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Lamborghini
Returns a Profit in 2004
- April 26th
2005
-
Lamborghini,
owned by German automotive group Volkswagen, returned to profit
in 2004, according to German press reports. The group registered
a profit of €4m, while sales reached
€243m, six times their 1998
levels.
Lamborghini chief executive
Stephan Winkelman
said that the group has a production target of 1,800 vehicles,
and plans to strengthen its sales network with a view to
positioning the group as an alternative to competitor Ferrari.
Lamborghini is also considering developing an off-road vehicle
to flank its Murciélago and Gallardo sports cars, he said, but
has not yet taken a decision.
-
Le Belle Macchine d'Italia Set For June
24-27, 2005
- March 23th
2005
-
Le
Belle Macchine d'Italia is the largest 3 day Italian automotive
event in North America. This annual gathering of owners of
Italian cars has been taking place in the beautiful Pocono
Mountains of Eastern Pennsylvania for 19 years.
This year's dates are June 24 - 27, 2005. The host hotel &
Concorso site is The Skytop Lodge in Skytop, PA. The Driving
Event will take place at Pocono International Raceway on June
26th & 27th with Professional Instruction from the Stockcar
Racing Experience. Working together with the representative
manufacturers, dealers and clubs, the Italian Cars Group has
established Le Belle Macchine d'Italia as the premier Italian
automotive event in the Northeast US. Rides for Charity with
Lamborghini Factory Test Driver Valentino Balboni in a new
Lamborghini will be given.
-
Audi Close
to Producing Gallardo Like Car
- March
8th
2005
-
Recently
Audi Chairman Martin Winterkorn announced that a production
version of the company’s 2003 Le Mans concept is imminent. The
Le Mans, which is based on the Gallardo, sports a 5.0-liter
twin-turbo, 610hp motor, was first shown at the 2003 Frankfurt
auto show. The car would be the brand’s first production
supercar rivaling those of Lamborghini, its sister division
under parent Volkswagen Group. Looks like an Audi!
-
2004 Was A
Record Year For Lamborghini
- Sant Agata, Italy.
March
3th
2005
-
The
year 2004 was a record year for Lamborghini in terms of sales
and production. Total car sales increased by 22%, with a record
1,592 units being sold around the world (compared to 1,305 in
2003). Of this number, 1,215 were Gallardos and 377 were
Murciélagos; 65 of these Murciélagos were Roadsters, destined
mainly for the North American market. Total sales of the
Gallardo now stand at over 2,000 cars (1,215 in 2004, 890 in
2003), which means it is already the 2nd best-selling
Lamborghini ever.
The United States still remains Lamborghini’s most important
market, representing 41% of total sales in 2004. Germany, which
represents 13% of global sales, is the most important European
market, followed by Great Britain with 9%. Italy accounts for
only 5%. In Asia, Japan is the most important market with 8% of
global sales in 2004.
-
-
Lamborghini revenues in 2004 grew to € 243 million from € 200
million in 2003. The number of personnel employed by
Lamborghini has also increased, moving up from 685 in 2003 to
726 in 2004.
- Lamborghini
to Present
New Roadster Concept Car at Geneva Car Show
- Geneva,
Switzerland.
19th
February 2005
-
At
the Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini the "Concept S" is a unique
car, an extreme and spectacular expression of the Lamborghini
brand.
Created at the Centro Stile Lamborghini in Sant’Agata Bolognese
by Luc Donckerwolke, Head of Lamborghini Design, the "Concept S"
is his extreme interpretation of an "open car". Using the
Gallardo as a basis, Donckerwolke drew inspiration from the
classic single-seater racing cars of the past to create this
latest design study. The "Concept S" utilized the so-called
"sauté-vent“ in order to direct air over the head of the driver.
These devices divide the cabin into two distinct compartments,
giving the car an aggressive and futuristic look and also
creating a space between them that acts as an additional air
inlet for the powerful engine, which is positioned behind the
seats. The aerodynamics of the “Concept S” have also been
optimized thanks to front and rear spoilers and a large rear
diffuser.
-
1995 Diablo SE Wrecked in
an Accident in UK
- London,
England.
11th
February 2005
-
A
purple 1995 Lamborghini Diablo SE was badly wrecked in the
United Kingdom recently. The car was owned by Jay Kay who is the
lead singer in the group
Jamiroquai.
He let the guy who was supposed to drive it in a music video
take it for a joy ride afterwards. This is what happened! It
looks like the left front wheel is completely missing and the
left back wheel is torn off causing it to rest on its rim. He
must have been driving pretty fast to rip the whole left front
wheel off. The morel of the story - don't let someone else drive
your Lamborghini. It's too different a car for novice drivers to
sit into and drive at high speed.
