Lamborghini would choose four-door over SUV

Lamborghini remains intent on adding a third model to its range. This, straight from the proverbial lion’s mouth – that of the company’s affable CEO Stephan Winkelmann, who would like a new model to attract new buyers to the brand. The question is, what form will that new model take?

According to a new report from Autocar, the most likely scenario is a production version of the Estoqueconcept sedan unveiled in Paris a couple years back. Previous reports suggested a successor to the LM002 sport-utility vehicle could be in the works. But while either model could borrow underpinnings from within the Volkswagen Group (the Porsche Panamera or Audi A7 for the Estoque or the Porsche Cajun/Audi Q5 for the LM00X), enabling a faster and more cost-effective development process, Winkelmann seems to like the idea of the Estoque better.

Building the Estoque could also potentially lead to more variants as well, including a front-engined coupe and convertible, while the LM002 would, in all likelihood, be a single-model proposition.

Us? We just hope that the new model (whatever it is) gets built soon. In the case of the Estoque, there’s nothing worse than a painfully slow gestation of an already aging concept car to kill buzz.

Lamborghini licenses insane limited-edition Reventón R/C car

Like the vast majority of humanity, we were never able to lay our hands on one of the 20 Lamborghini Reventón models the company built for the fabulously wealthy. We had neither the $1.27 million it took to call the car your very own nor the connections to be one of the few to even have the chance to purchase said Raging Bull. That’s just fine, though, because Lamborghini has partnered up with De Agostini to build a 1:10 scale R/C replica of the car for the masses. Well, maybe not the masses per-se – the company is only building 65 examples, so this ain’t your garden-variety Nikko or Tamiya.

Each one of the cars is crafted with impressive detail and features a 3cc gasoline engine mated to a two-speed transmission, a fully-independent suspension with hydraulic shocks and four-wheel disc brakes – all on an R/C car. Insane? Sure, but it’s our kind of crazy. Unfortunately, with so few of the cars being produced, we’re guessing they won’t be cheap enough for anyone we know to afford. History repeats itself. You can head over to the R/C car’s site for a closer look.

Paris Preview: Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Blancpain Edition

Typically, when an automaker and a watchmaker team up, it’s to spec out a special-edition watch. ButLamborghini and Blancpain have already done that. The two marques are also behind the Super Trofeo racing series, which Lamborghini claims is the fastest spec racing series on today’s circuits. The season just wrapped up at Vallelunga, where the two companies took the wraps off the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Blancpain Edition.

The special-edition Lambo is distinguished from the standard model with such unique touches as a vented engine cover and a big rear wing, along with carbon fiber parts, Skorplus wheels and carbon-ceramic brakes. A matte black finish with yellow accents further set its apart inside and out. The most interesting spec however, is the Blancpain Edition’s weight; at 2954 pounds, Sant’Agata lauds it as the lightest vehicle in Lamborghini’s roadgoing range. Couple that with the 5.2-liter V10 boosted to 570 horsepower (like the spec racers) and Lambo claims a 3.4-second sprint to 62 mph from a standstill, topping out a hair under the double-century mark.

We’re on our way to Paris to get a closer look at this among the myriad other excitements making their debut later this week. In the meantime, we invite you to read more about the Blancpain Edition in the press release after the jump and have a closer look in the image gallery below.

Lamborghini Sesto Elemento concept may be the tease of Paris

Is this the concept car that Lamborghini has been teasing us in such an achingly slow manner leading up to this week’s Paris Motor Show? All signs point to yes, but it’s still too early to know for sure. In any case, the Sesto Elemento – if it is indeed the next Lambo to be hung on the walls of teenage boys from Constantinople to Timbuktu – will push forward with the jet-fighter-ish angular styling theme set in motion by the limited production Reventon from the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show… for better or for worse.

As expected, the Sesto Elemento (which translated to English means Sixth Element – we’d expect some sort of Bullish name if it hits production) is crafted almost exclusively from carbon fiber. That means it’s light… as in just 2,200 pounds (999 kilograms) light. That’s seriously low for a V10-powered supercar, and it means an estimated 0 to 62 (100 kilometers per hour) run of just 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 217.5 miles per hour (350 kph).

With a weight that low, we wouldn’t expect any kind of hybrid powertrain, but you never know. It’s not really possible to get a good feel for the appearance of the Sesto Elemento based on this grainy photo, but we’re certainly intrigued. Stay tuned for a full high-res photo gallery of Lambo’s latest concept after our coverage begins in earnest this Thursday.

Lamborghini Murciélago tweaked into JB Car Design’s LP 640 ‘Bat’

The whole ‘Batmobile’ comparison gets thrown around an awful lot on websites like this one. And this car’s not even black, so we’ll wave off of that this time. But consider the following: in the most recent Batman movie, Bruce Wayne drove a Lamborghini Murciélago. Into a truck, unfortunately. His alter-ego’s drive, meanwhile, was on the other side of the more extreme Reventón. Now along comes JB Car Design with a kit to bridge the gap. And they call it the Bat, suitably enough.

The German tuner’s retrofitted Murci LP 640 can be had with 710 or 750 horsepower (a not-inconsequential improvement on the stock 640) through the installation of new cats and exhaust. But in this case, the defining factor is the car’s styling. A new front bumper and splitter, side skirts, and rear bumper with diffuser give the LP640 a more Reventón-style look, with a two-piece carbon fiber rear wing, LED lights and 20-inch modular alloys rounding out the package.

