-
A New Model
For Lamborghini In The Future
- Sant Agata,
Italy, April 11th
2006.
-
Lamborghini
is expected to ask Audi over the next several years for more
funds. Besides the money for modified versions of the current
Murciélago and Gallardo sports cars, it is rumored most of the
cash will be used to build a new 4 seat coupe similar to the
original Espada of the late '60s and early '70s. The idea
behind the original Espada was for a grand touring car with the
heart of a sports car. With its big V12 up front there was
plenty of power, and although there were only two doors, it had
four full-size seats and even a little cargo room in the back.
The same philosophy may make its way into the next-generation of
Espada. Competition will be the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide and
Porsche Panamera sedans. Both of those cars are expected to use
front-engine designs like the Espada. Its not clear if a V10 or
V12 engine will be used. Indeed neither of the current
engines may well be used, as Lamborghini thinks the V10 doesn't
fit the car's image, while the V12 could have trouble meeting
future emissions rules. A new engine may well be designed.
-
Victory For Lamborghini in Japanese Super GT Series at Suzuka
-
Japan,
March23rd 2006.
A
Lamborghini Murciélago claimed its first ever race win this weekend
when Marco Apicella and Yasutaka Hinoi raced to victory in the GT300
class of the Japanese Super GT series at Suzuka. Rounding out an
excellent day for the much-maligned Italian machine. After an
uncompetitive 2005 season in the Japanese sports car championship
when the Team JLOC (Japanese Lamborghini Owners' Club) Murciélago
R-GT flailed in the larger GT500 class, for 2006 the Murciélago RG-1
ran in the smaller GT300 class.
The GT300 class started its 'Super
Lap' qualifying runs last Saturday afternoon as the Super GT teams
prepared for the opening round of the 2006 Japanese Super GT series,
the Suzuka 300km. The first car to attack the circuit was the no 88
Akito-sponsored Team JLOC Murciélago RG-1 with Italian Marco
Apicella driving. He completed his flying lap in 2.21.277sec, giving
the rest of the GT300 field this as their target to beat. The next
car out of the pits was the Kicchouhouzan Nissan Z driven by Kota
Sasaki whose time was 2.20.858sec. Then rain continued to fall, and
conditions gradually worsened throughout the afternoon. As a result,
none of the last five cars in the GT300 class were able to improve
their times. Sasaki claimed victory, followed by the no 87 and no 88
Lamborghini Murciélago RG-1s which lined up in 2nd and 3rd places..
Throughout the race itself both Lamborghini cars carried out their
routine pit stops one after another; the no 87 car pitting first
with the no 88 car diving in one lap later. At the next round of
stops the no 87 car experienced a problem as Wada-Q took over the
drive; the machine being momentarily blocked by a car which was
pitting in the next space, and causing an excessive loss of time.
The no 88 car, with Yasutaka Hinoi driving, went into its stop and
returned to the track without any incident, thereby taking the GT300
lead and pushing the no 87 machine down to second place.
It appeared that the two
Lamborghinis would finish in this order, but with just one lap to
go, the no 87 car suddenly entered its pit stop, presumably due to
worries over fuel shortage. Following a quick check-and-go stop, the
car returned to the track, but the problem had not been resolved and
the car failed to complete the final lap. The no 7 Mazda RX-7 driven
by Tetsuya Yamano thus moved into second place.
At the chequered flag for the GT300 class it was the no 88
Lamborghini Murciélago RG-1 of Marco Apicella and Yasutaka Hinoi
which claimed the class victory, with the no 7 Mazda RX-7 of Tetsuya
Yamano and Hiroyuki Iiri placed second. Although the no 87
Murciélago RG-1 of Koji Yamanashi and Wada-Q did not cross the
finish line after stopping on the final lap, a fifth place finish
was awarded. Team JLOC has participated in the Japanese GT
Championship since the inauguration of the series back in 1994, and
this was its first - richly deserved - win. It is also the first win
anywhere in the world so far for the Lamborghini Murciélago sports
car.
-
First Pictures of New
Murciélago Update
- February
22nd 2006.
The
web is alive today with the first pictures of the new updated
version of Lamborghinis Murciélago called the LP640. The car will be unveiled at the
Geneva motor show next week, but here we have an exclusive preview
of the fastest production Lambo ever built. It has a 6.5-litre V12
engine with deeper and wider cylinder bores than the previous
6.2-litre V12. The new 6.5 now has 631bhp at 8,000 RPM. It has
a new six-speed gearbox, which can also be ordered with Lamborghini's
e-gear sequential paddle shift and can do 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds -
0.4 seconds quicker than the older 6.2-litre model. There are
reshaped front and rear bumpers to direct air more efficiently.
The
exhaust is now incorporated into the rear diffuser to help cancel
out aerodynamic lift at high speeds. It also has an unusual larger
air intake on the left side to feed the oil cooler. Some say too
large -- it may take some getting accustomed to. There's is still
the four-wheel-drive system that normally splits 70 per cent of the
torque to the back, but can allocate up to 100 per cent to each
wheel end depending on where the grip is running out. The wheels
themselves are a bit different, they are 18" Hermera alloy wheels
running huge 335/30 tiers at the rear. Inside, there are reshaped
seats for improved comfort and greater headroom, while a revised
instrument panel is flanked by a new stereo system.
-
Lamborghini
Introduces New Miura Concept Car At Los Angles Auto Show
- Sant Agata, Italy.
January 5th 2005.
Lamborghini
brings back a legendary name from the company’s past with the
breathtaking “Lamborghini Miura Concept”. which its the first
vehicle to be conjured from Walter de’ Silva, the new Head of
Lamborghini Design. Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, the
Miura was originally designed by Marcello Gandini and was first
publicly presented at the 1966 Geneva Show. De’ Silva
has redesigned the car while remaining faithful to the original
form. The new car retains the extraordinary purity of line
characteristic of the original Miura. The designer’s intervention
has been defined by refining the contours and eliminating any
superfluous detail in order to enhance the clean, simple lines and
perfectly-balanced proportions of the original that so impassioned
enthusiasts. The restyling of the lower part of the body takes the
car’s structural strength and aerodynamic performance to new
heights, without disturbing the delicate aesthetic equilibrium.
And so a true design icon is reborn. “Over the last two years,”
explains Walter de’ Silva, “I have often dreamt of redesigning the
Miura. Now, thanks to my new position at the head of Lamborghini
design and the enthusiastic support of the Lamborghini CEO, Stephan
Winkelmann, I have been able to turn that dream into a reality.”
The car was first shown to the public at the 2006 LA Auto Show.
-
Lamborghini To Open Office in India
- Sant Agata, Italy.
December 28th 2005.
Lamborghini
might be the next big brand to enter the Indian market after the
likes of Audi, BMW, Bentley, Rolls Royce and Porsche. The company is
preparing to launch their best-selling model Gallardo in the Indian
market in the next couple of months. Lamborghini has appointed
Exclusive Motors Manager as their distributor for the Indian market.
Exclusive Motors Sales Manager Rahul Grover said in a statement:
“The plan is to bring the Lamborghini Gallardo within the first
quarter of next year.” Exact pricing of this particular model
has not been revealed but it is expected to cost in the range of Rs
1 crore and Rs 1.5 crore. The company has set a modest target of
selling 2-3 units in the next year. The prospective of this model to
sell more units here in India is less considering the lack of decent
roads for this car to drive on. Lamborghini on their part
accomplished the distinction of selling their 3,000th Gallardo
earlier this month. It will be interesting to see how this model
competes with the likes of Ferrari’s F30 and Porsche’s 911 Turbo in
the Indian market.
-
Future Plans For Lamborghini In 2006
- Sant Agata, Italy.
Dec 22th 2005.
Stephan
Winkelmann, Lamborghini's CEO recently spoke about Lamborghinis
future for 2006 and set about dispelling a few rumors that were
around about its plans for future cars. First Winkelmann says
that there are no definite plans for a Lamborghini SUV and a GT 2+2,
a LM 002 type car or an Espada like car. He said a couple of new
versions of the Gallardo are in the works: one with rear-wheel-drive
only, and one a spartan version, lightened (à-la Porsche Carrera GT3
?). he also said that the 2006 production run is all booked
up: 800 Gallardo Spyders, 600 Gallardo coupès and 500 Murcielagos,
between coupè and roadster. he said they do not intend to go
over 2005's its production levels.
-
Lamborghini To Back Off In Sales
- Sant Agata, Italy.
October 28th 2005.
Lamborghini
sales grew at warp speeds for the past three years for the Italian
exotic carmaker. It's time to apply the brakes, its CEO
Stephan Winkelmann said.
For the first 40 years of its existence, Lamborghini sold about 250
cars a year. After an unusual series of owners since it was launched
in 1962 by Ferruccio Lamborghini, (included the Chrysler group and a
group of Indonesian investors), in 1998, Lamborghini was
acquired by Audi. Audi invested the equivalent of about $419
million at today's exchange rates. Since 2001, Lamborghini has
launched two cars - the Murcielago, with a base price of $289,300,
and the Gallardo V-10, which starts at about $176,300.
Stephan Winkelmann, said he decided shortly after his appointment
not to top last year's global sales of 1,592 cars in 2005. It's an
unusual decision for a carmaker - but not so bizarre for
Lamborghini. Rather than volume growth, Lamborghini needs to focus
on building stronger ties between its dealers and its customers,
Winkelmann said. The United States for example, by far its biggest
market, still doesn't yet have a Lamborghini main office. The first
step toward establishing more of a presence is looking for a public
relations officer, Winkelmann said. It's also in the midst of
increasing its global dealer network, adding 15 new dealerships this
year for a total of 80 - including two more in the United States for
a total of 26 here. For the first time since Audi bought the
company, it earned a profit of about $4.8 million last year,
Winkelmann said. He said that Lamborghini has no plans to
expand its range for now. A key reason is lack of capacity.
Capacity is about 2,000 cars a year! It is also Audi's turn to
reap something from the investment. Audi will launch a production
version of its Le Mans all-wheel-drive concept mid-engine sports car
as early as next year and use the Gallardo platform and 5.0-liter
V-10 engine.
-
New Audi-A8
to Use the Gallardo V10 Engine
- Tokyo,
Japan.
October 19th 2005.
Tokyo,
Japan – Audi and Lamborghini announced today at the Tokyo auto show
that the latest version of the German automaker's Audi-A8 S will use
the Lamborghini Gallardo V10 engine. It should be in showrooms
around the world from the middle of 2006. The V10 is smaller,
lighter and with fewer friction-generating components than a
comparable 12-cylinder unit and Audi claims it will deliver 340kW at
7000rpm and 540Nm at 3500rpm with 90 percent of the latter available
from only 2300rpm. Weighing in at a comparatively light 220kg, the
new engine exhibits the same meticulous attention to lightweight
construction as the aluminum shell of the S8 Quattro, Audi said. The
car is the first V10 to come from the Audi stable and delivers its
power to the road through all four wheels, just the same as its
predecessors and rides on air-suspension that offers four modes of
comfort, gradually reducing ride height according to speed. German
pricing has been confirmed at 97,600 Euros. It's not clear if Audi
will continue production of the "W12" engine.
-
A Lamborghini Laptop Computer
- California,
October 15th 2005.
Lamborghini
and Intel have jointly announced that they will produce a
Lamborghini Laptop. Both companies have set their sights for selling
this laptop in 2006. According to Intel, the laptop will be based on
its Centrino mobile technology. A previous collaboration between
Acer and Ferrari resulted in the popular Acer Ferrari series.
The new Lamborghini range will likely following the trend of using
carbon fiber bodies (similar to the Sony VAIO TX series) which are
stronger than steel yet are significantly lighter. The Centrino
platform will have dual core processors capable of splitting tasks
between two computing chips. Codenamed "Yonah", the new dual core
processors will have multiple technologies to increase performance.
An Intel developed technology called "Digital Media Boost" improves
multimedia applications while the "Advanced Thermal Manager" better
manages heat buildup. "Dynamic Power Coordination" optimizes
operations between the two processing cores for greater real world
performance. The Lamborghini laptop like the cars, will likely leave
other notebooks choking in its dust during performance tests.
-
Early Spy Shots of
2007 Gallardo
-
Germany,
October 11th 2005.
The
first early spy shots of the 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo seen on a
test track in Germany are now appearing on the web. The 2007 (which
will share its chassis with the Audi Le Mans), will have only a
couple of minor updates from the standard version of the vehicle
when it goes on sale in 2006. Lamborghini is making some changes to
the Gallardo's air intake. These intakes shown in this
photograph have the effect of making the care appear a little
longer. A stretched out version of what is in the Ford GT-40!. The
effect however looks good and probably gets more air into the engine
compartment effectively. The 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo will
also be available as a roadster in the form of the 2007 Gallardo
Spyder. Both cars will be powered by a version of the current
5.0-liter V10 that will have its horsepower bumped up into the 550
range. The vehicle's six-speed sequential-shift transmission will
feature an automated clutch. The Gallardo Spyder's power-controlled
soft top can be lowered in 20 seconds, independently of a glass rear
window, that can either be brought down separately or left up to be
used as a windshield.
-
Reiter Engineering Readying a Gallardo Based GT Racer
- KIRCHANSCHÖRING,
Germany. October
6th 2005
For
many years now, the Lamborghini Murcielago has been raced
successfully by Reiter
Engineering, a German motorsports team. In the past they have
essentially done it on their own with little help from Lamborghini.
Now that there is a new official internal company "Lamborghini
Racing Customer Team", Reiter announced today that in
collaboration with Lamborghini they are now extending their
Lamborghini range to include a Gallardo-based GT racer. The 500+bhp
car is being developed for entry in the GT3 category of
international sportscar series as either 4-wheel or 2-wheel drive.
The image, taken in the early stages of development, clearly shows
the distinctive Lamborghini styling of the Gallardo. The main
competition in this field comes from Porsche, since the Porsche 911
has a successful entry in the GT3 category as well.
Reiter has already received orders
and considerable interest from privateer customers. The finished
product will be available in February. Further technical details on
the race car will be available over the next two months, while a
'street' version of the Gallardo GT3R will follow within the next
month.
Last weekend the first derivative of
the proposed Gallardo GT3 racer successfully completed a two-day
shakedown test in the hands of the Lambo-Racing customer team. The
4-WD car was developed and built by Reiter Engineering at a
customer's request, in time for them to prepare for the start of the
2006 VLN Nordschleife Championship. See (www.lambo-racing.de).
-
Lamborghini
Outlines Its Future Car Plans To The Public
-
Sant Agata, Italy. October,
5th 2005
As
early as next year, Lamborghini plans to introduce an all-new Miura,
Lamborghini's answer to the Ferrari Enzo. It will be derived
mechanically from the mid-engine Audi Le Mans. The Miura will be
lower, wider and shorter than the donor car. It boasts an upgraded
V12 engine. The displacement goes up to a massive 6.5 liters, and
the power output increases to 700 horsepower.
The next all-new Lamborghini is currently called the LM00X, a
high-performance version of the future Audi Q5. The LM00X will have
a choice of two engines: a supercharged, 4.2-liter V8 good for 400
hp or a supercharged, 5.0-liter V10 rated at 500 hp. Both will be
introduced in 2008.
The third newcomer will be a 2+2-seater coupe, a reincarnation of
the Espada. The choice of engine options ranges from the Audi V8 to
the Lamborghini Murcielago's V12. A mid-engine 2+2 could be
production-ready by late 2007, but a front-engine version would
likely not appear before 2009 they say.
Finally, Lamborghini also is looking further into the future for the
next-generation Murcielago, including a limited-edition super-car
derivative powered by an all-new 6.0-liter V12 that would match the
Bugatti Veyron's output of 1,000 hp.
-
Gallardo Spider
Shown to Public
- Frankfurt,
Germany. Sept.
13th 2005
Two
years after the launch of the Coupé version of the Gallardo,
Lamborghini presented the new Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder at the
Frankfurt Motor Show. This latest addition brings the marque's range
of supercars to four models. The Gallardo Spyder is not just an
open-top version of the Coupé, but is a completely new model. It has
an attractive new design and a unique system for opening and closing
the fabric roof that utilizes the engine compartment to store the
folded roof.
The new Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder
features a number of important modifications to the original engine
and transmission from the Coupé. The 10-cylinder 4961 cc
propulsion unit now develops 520 hp (382 kW) at 8,000 rpm. The
six-speed gearbox now has lower ratios (1st gear is 27% lower, 2nd
gear is 13%, 3rd / 4th / 5th gears are all 6% lower, while 6th gear
is 3.5% lower), which create a more dynamic performance. The
steering is also more direct and precise and the suspension has been
recalibrated. Like the other models in the range, the Gallardo
Spyder also benefits from aluminum bodywork and features permanent
four-wheel drive. And finally, its performance figures: the
Gallardo Spyder - which complies with EURO 4 homologation standards
- reaches a top speed of 314 km/h with the roof up and 307 km/h with
the roof down, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds.
-
Luc Donckerwolke to Step Down as
Lamborghini Car Designer
-
Sant
Agata, Italy.
July
26th
2005
In
surprise move, Luc Donckerwolke Lamborghinis chief car designer will
be leaving the company to take up an appointment as Director of
Design at
SEAT (a car design and manufacturing company headquartered in
Spain). Donckerwolke will also assume the responsibility for the
Spanish company‘s Design Center. This is currently run by Steve
Lewis who, together with Walter de’Silva, the Head of the Audi brand
group design, and was instrumental in implementing SEAT‘s new sporty
and emotional design language. Lewis will take over new
responsibilities within the Audi brand group.