-
Britain Will Now
Color-Badge Cars According to their Impact on Climate
- London,
England.
10th
February 2005
Cars in
Britain will carry color-coded labels warning
potential buyers of their impact on climate change
under measures to be launched this week. Car makers
and retailers spent last year obstructing progress
on the scheme - to be unveiled by the Transport
Secretary Alistair Darling - amid industry concern
that it could precipitate stricter restrictions on
exhaust emissions and undermine the profitable SUV
sector. Darling believes that the labels, inspired
by stickers which reveal emission ratings of fridges
and washing machines, will encourage people to buy
less harmful vehicles. The stickers are based on
emissions of carbon dioxide, the gas which
scientists have identified as the main cause of
man-made climate change. Guess where Lamborghini
falls!
Brand |
Impact On Climate |
Example |
Grams CO2/Km |
Brand A |
<
100 |
Honda Insight |
80 |
Brand B |
101
to 120 |
Toyota Prius |
100 |
Brand C |
121
to 150 |
Fiat
Panda |
135 |
Brand D |
151
to 165 |
Citroen Xsara |
159 |
Brand E |
166
to 185 |
Ford
Mondeo |
179 |
Brand F |
>185 |
Lamborghini Murciélago |
500 |
-
Penske
Personal Car Collection Opens to Public
- Auburn,
Michigan.
4th
February 2005
With 249 major race wins under his
belt, Roger Penske after 37 years of racing history has accumulated
a large collection of racing cars. They are housed in a 35,000
square foot facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The museum
opened its doors to a news publication for the first time when it
allowed ESPN - The Magazine “Total Access” to the facility. The
resulting two-page photo spread can be found in the current issue of
the magazine available on newsstands in the United States this week.
The previously unseen facility also
houses Penske's personal car collection. This collection includes a
2000 Ferrari 360 Modena, a
Lamborghini Murciélago, a 1995 Ferrari F50, a
2003 Ferrari Enzo, a 2005 Ford GT40 and a 1955 Gull Wing Mercedes
300SL. The collection also includes the pace cars from his
Indianapolis 500 wins.
- Help Sought
on Lamborghini
Theft in Melbourne Australia
- Melbourne,
Australia.
29th
January 2005
- Police reported today that they
are looking for a stolen Lamborghini Diablo coupe sports car
which dealers value at $210,000. The limited edition machine was
taken from Bonds Lane in Somerton in Melbourne's north in the
early hours of last Monday. The red Diablo coupe has the
number plate PMY 214. The Lamborghini Australia dealer,
who declined to be named, said the Italian manufacturer made
just 3000 Diablos between 1991 and 2001, 60 of which were sold
in Australia. He said Lamborghini cars, which range in price
from $400,000-$700,000 were sought for their exclusivity and
because they were hand made. "Obviously that's a dying art
in manufacturing," he said.
-
- Police are urging anyone with
information on the theft to contact Crimestoppers on
1800-333-000.
-
- Lamborghini
Amongst Cars Utilizing Laminated Glass in its Roadster
- Detroit.
17th
January 2005
Fifty
production and concept vehicles on display at the 2005
North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) tout
laminated glass as standard or optional equipment (in
applications aside from the windshield) in North
America, as reported by the Enhanced Protective Glass
Automotive Association (EPGAA). From being
nonexistent at the 2000 NAIAS, to an approximate 150
percent increase over 2004, this growth clearly
demonstrates the consumer and industry embrace of this
automotive safety glass. The Lamborghini Murciélago
Roadster was one of these cars.
"The EPGAA has been working
to educate the industry and consumers on using laminated
glass in applications other than windshields," said Mike
Sanders, director for DuPont Automotive Safety Systems
and EPGAA President. "This rapid adoption is proof that
automakers and consumers alike are realizing the great
benefits of laminated glass." Laminated glass --
automotive safety glass designed for greater comfort and
security, utilizes a plastic interlayer or film
composite that is factory laminated to multiple glass
layers. Laminated glass offers a variety of benefits,
including acoustic improvement, weight savings of 12
percent over conventional tempered glass vehicle
windows, enhanced security, and safety and solar
protection.
- Lamborghini
will Race in the FIA GT Championship Races
- Birmingham,
UK. 16th
January 2005
The
FIA GT regular DAMS-run Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT, the dramatic
Ferrari Enzo supercar, and the new Formula 3 Dallara F305, lead out
the heavily Italian flavored SRO; Motorsports Group stand, at the
Autosport International event in Birmingham this weekend. SRO
are nowadays one of the biggest motor racing promoters across the
globe. Best known for organizing the hugely-popular FIA GT
Championship, they also promote the British F3 and GT series', as
well as the French FFSA Super Série, and the mix of racing car's on
display aimed to reflect this mix.
Undoubted star of the SRO stand, and
one car that is drawing the show's large and enthusiastic crowds, is
the very impressive-looking orange and black colored Lamborghini
Murciélago R-GT that was campaigned last year by DAMS during the
closing four races of the FIA GT Championship. This car is the no 26
example which made its series debut at Imola in September, and was
piloted by a highly experienced duo, Jean-Denis Deletraz and Andrea
Piccini. Although the new Lamborghini struggled to make an instant
impact, it did however show strong flashes of promise, although a
severe lack of pre-debut testing meant that the two DAMS cars were
often hampered by teething problems. Last year was to prove a
difficult first season for the new Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT
racer, which was first unveiled at the 2003 Frankfurt IAA. An early
season podium finish in the FIA GT Championship for a test car,
entered by Reiter Engineering, the concern charged with development
of the project, immediately underlined that the R-GT did indeed have
racing potential.
- Lamborghini
Outlines Improvements for its 2005
Cars
- Sant Agata, Italy.
5th
January 2005
According
to sources from Lamborghini
the 2005 Murciélago will have a number of improvements. The diameter
of the front and rear brakes have been increased to 355 X 32 mm with
8 pistons for the front calipers and the same but larger 4 in the
rear. The power brake has bee redesigned to require 30% less pedal
pressure. The suspension has been optimized with a "Frequency
Selective Damping" system which will give better road handling along
with comfort. The notorious front lifting system (from the
Diablo design), has been improved -- and hopefully no longer leaks.
Also new alloy Roadster like wheels have been added.
The 2005 Gallardo will also come with a few upgrades. The e-gear
sequential shift is upgraded (again). A satellite navigation system
is an option, as is a transparent engine bonnet and titanium painted
rims.
Lamborghini to
Show Gallardo Roadster in Geneva in 2005
1st
January 2005
According
to the January 2005 issue of Road & Track magazine, Lamborghini will
present a roadster version of the Gallardo at the Spring Geneva Auto
show. This car will be used to fill out the brand competing directly
with the highly successful Ferrari Modena 360 cars. No further
details from Lamborghini at the moment.
Lamborghini
Supplies Electric Cart for St. Peter's Square in Rome
Vatican City,
Rome. 24th December 2004
Police
on foot patrol in one of the world's largest pedestrian islands, St.
Peter's Square, Rome - got some welcome relief on Friday when new
golf-cart style electric vehicles arrived just in time for
Christmas.
The four new carts were made by Italy's famed Lamborghini
carmaker. They will allow Italian police to move more quickly around
the vast square in front of Christendom's largest church. Two
of the carts, which can move over some of the world's most famous
cobblestones at about 15 MPH, will charge up their batteries while
the other two are being used. These little cars will give a
great sense of security to visitors," said Salvatore Festa, chief of
Italian police who protect the area around the Vatican. Before the
arrival of the electric carts most police patrols were by foot and
cars entered the square only in emergencies and on occasions such as
visits by heads of state.
Forbs Best Car of
the Year Picks Lamborghini For its Convertible Category
26th
December 2004
Each year Forbs looks at high end
automobiles and picks "best of class" for each category. For
each vehicle category each vehicle is assessed on a weighted average
of a number of factors, and by their own test drive reviews.
This year here are the winners:-
Vehicle Category |
Car |
Picture |
Base Price |
Best American
Supercar |
Saleen S7 |
|
$440,000 |
Best Convertible |
Lamborghini Murciélago |
|
$328,000 |
Best
Convertible (under $60K) |
Chevrolet Corvette |
|
$52,245 |
Best Coupe (under
$60K) |
Infinity G35 |
|
$32,990 |
Best European
Supercar |
Porsche Carrera GT |
|
$443,000 |
Best SUV
|
- Mercedes
G55
- Porsche
Cayenne
|
|
- $100,620
- $89,300
|
Best Luxury Coupe |
- Aston
Martin Vanquish
- Bentley
Continental
|
|
- $255,000
- $156,285
|
Best Luxury Sedan |
- Mercedes
Maybach
- Rolls-Royce
Phantom
|
|
- $367,000
- $332,750
|
Best Luxury SUV |
- Land Rover
|
|
- $72,950
|
Lamborghini to
Asking DOT to Allow the Importation of Nonconforming 2004
Lamborghini Gallardo Passenger Cars
Washington, D.C.
12th December 2004
On
October 13, 2004, NHTSA published a notice (at 69 FR 60933) that it
had received a petition to decide that nonconforming 2004
Lamborghini Gallardo passenger cars are eligible for importation
into the United States. The notice solicited public comments on the
petition and stated that the closing date for comments would be
November 12, 2004. The NHTSA allowed it to run until December 13,
2004. The argument was that the nonconforming cars are
essentially the same as those for the US. Certain aspects of the
cars will be modified to conform. These include: Controls &
Displays, Lamps, Reflective devices, Tire selection, Theft
Protection, Power Windows and Crash Protection. A detailed account
can be found
here.
Speed Channel to
Record Las Vegas "Sports Cars Gone Wild” Event
Charlotte, N.C.
12th December 2004
SPEED
Channel cameras will be on hand to record the inaugural running of
“Sports Cars Gone Wild,” an event matching some of the world’s most
prestigious luxury marques against each other on the Las Vegas Motor
Speedway road course. The event will be held on Feb 15, 2005
in Las Vegas. Amongst the cars will be: Porsche, Ferrari,
Lamborghini, Corvette, Ford GT and Vipers.
The rules include:-
1. Participating cars must be factory
versions with either professional drivers or owner/drivers in the
cockpit. No performance modifications will be permitted.
2. Each car will get three turns on the
road course, the fastest of the three runs will be used for final
scoring. The fastest car at the end of the day takes home the
trophy. 3. There will be no
limitation on the number of cars participating. Multiple cars of the
same make and model will be allowed.
Interested certified drivers,
sponsors or car entries can get more information on the event by
e-mail to info@sportscarsgonewild.com..
Second Miura Reunion to
be Held at Carmel, California in 2005
Carmel, CA,
11th
December 2004
The 2nd Miura Reunion will be held
at 'The Quail Lodge' in August of 2005 at Carmel, California in
celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Miura. The first historic
event in 2000 saw a record gathering of Miuras from all over the
world and was a really special event. Under the patronage of Miura
enthusiast and owner Michael Kadoorie, the upcoming event promises
to be even better, with examples of the P400, P400S and P400SV
expected. The 2005 event is an invitational and spaces are limited
so contact Amy Williams by email at
awilliams@valleyresortmgt.com to
register as early as possible.
-
Second
Triple Awards Victory for the Audi Brand Group
Milan Italy, 11th
November 2004
|
For the
second time in two months, cars from all three members
of the Audi brand group have received significant
awards. The awards for "The World’s most Beautiful
Automobile 2004“ were determined by an international
jury comprising designers, car and art historians, and
specialist journalists. Their decisions were announced
at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, Italy.
The Audi A6 was named the world’s
most beautiful large saloon, while the Lamborghini
Murciélago Roadster was voted as the world’s most
beautiful supercar. The SEAT Altea was, like the Ferrari
612 Scaglietti, presented with a Special Award.
This triple victory in Milan follows closely behind a
similar performance at the Auto Trophy Awards in
October. At these awards, which were based on the votes
of readers of the German magazine Auto Zeitung, the Audi
A4, A6 and A8, the Lamborghini Murciélago and the SEAT
Altea all won their respective categories.
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|
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-
New Chairman
for Lamborghini
- Munich
Germany, 11th
November 2004
In
a surprising announcement today, Lamborghini's parent company Audi
AG (NSU.XE), a division of Volkswagen AG (VOW.XE), announced that
chairman Werner Mischke had resigned and that Stephan Winkelmann
will become the new president of the Audi unit. No further
details were provided at this time. This news is surprising
considering the fact that Mischke was chairman for such a short time
and a time in which Lamborghini had done well. Winkelmann was
(up until last week), chief executive of Fiat SpA's (FIA) the German
subsidiary of Fiat Automobil AG.
- New York
Columbus Day Parade Features Lamborghini
- New
York, 11th
October 2004
The
2004 NY Columbus Day Parade, took place on Monday Oct 11th this
year. Starting at 12PM it ran all the way from 44th to 79th street
on Fifth Avenue . Legendary race car driver Mario Andretti was
the the Grand Marshal for the event. It is estimated that over
500,000 people were there. There was a great display of
Lamborghinis culminating is a 2005 black Murciélago Roadster with
Mario in it. The Parade celebrates of accomplishments and of
Italian-American contributions to the United States. What better way
to see this than in such great Italian cars! Many of the
vintage Lamborghini cars were there, including a 1965 350 GT (the
company's first production model), a 1972 Miura SV, a 1985 Countach,
and a 1995 Diablo VT. Also present were the current car models
the Gallardo and Murciélago.
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