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Lamborghini-powered Vector M12 supercar is ultra rare, obscure, and for sale

It's an excellent week for fans of obscure American supercars that never really took off. One of the seven Falcon F7s built is currently being auctioned on Cars & Bids, and one of the 14 Vector M12s made will cross the auction block during Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale sale taking place in March 2021. Better yet, it's offered with no reserve. Finished in black with a gorgeous red leather interior, this M12 was designed and built for the Prince of Brunei, according to Barrett-Jackson boss Craig Jackson. High-end cars that end up in Brunei rarely leave the microstate. The Sultan's collection allegedly includes more than 7,000 luxurious vehicles that are almost never shown to the public, yet this M12 somehow returned to the United States and found its way into the Larry Winkler collection. Although it has traveled around the world, this M12 has evidently been driven sparingly. Its odometer shows merely 2,160 miles, and they're claimed to be original. Barrett-Jackson also points out that it received a major, engine-out service in November 2019 during which the clutch was replaced and an upgraded ceramic flywheel was installed. Interestingly, the interior was also redesigned to make it easier for taller drivers to take the wheel. Power comes from a 5.7-liter V12 engine borrowed from none other than the Lamborghini Diablo. It develops 492 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque, and it spins the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission built by ZF. Vector pegged the M12's zero-to-60-mph time at 4.5 seconds, an impressive number in the 1990s. In comparison, the standard Diablo's zero-to-60-mph time hovered around four and a half seconds, too. M12s rarely trade hands, and they're not cheap when they do. When this example crosses the auction block in March 2021, the market will decide what it's worth, because there's no reserve. The highest bidder will take it home, regardless of where bidding stops. If you want a shot at adding it to your collection, you can register to bid online. Auto News Lamborghini Coupe Performance Supercars Classics

Bertone's Lamborghini-V12-powered minivan was ahead of its time

PARIS — Italian design house Bertone traveled to the 1988 edition of the Turin auto show (which was still a big deal in the late 1980s) to unveil a Lamborghini-powered design study. This wasn't unusual, as the two companies had worked together for decades, but the Genesis concept turned every head in the convention center because it was a van. Now it's turning heads again this week at the Retromobile Show in Paris. Bertone's styling and prototype-building teams allegedly spent a total of 30,000 hours making the Genesis look more futuristic than the minivans many kids carpooled to school in during the late 1980s, and much sportier. It needed to tick both boxes. It was a concept car, so it had captivate the public's attention, and it was powered by a 455-horsepower, 5.2-liter V12 borrowed from the Countach Quattrovalvole, so looking the part was a must. The mighty, front-mid-mounted 12 channeled its power to the rear wheels through a rather lame three-speed automatic transmission provided by Chrysler, which owned Lamborghini at the time. Sliding doors gave the rear passengers access to one of the more unusual interiors we've seen. There were two front-facing seats positioned over the rear wheels, and a single rear-facing chair in the middle of the interior. The front passengers faced forward, as you'd expect, but they could also move their seat cushion around to look at the folks riding in the back. Someone still needed to drive, so this configuration was best used when parked. While naming the concept Genesis was a little bit optimistic on Bertone's part, putting a Lamborghini engine in a minivan with butterfly doors was a courageous move. It was ahead of its time, too, because blob-shaped vans are a dime a dozen at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and they're almost universally welcomed as the transportation of the future. Bertone may not have had autonomous technology to play with, but it had a V12. Related Video:     Featured Gallery 1988 Bertone Genesis at Retromobile 2020 View 9 Photos Auto News Lamborghini Minivan/Van Performance Classics

Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae Roadster ends non-hybrid V12 production

To quote Hall & Oates: "She's gone," the "she" here being the Lamborghini Aventador. The last of the scissor-doored supercars with a naturally-aspirated V12 rolled off the line in LP 780-4 Ultimae Roadster form colored an Ad Personam light blue, headed for a quiet life in Switzerland. That also closed the chapter on the 350 coupes and 250 roadsters made in Ultimae spec. This is a belated end-of-life, the Italian concern restarting production lines after 85 Lamborghinis, 15 of them Aventador Ultimaes destined for the U.S. market, got torched on the cargo ship Felicity Ace in March of this year. The final tally for the latest V12 spreadsheet counts 11,465 cars delivered in 11 years, more than doubling the entire sales count of its predecessor, the Murcielago, and exceeding the combined sales of every one of Lamborghini's V12 models since the 3.5-liter V12 in the 350 GT in 1964.  What began with the 6.5-liter 12-cylinder with 691-horsepower and 509 pound-feet of torque in 2022 ended with that engine making 760 hp and 531 lb-ft in the Ultimae. The official 0-to-62 mile per hour dash came down a tenth of a second in that time, depending on where you look, from 2.9 seconds to 2.8. Top speed rose from 217 mph to 220. Plenty fast then, plenty fast now. Between those yardposts there have been more than 10 one-offs and limited editions. The former group includes the Jota, SVJ Xago, and the SC18 Alston track car. The latter group counts the Anniversario, Veneno, Centenario, and Sian FKP 37. There were also innovations like the enclosed carbon fiber monocoque supported by "flying doctors" that traveled the world to help diagnose and repair damage that benefited owners. There was the pushrod suspension that turned a heavyweight into a flickable canyon runner, benefiting all drivers. There was the Independent Shifting Rod (ISR) single-shift transmission, which Lamborghini says was "chosen for lightweight compactness and the most emotive shift." Given its tidal shifting motion and occasionally clumsy changes under partial throttle or when trying to figure out what the driver wanted in changing conditions, we never figured out who that benefited. What comes next will be a hybrid V12 powertrain wrapped in looks that, based on spy shots, will evolve the latest design language with details like new lights, bladed B-pillars, and high-rise exhaust. Shouldn't be long to wait now.