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Details emerge on production-bound Lamborghini Sesto Elemento

The last we heard about the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, Lamborghini had confirmed its production with only 20 examples of the track-only car planned, but now we're finally starting to get some of the details about this knife-edged car. AutoVisie recently had the chance to talk to Maurizio Reggiani, Director of R&D at Lamborghini, who not only confirmed what will power the new car, he also said that the production version will carryover almost untouched from what we saw in concept form at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.
What we now know is that the Sesto Elemento will share the same powertrain as the Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera including the 570-horsepower V10 and the all-wheel-drive system, and it will be built at a new factory dedicated to building prototypes and limited-volume cars like this. Also, the report states a curb weight of 2,200 pounds, a top speed of 320 kilometers per hour (198 miles per hour) and a 0-100 kph (0-62) time of just 2.5 seconds. The only changes made to bring the concept to production were to increase the car's rigidity and its safety. This means the car will still feature all-carbon-fiber construction and unique bucket seats that are actually built into the car's body; driver adjustments coming from the steering wheel and pedals.
The estimated price for the Sesto Elemento is two million euros, or around $2.6 million US, and although the original production date was slated for early 2013, Motor Authority now says that we'll have to wait for another "year or two" to see this car in the wild. Also, it does not appear that this is the mystery car recently teased in a 50th anniversary video released by Lamborghini.

Watch an Aventador, Viper and LFA play the songs of their people

Our friends at Road & Track recently stopped by Cars and Coffee in Irvine, California, with the 2013 SRT Viper and found themselves a place to park between a Lamborghini Aventador and a Lexus LFA. Those machines might as well be the three musketeers of ludicrous exhaust notes, and rather than keep those 24 raging cylinders muffled, R&T set about conducting an orchestra of internal combustion. On seeing these three lined up, we were more than prepared to call the Viper victorious when it came to tickling our ear drums, but the latest domestic V10 sounds down right civilized in this company.
If we're picking favorites, we have to say the LFA takes the cake. There's something about the noise of a street-legal V10 that can wrap it's tachometer all the way to 9,000 rpm that turns our knees to quivering dollops of jelly. Check out the clip below for a listen. We shouldn't need to tell you to get frisky with the volume.

Living Life Large: Driving $2 million worth of cars in one week

Monterey Car Week has quickly become one of my favorite events of the year. There's something for everyone – classic car shows, modern concepts and new vehicle debuts, auctions, racing, and so much more. From a media perspective, there's also a chance to drive a ton of cars. Many automakers bring their latest wares out to Monterey for us to test during our limited free time, and it's a great opportunity to experience fantastic metal against a gorgeous backdrop. That's exactly what I did this year. Instead of flying into Monterey and being driven around, my journey started in Los Angeles and ended in Napa, and I managed to get behind the wheel of some $2 million worth of new cars. Some were old favorites, and many were new experiences. But looking back, this was one of the best weeks of driving I've had in years. Rather than try to come up with some common arc to tie these cars together, here are my notes on all the cars I tested in California earlier this month, presented in the order in which they were driven. 2016 Mazda CX-3 The CX-3 pictured here isn't the exact one I drove in California, but it's close. The only difference was color – my delivered-to-LAX tester wore Mazda's awesome new Ceramic hue (pictured below on the MX-5 Miata). I used the CX-3 to slum through crummy Los Angeles traffic for two hours on the way out to Santa Barbara, with a quick stop at In-N-Out Burger on the way for good measure. A lot nicer inside than I remember. Everyone praises Mazda for its excellence in engineering and design, but there's a lot to be said for the improvements in overall interior refinement. Quiet, comfortable, and well-equipped; the CX-3 made sitting on the 405 freeway a lot more pleasant. Not all that functional. I had a hard time fitting a week's worth of luggage for two people inside. The cargo area and rear passenger compartment were filled, with only enough room on top to see out the back window. A Honda HR-V would've swallowed all that luggage with plenty of room for more. So good to drive. Not surprising, since this wasn't my first time in the CX-3. I knew this CUV would be good on twisty roads, but on the highway it's really exceptional. Road and wind noise are minimal and the overall ride quality is a comfortable sort of sporty. This is definitely something I could drive every day – it's enjoyable during commuting and entertaining on more interesting roads.