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The exotic '80s: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus and the Porsche 959

There's no secret that we are big fans of the MotorWeek Retro Review series around here. In an automotive world that often focuses on the latest tech and what's coming in the future, it's refreshing to take a look into the past to get a new perspective. That said, the show is really outdoing itself this time by posting a full episode from the '80s to YouTube, complete with the original, jazzy opening. The video is an absolute standout, too, with drives of some of the best supercars that Europe could offer at the time. Among the now classic sportscars that MotorWeek got to drive are the Ferrari 328, Lotus Esprit Turbo, Lamborghini Jalpa and Autokraft AC Mark IV. There's even a preview that sings the praises of the tech in the Porsche 959. The episode is basically a showcase of most of the exotics from young enthusiasts' walls and school folders during the '80s and is not to be missed. News Source: MotorWeek via YouTube Ferrari Lamborghini Lotus Porsche Performance Classics Videos lotus esprit ac

As VW electrifies, it questions the role of Lamborghini, Bugatti, Ducati

FRANKFURT — Volkswagen needs to change to stay relevant in the electric and digital vehicle era and will announce "important steps" to that end before the close of the year, Chief Executive Herbert Diess said on Wednesday. "Volkswagen needs to change: From a collection of valuable brands and fascinating combustion-engine products that thrill customers with superb engineering — to a digital company that reliably operates millions of mobility devices worldwide," Diess told shareholders at the company's virtual general meeting. Vehicles need to stay in contact with customers, offer new services and comfort functions on a weekly or even daily basis, he said. "We will take further important steps to set the course for this in the rest of 2020," Diess said. Senior executives told Reuters the company is reviewing what role its high-performance brands Lamborghini, Bugatti and Ducati will play as the company increasingly focuses on electric, digital and autonomous vehicles. Volkswagen, which also owns VW, Audi, Porsche, Seat and Skoda, is looking at whether it has the resources to accelerate development of electric platforms for smaller brands at a time it is investing billions to transform its more mainstream cars. Asked whether Ducati, which is known for making noisy combustion-engined motorbikes, has an electric future, Markus Duesmann, who oversees research and development for the group, said: "It will not take long until we see an electric Ducati." Whether Ducati, which is a medium-sized premium motorbike brand, would offer an electric variant, depends on whether a bike could offer range comparable to a combustion-engined variant, Duesmann said. Advances are being made in battery technology which could make this possible, he added. Separately Frank Witter, the company's chief financial officer, in response to a question about whether a sale of Lamborghini is planned, said Volkswagen does not comment on speculation about potential divestments. Lamborghini's Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali this week announced his departure from the sports car maker to take on a new job as president of Formula One. VW needs cash Volkswagen is reviewing the future of these three high-performance brands as part of broader quest for more economies of scale as it shifts to mass producing electric cars, senior executives told Reuters.

Lamborghini announces twin-turbo V8 for LMDh racing

The car that replaces the Lamborghini Huracan is rumored to get a twin-turbocharged hybrid V8 possibly making something like 850 horsepower. The engine's origins and details remain in the shadows, but it's possible we'll get a preview of some of its components in Lamborghini's LMDh prototype racer. The Italian brand announced its entry for the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) class of the FIA World Endurance Championship and the GTP class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship would be powered by a twin-turbo V8 developed in-house by the Squadra Corse motorsports division. All we know for now about the competition mill is that it will be a 90-degree V8 with an output of around 670 horsepower, midway between the 644 and 697 ponies allowed in the regulations. Partners in the enterprise include Bosch, which will develop the electric motor in the energy recovery system, Williams Advanced Engineering will supply power management software and the energy storage unit, while Xtrac will provide the seven-speed hybrid transmission. The engine will weigh at least 396 pounds, the minimum required by regulations, and enable a top speed of 210 miles per hour or thereabouts. This is the first time Squadra Corse has developed an engine for Lamborghini, and various race media have said it's not only different to the V10 used in Lamborghini's current Huracan GT3 and Super Trofeo cars, it's distinct from the twin-turbo 4.6-liter V8 going into the Porsche 963. The Huracan successor is thought to get an evolution of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 in the Urus. However, it is impossible to believe Squadra Corse is expending the whopping amounts of time and money required for a race-winning engine for an internal-combustion powerplant that will only ever be used on track. The point of IMSA, the ACO, and the FIA coming together on mutual regulations for LMDh and LMH was to support road-applicable technology able to race in the premier sports car series' around the world. We should get our first look at Lamborghini's new race car by next year's Rolex 24 at Daytona at the latest. A year of testing in 2023 will lead to official competition outings in 2024, the teams running the car yet to be announced.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.