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Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche and Koenigsegg Lego sets coming this summer

Lego has announced a slew of new automotive-themed sets. As is typical fashion for brand of building toys, the subject matter leans toward ultra-exotic, ultra-expensive vehicles, ranging from a $139,000 Mercedes SL63 on the low end to a $3 million Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut on the high end. If you can't afford those cars in real life, soon you'll be able to build your own plastic models of them. Some of the real-world counterparts aren't obtainable no matter what the cost. Take the Lamborghini Lambo V12 Vision Gran Turismo, for example. The one-off concept was designed by Lamborghini exclusively for Gran Turismo, the PlayStation racing simulator. However, Lamborghini did build a 1:1 version for the physical world, with the 808-horsepoewer hybrid V12 from the Sian FKP 37 beneath its bodywork. The Lego version is part of the company's Speed Champions line, which measure about 6 inches long. It does an excellent job of capturing the original's insectoid look and Y-shaped taillights. The set is made up of 230 pieces and will retail for $26.99. This is Lego's first Vision Gran Turismo car but we hope to see more.  Also joining the Speed Champions line are two 2-car sets. An Aston Martin-themed set pairs a Vantage safety car with an AMR23 Formula 1 racer. Both are finished in AMR's bright green with actual sponsor logos. The set contains 564 pieces and will cost $44.99. Also arriving as a 2-car set are a pair of Mercedes-AMGs. A black G 63 and yellow SL 63 Roadster, along with a pair of sunglasses-clad bros, make up the 808-piece set. It also retails for $44.99. All three Speed Champions sets arrive on June 1, 2024. If you're looking for something a bit more advanced and detailed, Lego also offers the Technic line. First up is a Porsche GT4 e-Performance, a 1,000-horsepower race car based on the 718 Cayman. This set can also function as a remote controlled car that moves forward, backward, and steers via a downloadable smartphone app. The 834-piece set costs $169.99. Last but not least, there's the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, a model of the Swedish supercar that is said to have a top speed of over 300 mph. The model does an admirable job of capturing the car's 0.278 Cd drag coefficient, considering it's comprised of 801 individual plastic bricks. This set will retail for $49.99 and, along with the Porsche, comes out August 1, 2024. Related Video LEGO Speed Champion Build: 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback

2006 Lamborghini Concept S split-cockpit Gallardo heads to auction yet again

Many Lamborghini concepts are completely wild, but the 2006 Lamborghini Concept S is unique in that it's totally wild but also somewhat practical. The practical part comes from the fact that it's effectively a Lamborghini Gallardo, but with a split cockpit and speedster shape. According to RM Sotheby's, which is selling the car, there were plans to build 100 of them for special customers, but that never happened. So this is your only chance to own this speedster. The concept's Gallardo bones are obvious. Most of the lower body is the same as a production Gallardo, with slightly different grille openings. But the complete lack of a roof, the vestigial nubs of windscreens and angular roll hoops transform the car. From the side, it's about the wedge-iest Lamborghini of all time. The split cockpit is also extreme, and it's accomplished by placing a beam between the driver and passenger seats. Mechanically, it's about the same as a regular Gallardo. In the middle is a V10 bumped up to 520 horsepower coupled to the Gallardo's E-Gear automated manual transmission and all-wheel drive. It would have been cool if Lamborghini had fitted the regular six-speed manual and its lovely gated shifter, but we suppose they didn't want drivers whacking their hands and arms into that center beam to shift. This car has less than 125 miles on the clock, which is remarkable, if also a little sad. It has also been shown at Pebble Beach twice. No price estimate has been given, though when RM Sotheby's offered at an auction in 2015, the company expected upwards of $3 million for the car. It goes across the block at the RM Sotheby's Abu Dhabi auction on November 30.

Lamborghini Sian is brand's first hybrid and also its most powerful car

The rumors surrounding Lamborghini's application of hybrid technology will finally materialize at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Italian firm introduced a limited-edition model called Sian, which stands out as its most powerful street-legal car ever and its first production-bound hybrid model. The Sian's gasoline-electric powertrain gives Lamborghini's mighty, naturally-aspirated V12 engine a new lease on life. It's completely different than the setup found in the 2014 Asterion LP910-4 concept, though, and it's considerably more advanced than a standard hybrid system. An electric motor sandwiched between the engine and the transmission receives electricity from a supercapacitor and injects 34 horsepower into the driveline. While that sounds like a rounding error in a car with the Raging Bull emblem on its nose, the 48-volt mild hybrid system helps the Sian return better gas mileage, provides a boost under hard acceleration, and powers the cars on its own at ultra-low speeds, such as when parking. The hardware tips the scale at a reasonable 75 pounds. Lightweight, composite materials like carbon fiber offset the hybrid system's mass. The mid-mounted V12 relies on titanium intake valves to generate 785 horsepower, a figure that makes it the most powerful road car engine in Lamborghini's 56-year history. The system's total output checks in at 819 horsepower. The Sian takes 2.8 seconds to reach 62 mph from a stop, and its top speed lies somewhere north of 220 mph. Visually, the Sian blends styling cues from Lamborghini's emblematic past models with features borrowed from its futuristic, forward-thinking concept cars. The wide, Y-shaped LED daytime running lights come straight from the Terzo Millennio introduced in 2017, while the six hexagonal rear lights are a nod in the direction of the Countach released in 1974. The Gandini line that characterizes every Lamborghini is accounted for; it defines the car's low-slung profile. The interior reflects Lamborghini's drive to make its cars more high-tech. The driver faces a digital, configurable instrument cluster, and the center console houses a touchscreen that displays a version of the infotainment system first seen on the Huracan Evo. Poltrona Frau leather and 3D-printed parts continue bridging the gap between Lamborghini's heritage and its future. Lamborghini will make 63 examples of the Sian by hand in its Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, factory. It chose that number because it was founded in 1963.