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Lamborghini SC63 endurance race car unveiled for LMDh category

Lamborghini has set its sights on beating Porsche, BMW, and Cadillac, among other teams, in the top tier of endurance racing. The company has unveiled a race car named SC63 that was designed to compete in the LMDh category, and Autoblog sat down with CEO Stephan Winkelmann to get additional details about the upcoming model and its significance. Lamborghini has run a one-make racing series for over a decade, and its Huracan has competed in the GT3 category for several years, but the Italian brand has never been present on the highest echelon of the endurance racing world. Winkelmann explained why that changed. "This is a race series that's giving us a lot of visibility. We're not only racing in IMSA or in the WEC; we're racing in both. This is good for North America, it's good for Europe, and it's good for the Asia-Pacific region. It's a race series where the major OEMs are participating, so I think that also here there is an opportunity," Winkelmann told us. "We're a super-sportscar manufacturer; it's important." Power for the SC63 comes from a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain built around a new, 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 developed in-house specifically for the racing program. The system's total output checks in at about 670 horsepower, which is the maximum allowed by racing regulations, and the gearbox, the battery, as well as the motor-generator unit are standard components that other teams are using as well. That's not to say the SC63 is identical to, say, the BMW M Hybrid and the Porsche 963. Lamborghini explains that racing regulations give its engineering team the freedom to customize the gear ratios and the slip of the mechanical differential, among several other parameters.  Lamborghini asked a French firm named Ligier to develop and build the SC63's monocoque, though its engineers played a big role in dialing in the car's specifications. They notably requested a push rod-type front suspension system, ensured it has the ideal weight distribution, and made sure that critical parts are easy to access and service; every second count during a pit stop, even when you're competing in a 24-hour-long race. Lamborghini and Ligier also paid special attention to the brakes to find the right middle ground between weight and durability. Honing the SC63's aerodynamic profile was easier said than done, because LMDh regulations allow teams to use only one body kit per season, and the scope of the changes that can be made between races is limited.

The Mansory Cabrera is a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ with a bullish mug

Mansory does not care if a car is rare or special or unique. If it's not a Mansory, it's probably not good enough. But it might qualify to become a Mansory. The aftermarket tuning and design company has captured the limited Aventador SVJ and transformed it into a new vehicle called the Cabrera, which sports new looks and has more power. Lamborghini will only produce 900 Aventador SVJs, and of those 900, three will go under the knife at a Mansory workshop. Mansory quotes a motto, "one car per decade," and says the Cabrera "marks the start of several special editions on the occasion of Mansory's 30th anniversary in 2020." The name Cabrera is a breeding line of the Spanish fighting bull, similar to the names Miura and Gallardo. The Cabrera has an entirely distinct face thanks to a new set of LED headlights. Rather than the chunky stock units that point toward the rear of the car, the new four-unit headlights are slim and horizontal. With the adjustments to the headlights came tweaks to the hood and front fascia. New air inlets on the front apron improve radiator air flow and help improve downforce. The carbon fiber widebody kit, which adds 1.6 inches in width, continues with bulbous wheel arches, aerodynamic side skirts, and a rear "double diffuser." Extra downforce comes courtesy of a massive angular rear wing, and aggressively designed forged lightweight wheels (9x20 and 13x21) are wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tires. The body kit is also designed to help cool the upgraded 6.5-liter V12 engine. While the "normal" SVJ makes 759 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque, the Cabrera makes 810 hp and 575 lb-ft. Mansory claims zero-to-62 mph in 2.6 seconds and a top speed of 221 mph. Inside, Mansory takes the Aventador's fighter-jet inspiration literally. The forged carbon fiber has "arrow-shaped decorative seams," that look awfully similar to stealth bombers. That's also mimicked with imprints in the seats. Every part of the interior has been redone and refitted with upgraded materials, including the ceiling, which has a colorful accent spine.    The Cabrera is only one of many vehicles that were launched surrounding the canceled Geneva Motor Show. Other new custom creations include the Lamborghini Urus Venatus and the Bentley Continental GT V8 Convertible. Related Video:

Audi CEO says brand's EVs are almost as profitable as its other cars

After, oh, a hundred years or so of building vehicles primarily powered by internal combustion engines, automakers around the world have been and still are pumping billions of dollars into the development of electric vehicle technology. Everything from platforms and batteries to motors and the software to control it all requires untold hours of development, and that takes time and money. Fortunately, it's not going to take long for that massive investment to start paying off, at least according to Audi CEO Markus Duesmann, who told Reuters in an interview that "The point where we earn as much money with electric cars as with combustion engine cars is now, or ... next year, 2023. They are very even now, the prices." As a brand, Audi contributed more than a quarter of overall profit for the massive Volkswagen Group, which has such powerhouse brands as Volkswagen and Porsche among others. Under the Audi umbrella are Lamborghini, Bentley and Ducati, and it seems those high-end branches aren't going anywhere, at least for now. "These brands ... are very valuable very profitable brands, where we can even expand the synergy level in the future," Duesmann said in the interview. "There are no plans whatsoever to get rid of them." Despite the overall profitability of the brand, the ongoing global chip crisis is causing headaches. "We had a very strong first half in 2021. We do expect a much weaker second half," said Duesmann, who added, "We really have trouble." In fact, so serious is the trouble that the brand is forced into "a day-to-day troubleshooting process" to limit the chip-shortage damage. The good news for the automaker is that Audi has been able to boost its profit margin from 8% prior to the pandemic in 2019 to 10.7% in the first half of 2021. The bad news is that various chip shortages aren't expected to get a whole lot better over the rest of the year. Related video: