2012 Lamborghini Aventador 2dr Cpe on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lamborghini's path to the future is paved with forged composites

As far back as 1983, Lamborghini has been researching carbon fiber for automotive use. The automaker felt confident enough in its ability to work with the high-tech material in 1985 that a team led by Maurizio Reggiani, now the Lamborghini Board Member in charge of Research and Development, crafted a revolutionary Countach with a chassis made almost entirely of hand-laid carbon fiber. The result was spectacular in that the car's chassis weighed about half of its all-metal counterpart. It turned out that first foray into carbon fiber was just as spectacular when it was finally tested for crashworthiness, but in a completely different way. Catastrophic would be an appropriate word, according to Paolo Feraboli, who now leads Lambo's brand-new Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory in Seattle, Washington. Proving how far Lamborghini has come since that ill-fated carbon-fiber Countach Evoluzione, Feraboli told us during the ACSL's grand opening that today's Aventador, which boasts a high-tech carbon chassis, aced its very first crash test in 2009. Chalk that success up to high-tech computer modeling and the practical application of lessons learned over several decades of trial and error. The dull red monocoque of that crashed Aventador now hangs on the wall at the ACSL like a functional piece of art, a reminder of Lamborghini's cutting-edge milestones of the past. Lamborghini's future will be hewn from what the company calls forged composites. First seen on the stunning Sesto Elemento Concept from the 2010 Paris Motor Show, the patented carbon-forging process forgoes hand-laid sheets, injected resins, and high-heat autoclaves. Instead, wads of randomly oriented carbon fibers that sort of resemble the kind of dough you'd use to make pasta undergo a three-minute press inside a mold. The resulting parts are just as strong as other carbon-fiber bits, but can be mass-produced at a fraction of the cost. While it's true that cost is often a secondary consideration for high-end supercars, it's still relevant. By reducing the cost and increasing the scale of composite pieces, Lamborghini can then afford to spend more money on other parts of the car. It's not just body panels and chassis components that Lamborghini thinks it can build using forged composite technology. The Sesto Elemento featured forged-composite suspension control arms that haven't yet made it into production, but probably will soon.

Lamborghini owner forgives teen for using car as a bike ramp

A teenager in Singapore got off shockingly easy after he was caught on camera riding his bike across the hood of a Lamborghini last week. According to The New Paper, Izzadnaff Abdul Qusyairl was on his way to play some games at a local arcade in Bedok, Singapore, when he saw a bright yellow Lamborghini Gallardo parked outside of Bedok Stadium. Being a dumb teenager, Izzadnaff decided to pull a stunt he saw on YouTube. Izzadnaff rode his bike up the hood and over the top of the Lambo. Unfortunately for him, the Lambo's dashcam was on and caught him in the act. The Lambo's owner, Aaron Keder, uploaded the footage to Facebook, kicking off an internet manhunt for the young cyclist. Qusyairl's mother got wind of the situation and quickly took matters into her own hands by first giving her son a stern talking to and then contacting Keder through a mutual friend. "Izzadnaff is usually obedient. I don't know what happened to him that day," she told New Paper. "He was very afraid to admit to his mistake after that, but I told him that he had done something wrong, so he had to stand up and admit his mistake." Thankfully, Keder seemed to have a good sense of humor about the incident and agreed to sit down with the abashed teen and sort the situation out. "I met the family on Sunday afternoon and we have resolved the issue," said Keder. "All I wanted was an explanation from the boy and to know how he felt when he went on top of my car. I also wanted him to know that what he had done was wrong and not to repeat it."Related Video: Image Credit: Caddy Viral / YouTube Auto News Weird Car News Lamborghini singapore stunts bmx lambo gallardo

Lamborghini to price Urus similar to Huracan

If and when the Urus project is finally approved for production, it will take Lamborghini into not one but several new territories. For one, it will be the company's first SUV since the demise of the LM002 in 1993. It'll also be the company's first front-engined model since the demise of the Jalpa and Espada in the late '70s, and its first model to offer hybrid and turbocharged powertrains in, well... ever. Just don't expect it to be its cheapest model.
According to Motoring.com.au, in speaking with Lamborghini sales and marketing execs, the Urus "will be priced similarly to the Huracán," which is currently the Raging Bull marque's entry-level model. That doesn't mean, necessarily, that the Urus (pictured above in Beijing alongside the previous Gallardo) couldn't undercut the Huracán's price slightly - especially since it will likely offer more than one engine option - but don't expect it to come cheap.
The Huracán starts in the US for $237,250. If, as reported, the Urus commands a similar price, that would make it the most expensive SUV on the market. That is, at least, before other high-end rivals from the likes of Bentley and Maserati get into the game.