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Lamborghini loans an Aventador S to father and son building 3D-printed replica

In October we shared the story of Sterling Backus, the physicist in Erie, Colo., who was building a Lamborghini Aventador replica with his 11-year-old son Xander. In progress for nearly two years, Backus — who designs lasers as his day job — fabricated a steel chassis, sourced an LS1 V8 from a Chevrolet Corvette for power, bought lights on eBay and 3D-printed the body panels that were then encapsulated in carbon fiber. Backus and son call the coupe the Interceptor, and Sterling said he subtly changed every exterior panel to avoid legal issues with Lamborghini. The Sant'Agata automaker was paying attention to the Interceptor, though, as an exec phoned Sterling about it before Christmas. The subject of the call: Lamborghini's marketing chief wanted to know if he and Xander would like to borrow an Aventador S for a couple of weeks and shoot a video. The Italian automaker has been known to go on hunts for deep-down Lamborghini fans. Last year Lamborghini had a surprise for one lucky kid going Christmas shopping at a store in Italy; kids that said they wanted a model Lamborghini were told the store was out, and almost all the kids accepted a different model instead. One child made it clear he didn't want a substitute if he couldn't have the Lamborghini, so he not only got a the model he wanted, he got it delivered in a Lamborghini driven by factory driver Marco Mapelli. Xander's devotion to the Aventador in "Forza Horizon 3" is what compelled him to ask his father if they could build a real-life version. For that, Xander and Sterling earned Lamborghini's #RealLover distinction this year. Katia Bassi, Lamborghini's CMO, said, "Automobili Lamborghini is against any attempt at counterfeiting. However, a true story of such authentic passion deserves to be featured, which is why we chose to tell of SterlingÂ’s and XanderÂ’s project in our 2019 Christmas video." Lamborghini Real Lover Campaign View 21 Photos The Interceptor build continues, documented on Facebook. The senior Backus aims to turn his work it into an educational tool. "Ultimately, I want kids to get interested in STEM, and this is a great platform for it because of all the disciplines involved in a project like this." But after 20 months of effort, he and Xander will probably enjoy taking a holiday break in the car that started it all. Related Video:

All 12 Lamborghini Venenos have been recalled for risk of fire

From time to time, the fiery personality of Italian cars becomes a bit too literal, and this is one of those times. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has acknowledged a recall for fire risk on the 2012–2017 Lamborghini Aventador, as well as all of its variants, including all three customer Veneno coupes and nine customer roadsters. We imagine the fourth non-production Veneno coupe is also affected. The recall involves 1,453 cars in the US, and Bloomberg reports that it also affects cars in other markets, for a total of 5,900. The report Lamborghini submitted to NHTSA says the issue lies with the gas tank's EVAP system. Liquid fuel can get into the EVAP system if an owner overfills it or in "particular handling situations," which we assume includes hard acceleration and cornering that sloshes the fuel around. If the fuel gets into the EVAP system, flammable vapors can escape. These vapors could potentially ignite, and the report states that high revving at a stop or using an aftermarket exhaust increases the danger due to the possibility of flames coming from the exhaust. According to NHTSA documentation, owners of affected vehicles will be notified of the issue by Lamborghini, and they will be able to schedule a time at the dealer to have the EVAP system fixed. The remedy includes a new type of purge valve, and the change will be done for free. Also, owners of the new Aventador S and the latest versions of the Aventador SV have nothing to worry about, since their cars already have the new parts. As for other Aventador and Veneno owners, we'd recommend not filling up your cars quite so full, and maybe don't show off at stop lights too much until the car is fixed. Related Video:

Watch a 1,000 hp twin-turbo Lamborghini Huracan dyno run

AMS/Alpha Performance, known for their Audi R8 V10 Alpha 10 Twin Turbo package, have laid their eager hands on the Lamborghini Huracan. In this short and sweet video, the newly improved prototype Huracan struts its stuff on the dynamometer. Like the Audi, the Huracan also gains a pair of Garrett ball bearing turbos coupled with intercoolers, and the car has been built as a prototype of their stage one turbo system. It is virtually identical to the production version of AMS's twin turbo package for the Huracan, and the system has been devised to be a bolt-on system. The AMS package can be shipped out to anyone in the Alpha dealer network and installation has been made straightforward enough. "There is no hacking or cutting up the car", says Alpha's VP and lead engineer, Arne Toman. "It has been designed to be safe for the stock engine and transmission, and the only driveline improvement is an upgraded clutch pack which we include in the package." With pump gas, the Huracan TT Alpha 10 has a Veyron-baiting 1,000 horsepower, with the fuel system "maxed out" according to Arne. The Stage 2 setup, which will include forged engine internals, will go for 1,500 hp, while the third stage package dishes out more than 2,000 horsepower according to AMS. The prototype Huracan will run at the Gold Rush Rally next month, from Boston to Los Angeles. It should be a proper shakedown to prove the car's reliability, which is one aspect AMS Performance has been going for. Related Gallery AMS Alpha Lamborghini Huracan Twin Turbo Image Credit: AMS Performance Aftermarket Lamborghini Supercars Videos alpha