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Lamborghini explains the challenges of putting Alexa in a 640-hp coupe

LAS VEGAS — Lamborghini and Amazon will continue their collaboration in a bid to bring an ever-greater degree of connectivity to the supercar segment, the Italian firm told Autoblog on the sidelines of CES 2020. Now that Alexa technology is available in the Huracan Evo, making it available across the rest of the range is relatively straightforward. Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini's research and development boss, explained adding voice recognition technology to a car like the 640-horsepower Huracan was easier said than done. "We had to split voice from the engine's sound, especially when the car is in Corsa [mode]. Alexa's engineering team spent a long time in Sant'Agata," he explained. Making the engine quieter so owners can pre-heat their oven while driving wasn't an option. The Huracan Evo released in 2019 is equipped with a relatively new, touchscreen-based infotainment system developed entirely in-house, so it was the ideal starting point. It was also one of the most challenging use cases for the engineering team, and not just because its two-seater cabin is small and noisy in the best possible way. "The V10's frequency is unique. If you take the V12 [in the Aventador S], it's much more regular. The V10's high frequency is one of the most difficult sources of sound to manage," Reggiani said. He stopped short of confirming when Lamborghini's other models will receive Amazon Alexa, though we wouldn't wait for the option to appear on the Aventador S because the model is at the end of its career, and its replacement — which will receive hybrid power — is right around the corner. Reggiani assured us adding Alexa to the Urus would be "much, much, much simpler," partly because its cabin is far quieter than the Huracan's. Why bother with technology when Lamborghini built its reputation mega horsepower? The answer is simple: Buyer demand. "We need to speak the same language as our new, younger customers," Reggiani said. "They want to ask, and to have. The car must be able to satisfy this kind of request." 

Lamborghini trying its best to keep new Cabrera under wraps

The Gallardo was far and away Lamborghini's most successful model. Over the course of ten years, the Bolognese automaker sold some 14,000 of them. As the Gallardo has now reached the end of its production cycle, Lamborghini is hard at work developing its replacement, and these are the latest spy shots of the work in progress.
Now wearing swirly camouflage instead of the flat-black wrap spied on previous prototypes, this latest version is our best glimpse yet at the supercar expected to be called Cabrera. Despite the more disguising wrap, though, the contrast between bodywork and air vents is more evident - particularly between the side window and the rear wheel, where this prototype appears to be sporting a panel similar in appearance to the "side blade" on the Audi R8 (with whose replacement the Cabrera is expected to share much). However, this is more likely a bit of disguise to throw us off the scent. Don't be thrown by the headlamp treatment, either. It may look like a Photoshop product, but our photographers on the ground tell us these translucent screens are just another diversion - as if you couldn't tell this was a Lambo from a mile away.
As for technical details, we're still expecting a reworked version of the outgoing model's 5.2-liter V10 driving all four wheels, only retuned to the tune of 600 horsepower. A dual-clutch gearbox (similar to the excellent unit newly installed in the R8) is tipped to transmit the power instead of the six-speed manual or robotized gearboxes in the outgoing Gallardo or the rapid but unrefined ISR transmission in the Aventador. Expect weight to be trimmed thanks to Lamborghini's further experimentation with carbon fiber production techniques, helping the Cabrera do better than hold its own with newer, fresher competition like the Ferrari 458 Italia and McLaren 12C.

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.