2009 Lamborghini Gallardo on 2040-cars

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Pope's Lamborghini Huracan raises over $850,000 for charity at auction

Last November, Lamborghini gave Pope Francis a Huracan RWD customized in the white and gold colors of Vatican City. Unsurprisingly, Pope Francis announced it would be auctioned for charity, and that auction occurred this past week. The car rolled across the block of an RM Sotheby's auction and brought in 715,000 euros, which at current exchange rates is about $857,000. View 6 Photos That's a fairly impressive price considering that an entry-level Huracan starts at right around $200,000. Of course, regular versions don't come with such a prestigious previous owner. An owner who signed and blessed it. Plus all the money is going to charity. Actually, make that charities. The money will be split among a group rebuilding villages in Nineveh Plain in Iraq, an organization that helps abused and trafficked women, and two organizations that help women and children in central Africa. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Are supercars becoming less special?

There's little doubt that we are currently enjoying the golden age of automotive performance. Dozens of different models on sale today make over 500 horsepower, and seven boast output in excess of 700 hp. Not long ago, that kind of capability was exclusive to supercars – vehicles whose rarity, performance focus, and requisite expense made them aspirational objects of desire to us mortals. But more than that, supercars have historically offered a unique driving experience, one which was bespoke to a particular model and could not be replicated elsewhere. But in recent years, even the low-volume players have been forced to find the efficiencies and economies of scale that formerly hadn't been a concern for them, and in turn the concept of the supercar as a unique entity unto itself is fading fast. The blame doesn't fall on one particular manufacturer nor a specific production technique. Instead, it's a confluence of different factors that are chipping away at the distinction of these vehicles. It's not all bad news – Lamborghini's platform sharing with Audi for the Gallardo and the R8 yielded a raging bull that was more reliable and easier to live with on a day-to-day basis, and as a result it went on to become the best-selling Lambo in the company's history. But it also came at the cost of some of the Italian's exclusivity when eerily familiar sights and sounds suddenly became available wearing an Audi badge. Even low-volume players have been forced to find economies of scale. Much of this comes out of necessity, of course. Aston Martin's recent deal with Mercedes-AMG points toward German hardware going under the hood and into the cabin of the upcoming DB11, and it's safe to assume that this was not a decision made lightly by the Brits, as the brand has built a reputation for the bespoke craftsmanship of its vehicles. There's little doubt that the DB11 will be a fine automobile, but the move does jeopardize some of the characteristic "specialness" that Astons are known for. Yet the world is certainly better off with new Aston Martins spliced with DNA from Mercedes-AMG rather than no new Astons at all, and the costs of developing cutting-edge drivetrains and user interfaces is a burden that's becoming increasingly difficult for smaller manufacturers to bear. Even Ferrari is poised to make some dramatic changes in the way it designs cars.

New Lamborghini Aventador SVJ previewed in dealer's Instagram post

The new Lamborghini Aventador SVJ will officially be revealed Thursday evening at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but the limited-edition supercar has already been shown in an Instagram post. British Lamborghini dealer HR Owen has been posting teaser materials of the SVJ, or Superveloce Jota, on Instagram, and showed the full frontal image of the SVJ today. In the photo, the SVJ's distinctive front vents can be seen, as well as the shape of the new rear wing. For future supercar spotters, the front bumper vents, reminiscent of nostrils, will be a good way to tell the SVJ from lesser Aventadors. There's also a new front splitter and a re-engineered dual-pipe exhaust system with aerodynamic benefits. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The SVJ has already claimed fame with its record-breaking Nurburgring Nordschleife lap of 6 minutes and 44.97 seconds in the hands of test driver Marco Mapelli. This made the SVJ the fastest production car on the track, and the lap time is 15 seconds faster than a regular Aventador SV. Reports say the SV's 739 horsepower will be bested by 20 in the SVJ, for a total of 759 horsepower; some reports claim an even bigger jump to 780. All in all, the SVJ is likely to be produced in extremely limited numbers. Related Video: