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Shuffle at Lamborghini sends CEO to Quattro GmbH

A management shakeup in Volkswagen Group's high-performance divisions will make Stephan Winkelmann (above) the new chief executive of Audi's Quattro GmbH on March 15. On the same day, former Scuderia Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali will replace Winkelmann as Lambo's boss. These changes are necessary because current Quattro chief Heinz Hollerweger is retiring. Rumors of these exact shifts cropped up in Italian media in December. Winkelmann began leading Lamborghini in 2005, and he has been at the helm for massive growth at the company. In 2015, the Italian supercar maker delivered a record 3,245 vehicles, and it had just set its previous best of 2,530 units in 2014. His new role at Quattro GmbH puts Winkelmann in charge of Audi's equivalent to M at BMW or AMG at Mercedes-Benz. The division is responsible for the Four Rings' R and RS production models, the Audi Sport customer racing program, and Audi Exclusive customization service. "In the future, the Audi Sport brand is to be positioned more clearly," the company's announcement said, which hints at one of Winkelmann's duties. Domenicali has been closely associated with Lamborghini rival Ferrari during his career and had years of experience within the automaker's racing team. He started in financing at the Prancing Horse in 1991 and moved to business planning for the Scuderia Ferrari F1 squad in 1993. He held many positions there and eventually ascended to the top as team principal in 2008. Domenicali resigned from leadership in 2014 because of the team's poor performance, but Audi quickly snapped him up as its as Vice President New Business. He now gets the reins of one of Italy's premiere supercar makers. Related Video: Stephan Winkelmann to be new CEO of quattro GmbH As of March 15, 2016, Stephan Winkelmann (51) will be the new CEO of quattro GmbH, a 100 percent subsidiary of AUDI AG, which produces and distributes the high performance R and RS models. Winkelmann was President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. since January 1, 2005. Heinz Hollerweger (62), the current Head of quattro GmbH, is to retire after almost 40 years of successful work for Audi. "With his experience from more than eleven years in charge of Lamborghini, Stephan Winkelmann will be a key contributor to the further growth of quattro GmbH," says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG.

Lamborghini unveils Aventador SVJ 63 Roadster and Huracan EVO GT Celebration

Lamborghini didn't stop at removing the roof of the limited edition Aventador SVJ in order to create the Aventador SVJ Roadster. Instead, the Italian carmaker puts its Centro Stile design division in a room with the Ad Personam customization division, and they came up with colored-keyed takes on what's called the Aventador SVJ 63 Roadster. The "63" refers to both the year Ferruccio Lamborghini founded his car company, and the number of open-topped SVJs that will be made. The eight exterior themes that will be exclusive to this car start with the one shown on the Pebble Beach concept lawn, in matte Grigio Acheso with details like the "SVJ" and "63" graphics in Arancio Dac. Matte Titanium center-lock wheels get Arancio locking plates.  The interior will offer three themes in the SVJ's usual materials, Alcantara and Lamborghini's CarbonSkin. A badge on the steering wheel plays off the "63" logo inscribed on the back wall in lasered Alcantara and CarbonSkin. The show car's cabin rocks it up with Grigio Octans, Grigio Cronus, and Arancio Dryope (orange), with the carbon fiber seats finished with white Q-Citura cross-stitching. The news about this car is little more than a public service announcement, though, since all 63 examples are already sold. Lamborghini put two more surprises in its Monterey trailer, the first being the Huracan EVO GT Celebration. Thanks to the Grasser Racing Team and Paul Miller Racing, Lamborghini's won both the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring two years in a row. Limited to 36 units — the combined race durations in hours — the Huracan EVO GT Celebration plucks the GRT livery motif for its street version. The display version wears Verde Egeria and Arancio Aten, but there are nine combinations possible by combining the three available primary body colors and three available secondary colors. The Huracan's hexagon design motif is used to frame the “11,” the number of the GRT racer that won Daytona and Sebring this year. Badges on the sides read "Daytona 24" and "Sebring 12," and the driver's B-pillar is adorned with a carbon fiber plate inscribed with "X of 36." Race fans who want to go all the way can order a Lamborghini Squadra Corse shield placed on the roof between Italian and U.S. flags, and laurel wreaths on the rear fenders. The interior borrows the primary exterior color for cross-stitching on the new racing seats introduced on this car.

Lamborghini Aventador SV clocks sub 7 minute Nurburgring lap

The list of cars that have lapped the Nurburgring in under seven minutes is about as short as the ride heights on the supercars of which it's composed. There's the Radical SR8 (that's just barely street-legal), there are hybrid hypercars like the Porsche 918 Spyder and McLaren P1, and now there's one more in the Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV. Lambo unveiled its latest Superveloce in Geneva just a couple of months ago, boasting an upgraded version of its free-revving V12, unburdened by 110 pounds of excess weight and fitted with enhanced equipment. The result of all these improvements is 740 horsepower, 509 pound-feet of torque, a 2.8-second 0-62 time, a top speed of 217 miles per hour and a Nordschleife lap time of 6:59.73. No turborchargers, no hybrid assist, no type certification or regulatory loopholes. Just an old-fashioned twelve-cylinder supercar doing what it does best, and trouncing just about everything else in the process. The lap time was clocked during development tests for the Lambo's P Zero Corsa tires, and appears to have been run with a roll cage in place, but we don't know if there were any other modifications carried out (or for that matter if the time was verified by any external authority). The timing of this video's release comes right on the heels of Seat having claimed the lap record for wagons and both the 24-Hour and World Touring Car Championship races taking place at the Green Hell this weekend.