He will not leave Lamborghini design
before completing the current model range with the open version of
the Gallardo, to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show on Monday
12th September. A Belgian national but born in Peru, the
multilingual son of a diplomat has always been a car fanatic. He is
responsible for the design of all current models, the Murciélago,
Murciélago roadster and the Gallardo coupe. He combined traditional
elements with a radical new design and with innovations such as the
moveable airducts on the Murciélago, giving the Italian brand the
perfect expression of their key values: extreme, uncompromising and
Italian. To ensure continuity and the further development of the
brand, Walter de’Silva, will assume responsibility for Lamborghini
Design, until a successor for Donckerwolke has been appointed. “The
appointment of Luc is another important step in reinforcing SEAT’s
commitment to design. But I can guarantee that we will do everything
to continue to focus strongly on Lamborghini design" said Walter
de’Silva.
Lamborghini to Produced a
Special Edition Gallardo
-
Sant Agata, Italy.
July
20th
2005
Lamborghini
announced it will produce a special edition version of its Gallardo
super coupe. Production of the Lamborghini Gallardo SE will be
limited to 250 units. Changes from the base car include two-tone
body paint, upgraded interior appointments and a technical massaging
of the 5.0-liter engine. The gearbox will be improved so it
can achieve 0-62 mph acceleration in four seconds flat and top speed
to 195 mph. A new ‘thrust mode’ optimizes gear change and
acceleration will be incorporated. Steering modifications will also
made to improve handling. Six exterior colors will be made
available: two grey shades as well as white, yellow, orange and
green. The two-tone effect is created by painting the roof, engine
bonnet, front and rear spoiler and side mirrors in black, while the
rear lights are slightly tinted. Newly designed ‘Callisto’ rims and
colored brake calipers (grey or yellow) are also a part of the
Gallardo SE’s exterior trim changes. The two-tone concept extends
into the interior, where all piping and stitching will match the
exterior body color of the car.
A rear view camera and multimedia
screen, sport suspension and sport steering wheel, Pirelli P Zero
Corsa tires and a car cover will be standard features on the SE.
Optional equipment includes e-gear, a navigation system, heated side
mirrors, fully electrical and heated seats. A winter package (heated
seats, side mirrors, heated wash jets, rubber floor mats), and a
lifting system are also available. Hopefully the lifting system is
not a repeat of the well known problem riddled Koni system seen on
earlier cars. The Gallardo SE will be available starting this
September at a price in the neighborhood of $170,000. There’s no
official word yet as to how many of the 250 vehicles will be made
available for the U.S. market.
-
Lamborghini
Murciélago Roadster
Stars in Batman Movie
-
June 16th
2005
A
Lamborghini can be seen in this week in the "Batman Begins" movie,
directed by Christopher Nolan and produced by the Warner Bros
Entertainment Inc. In the film, billionaire Bruce Wayne (Batman),
played by the actor Christian Bale, can be seen driving the
Lamborghini supercar during his private life, when he does not use
his Batmobile. The Lamborghini was a natural choice for Batman, as
the way its doors open perfectly matches the image of the superhero
speading his wings. Furthermore, the name Murciélago means "bat" in
Spanish. The film was released in the USA this week and in the rest
of the world from June 15th.
-
First Pictures of Lamborghini
Gallardo Spider
-
June
12th
2005
First
pictures are appearing on the web of the future Lamborghini Gallardo
Spider. They took very little from the Concept S (dual-pod design,
see below).
It has the same front intakes as the Gallardo coupe and generally
looks like a well-designed convertible version of the coupe.
The electric folding top is reported to open and close in less than
15 seconds. Like its cousin, the Murciélago roadster, the rear
bonnet is fully mechanical and opens front-to-back. The entire
windshield frame is black. This gives the car a more aggressive
roadster look. Engine HP is still 500HP and top speed is quoted at
309 Km/h.
-
Lamborghini to Open in
China
- Sant Agata, Italy.
June
7th
2005
-
Lamborghini announced it will open a
store in Shanghai by next September. The franchised store will cover
an area of 300 square meters and involve an investment of over CNY 3
million. The most likely location will probably be on Huaihai Road
in Shanghai.
While Lamborghini officially marched into the Chinese market at the
end of last year. It is not well-known there, so the company decided
to give priority to getting itself acquainted with Chinese customers
first. Lamborghini's two cars the Gallardo and Murcielago have
been successively launched in China but this is the first dedicated
store.
