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Volkswagen breaks 40-year-old sales record in 2012

The last time Volkswagen moved this many vehicles in America in one year, Richard Nixon was still a President in good standing, Let It Be was a radio hit and each car wearing the VW badge boasted an air-cooled engine. That's right, with a grand total of 580,286 vehicles sold in the US last year, the VW Group has broken its own four-decades-old sales record by 2,899 vehicles.
Of that 580k total sold, 438k were Volkswagens and 139k were Audi products - increases of 35.1 percent and 18.5 percent, respectively, in year-over-year sales. The ultra-premium members of the VW group also fared well; Bentley delivered 2,315 vehicles for a 23.3-precent increase, and Lamborghini delivered 520 units for a 52.9-percent jump. Bugatti, we're told is "right on track."
Jetta (pictured) sales paced the marque with 170k models sold, and Passat also finished very strong with sales of 117k total. Tiguan also racked up its best year on file, with 31,731 models shifted.

Drive like Mario Andretti: His '84 Lamborghini Countach is for sale

Mario Andretti is, arguably, the name most synonymous with “racing driver.” There are good reasons why: He has won the Indy 500 (1969) and the Daytona 500 (1967). HeÂ’s a four-time IndyCar champion and all-time IndyCar lap leader. He is also the last American to be Formula One world champion, in 1978 (Andretti emigrated from Italy to the United States when he was 15). The extraordinary length of his career is emphasized by the fact that he is the only racer to be named driver of the year in three different decades: 1967, 1978 and 1984. Perhaps it was in celebration of that third time that Andretti treated himself to a new Lamborghini, this Â’84 Countach S. Now someone else is gets the chance to own it. ItÂ’s for sale at Motorcar Gallery, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with an asking price of $499K. The livery of this Â’84 Countach 5000 S reflects AndrettiÂ’s Italian heritage in its classic red-over-tan color scheme, a contrast to the Bolivian-marching-powder white that was so emblematic of Â’80s Countachs. Subtle custom touches include pinstriping that integrates the Mario Andretti logo, and logos on the outside mirrors as well. The V12 engine pumps out 371 horsepower and is paired with a five-speed manual with a gated shifter. The selling dealer states that the car has been treated to an engine-out mechanical refurbishment, and the odometer shows just 17k miles. Despite the low miles, we imagine Andretti liked this car well enough — he ended up owning a string of Lamborghinis, reportedly including an Â’89 Countach, a Â’91 Diablo, a Murcielago and an Aventador S. The pairing of a fast driver and fast cars is a natural one, it seems. Featured Gallery Mario Andretti's Lamborghini Countach View 14 Photos Celebrities Lamborghini Crossover

Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato Opera Unica special edition took 370 hours to paint

This Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato is a one-off special edition model named the Opera Unica, and it was made to further celebrate Lamborghini’s 60th anniversary year that has already spawned other special projects. WhatÂ’s unique about this particular Sterrato isnÂ’t the performance, but instead, itÂ’s the paint. LamborghiniÂ’s Ad Personam customization department devised a new “crystal effect” paint process for this vehicle, and the total paint time amounted to 370 hours. By our math, thatÂ’s a lot of hours. The goal was to create a car that gave the effect of frozen liquid, and Lamborghini combined three different blues to make that happen. Its main backdrop color is Blu Amnis, but then painters went in by hand with Blu Grifo and Blu Fedra to give it the effect you see in the photos. Lamborghini says its inspiration comes from marine landscapes and the colors of Sardinia. As contrast to the blue, matte black paint is then used on the roof, sills, front-light casings, front and rear splitters, fenders and wheel arch extensions. Of course, the interior is unique, too, with Blu Delphinus leather and blue-dyed Alcantara. The start/stop switch cover is finished in the same crystal effect paint as the exterior, and youÂ’ll also find that look applied to the “Opera Unica Porto Cervo 2023” special edition plate. In case you were wondering, Lamborghini is in fact considering this Sterrato as one of the 1,499 it will ultimately build. It hasnÂ’t named an owner or a price, but considering the craftsmanship that went into this vehicle, itÂ’s sure to be an extravagant number for whoever puts it into their garage. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.