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Phony Fauxrrari and Shamborghini replicas seized in Brazil

A shop in the state of Santa Catarina in Brazil has been raided and shut down by police after it was discovered that it was turning out shoddy replica supercars. The Fauxrrari and Shamborghini (we borrowed the latter clever term from the Associated Press) copies themselves look impressively detailed considering that they were reportedly coming out of a father-son operation, but the engineering, underpinnings and powertrains are surely a wee bit shy of what's flowing out of the real factories in Italy. According to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, one replica was powered by the engine from a Chevrolet Omega, which we knew at one time in the U.S. as the Cadillac Catera. Scrolling through the image gallery above, though, we see at least one Ferrari knock-off that appears to have a bright red intake manifold behind the passenger compartment, so who knows? Police reported that the replicas were being offered on unknown social media channels for between $45,000 and $60,000. Needless to say, that's nowhere near the price of a real Ferrari or Lamborghini. And this isn't the first (and likely, not the last) time this has happened, either. According to the AP, the raid was conducted after at least one of the Italian marques tipped off authorities. Eight vehicles in various states of completion were found, along with tools, molds and what looks to be a treasure trove of car parts. It's not clear how many finished vehicles may have rolled out of the shop, or how many may already be in the hands of buyers. The father and son duo who ran the operation have been arrested on industrial property charges.

Lamborghini museum relaunches as MUDETEC, the Museum of Technology

Lamborghini has relaunched and rebranded its museum in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy. From hence forth, it will be known as the MUDETEC, aka the Museo Delle Technologie, aka the Museum of Technology. The new museum will blend the old with the new using interactive displays to both remember the breakthroughs of the past while exploring current and future directions. Lamborghini says it focuses on "safeguarding and conveying the values, driving passion, and future-focus that are the mark of Lamborghini." At opening, the museum will display the "Future Shapers since 1963" exhibition. It features a "virtual journey" through time with a different car representing each decade. For the '60s, Lamborghini chose to highlight the 350 GT, what the company calls its first sports car, the Miura, and the Espada. The Countach is the mark of the '70s, the LM002 represents the '80s, and the Diablo GT is featured for the '90s. For 2000 on, Lamborghini chose the Sesto Elemento. The Asterion, the Huracan Performante, the Aventador SVJ, the Huracan EVO, and the Urus help round out the exhibit with some of the company's newest innovations. In addition to serving as a walkable recording of the company, the new museum will host two student workshops. One, named "Vehicle Set-up and Ergonomics," will teach dynamics, aerodynamics, and structural vehicle development. The other, named "Carbon Fiber and Its Technology," will teach performance through the art of weight reduction, with a focus on Advanced Composite Lightweight Structures Development. Extra activities include a virtual driving simulator, a 360-degree immersive "brain room," and an Ad Personam area, where people can configure and customize cars they likely cannot buy. The exhibit is already open and will run until October 2019.

Latest ultra-light Lamborghini only costs around $32,000

Lamborghini, not finished celebrating its 50th anniversary with special models like the Veneno, has subtracted two wheels for the next stage of the party. The BMC Lamborghini 50th Anniversary Edition Impec is the second go-round of the collaboration between Swiss bicycle maker BMC and the Italian carmaker, both based on linking the carbon-fiber framed Impec to the carbon-fiber bodied Aventador.
Last year's run-of-30 Impecs has become this year's run of 50, each one built to order, and each costing 25,000 euros (about $32,000 US). BMC's special framebuilding technique is graced by a paint job unique to the model, Italian components and the same leather used in that taurean coupe. As with the car, you can order it at your local Lamborghini dealer and take delivery there.
If you're keen, the press release below can tell you what it will take to throw a leg over.