Lamborghini is now also officially
represented in Malaysia with Lamborghini Kuala Lumpur, which opened
recently. This brings to four the showrooms for the brand in
South-East Asia, after Singapore and Thailand.
-
Lamborghini Expands
into Russia
- Sant Agata, Italy.
May
27th
2005
-
Automobili Lamborghini announced
recently that it has appointed Mercury automotive division as its
authorized dealer in Russia. The authorized service center
will open in Moscow in July, when the dealer will start accepting
the first customer orders for Lamborghini supercars. "An
introduction on the Russian market is very important and also
absolutely strategic for Automobili Lamborghini," said Stephan
Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. "We have
many customers in Russia who are enthusiasts and lovers of our Brand
and our supercars. We felt therefore the need to provide, through
the new dealership, current and future Lamborghini owners with local
sales and after sales support, as we do on other markets around the
world."
Winkelmann continued: "We have
chosen Mercury, a company with vast experience in the sports and
luxury car business, as our partner because of its reliability. This
company represents many other important brands in Russia, and not
only in the automotive field. Our aim is to create a long and
profitable cooperation with Mercury that will help strengthen the
image of the Lamborghini brand in this country." Lamborghini will
provide the market with three models: the Murciélago Coupé, the
Gallardo and the Murciélago Roadster. In early 2006, an
authorized Lamborghini showroom will open its doors to customers on
Tretyakovsky Proyezd.
-
Next Version of
Lamborghini Murciélago Seen in Germany
- Nürburgring, Germany.
May 25th
2005
-
Photographs
from the Nürburgring racetrack in Germany show Lamborghini
personnel putting the next edition of the Murciélago through
high-speed testing are now all over the web. The test car has
some black tape to hide recent changes, which include a subtle
reshaping of the front and back bumpers. Also note the new
wheels. Wish they had integrated the rear brake intake
vents better into the rest of the car. They still look like they
were stuck on as an afterthought.
-
-
Lamborghini Outlines Plans For Asia
Expansion
- Sant Agata, Italy.
May 6th
2005
-
Lamborghini,
is exploring new sales opportunities in Asia. President and CEO
Stephan Winklemann, who was appointed Automobili Lamborghini's
new leader in January this year, has been touring the Asian
markets. He was in Thailand last week. Currently the Thai
market is only about 15-20 units a year, (a number is similar to
that of Ferrari). He hopes to increase this number considerably
. Winklemann was also bullish about the Chinese market where he
expects to sell at least 25 cars this year. Currently Ferrari is
selling 100 units a year in China. He said "Our growth now lies
in Asia where our presence is still small." Of the 1,600 units
sold last year, more than 75% went to Lamborghini's major
markets including the US, the UK, Germany, Italy and Japan.
The latter, Japan, has traditionally been the most important
market for Lamborghini. It hopes to sell at least 150 units
there next year.
-
- Winklemann also said Lamborghini plans to build 820 Gallardo
Roadsters next year with deliveries starting in May. Around 25%
will be right-hand-drive. Some 300 bookings have already been
made! The open-top V10-powered Gallardo will cost 10-15%
more than the Coupe he said.
-
-
-
Lamborghini Hangs
In There at FIA GT Championship
-
May 4th
2005
-
-
In the FIA GT Championship at
the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours speedway (near Paris, France),
the Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT continued to
show its performance potential. It recording the third quickest time
in the second practice session and was running in the top ten positions on
all three days. However transmission problems in the closing
stages of the 3 hour race forced Peter Kox and Norman Simon to
retire to overall seventh place. In the future they said they
will focus on long-distance testing in a high temperature
climate, so that they can iron out problems like the above.
-
Volkswagen
Increases Profits in 2005
-
May 4th
2005
German-based
company Volkswagen, Europe's largest carmaker, has revealed that it
managed to increase operating profits by 41.2 per cent to
€464m
in the first quarter of 2005. Pre-tax profits soared from
€44m
in the same period last year to
€121m.
Net profits were up at €70m from
€26m,
while turnover fell by 2.4 per cent to
€21.1bn.
That's the good news. The bad news
is that operating losses in the US increased by nearly
€100m
to €328m
as a result of the weak dollar. Volkswagen's main profit generators
were the Audi, Seat and Lamborghini
marques, which registered an operating profit of
€303.
The VW, Skoda, Bentley and Bugatti marques had operating losses of
€53m.
Volkswagen's global market share dropped from 10.7 per cent to 10.3
per cent. The group's 2005 performance will depend largely on the
progress of its current cost reduction program according to a
company spokesman.
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