoids in our recent Deep Dive, but let's quickly recap. The bull's beating heart is a new, naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10, good for 610 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. In other words, she'll be super quick, with Lamborghini estimating a 0-62 time of just 3.2 seconds, with a top speed of over 202 miles per hour. All that force gets sent to the ground via all-wheel drive, all packaged up in a coupe that is, well, freakin' gorgeous.
The Huracán goes on sale this summer, and Lamborghini expects it to easily eclipse the outgoing Gallardo in terms of sales. We can't wait to drive the thing, but until then, another batch of photos will have to do. Check 'em out in our gallery above.