Meanwhile, the interior been re-trimmed in different leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber, along with a new steering wheel and sound system. Each of these components for engine, body and cabin can be purchased separately or as a comprehensive package, but JB says it will only make 75 examples of the body kit. Check out the photos in the gallery below and the press release after the jump for more.

Lamborghini planning two-tone Gallardo special edition

Back in 2005, the Lamborghini Gallardo had been on the market for two years, and the LP560-4 was still three years away. So to spruce things up a bit, the Bolognese automaker came out with the Gallardo SE. The special edition of 250 examples were differentiated primarily by its two-tone color scheme, offsetting the primary color with black trim, inverted on the interior. Now reports indicate that Lamborghini could be planning a repeat.

The new two-tone Bicolore edition is said to be in the works, this time based on the current LP560-4 model that’s now been on the market since 2008. Like the original Gallardo SE, the new model would also likely get a new set of wheels, while a small power boost could be in the cards as well. Sources anticipate the new two-tone Gallardo to bow at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show with deliveries beginning early in the new year.

Browse through the fresh gallery of high-resolution images below for a trip down memory lane and a refresher on what we might expect from the new model.

Lancia’s Geneva lineup to include Chrysler 200-based Flavia

 

Some might deride Lancia as the Plymouth of the Fiat group, but instead of being killed off like the defunct American marque, the pseudo-premium Italian division is being teamed up with Chrysler in an effort to increase the Pentastar’s global reach while rejuvenating the Lancia brand. We’ve seen the pairing take effect already through the appointment of Lancia CEO Olivier Francois and the toe-in-the-water demonstration of a Chrysler-badged Lancia Delta at last year’s Detroit show, but it looks like things could finally materialize at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. There, according to the latest reports from Europe, the Fiat/Chrysler alliance will unveil a Lancia-fied version of the new Chrysler 200. The model is expected to revive the Flavia nameplate last seen in 1975 and receive only a few modifications, in the form of a new grille (natch), European-spec bumpers and the possible mechanical additions of a manual transmission and diesel engine. Headline though the development is, it is expected to be only one of several new debuts – some Chrysler-based, some not – that Lancia has planned for the Swiss expo. A Chrysler 300-based Thema flagship sedan is reportedly in the cards, as could be a Lancia version of the Chrysler Town & Country minivan (as a potential replacement for the Phedra that was jointly produced between Fiat and PSA). Finally, Lancia is expected to unveil the new Ypsilon hatchback, which itself could make its way Stateside as a Chrysler. Now all we need is a Pentastar-badged version of the New Stratos and we’ll be all set.

GM marketing chief Ewanick: “We’ll focus on Cruze all year long”

Joel Ewanik was recently named General Motors’ global marketing chief, so we sat down with him and Buick marketing honcho Roger McCormack at the Detroit Auto Show to find out how they plan to get more attention for GM’s brands.

• For both men, the priority is to get people in seats since GM appears to realize that it can’t just rely on people to trust its marketing. “We’re making great cars – the Cruze was the first car in its segment to get five stars under the new NHTSA standards,” Ewanick said, “we need to get people in sitting in the cars.” For Buick, McCormack said as well that his brand will focus on “Activities to get people in cars, sitting in cars, experiencing cars.”

• On the subject of settling Cadillac’s advertising, Ewanick said, “With Cadillac we’re trying to create some dissonance, putting them in ski resorts to remind people that Cadillac is a great brand for their snow activities with the all-wheel-drive sports wagon and CTS, SRX and Escalade.” To that end, the brand has done deals with the Northstar ski resort in Lake Tahoe and they’re doing one with Vail, in Colorado.

Mercedes-Benz releases C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition for Canada

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG is an absolutely stunning piece of machinery. We recently had a chance to steer a C63 fitted with the P31 Development Package around the greater Detroit area, and it now looks like our friends to the north are getting a special edition of Merc’s AMG atom bomb all for themselves.

Dubbed the Affalterbach Edition (it’s named after the German town in which AMG’s skunkworks reside), this C63 wears a unique Magno Allanite Grey paint that is accented with red brake calipers, 19-inch black alloy wheels, carbon fiber mirror shells and a subtle lip spoiler. No tweaks have been made to the C63′s powertrain, but the Affalterbach edition comes standard with the normally optional AMG Performance Package, meaning there’s 481 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque on tap. Sprints to 62 miles per hour will be accomplished in a tidy 4.4 seconds.

Inside, the Affalterbach treatment includes things like AMG sport seats wrapped in Nappa leather, red contrast stitching, carbon fiber trim, and special edition logos placed throughout the cabin. Only 30 units will be sold in the Great White North, starting from $81,500 Canadian when it goes on sale in the spring. Follow the jump for Mercedes-Benz’s official release.

Next Dodge Viper inspired by a “naked woman on the beach.” Aren’t we all?

The Dodge Viper has always been an impressive looking vehicle, but its muscled lines haven’t ever been what we’d call feminine. That may change with the next-generation version of the Snake. Ralph Gilles, head ofChrysler design and the Dodge brand, says that the look of the next Dodge Viper will be inspired by “a naked woman on the beach.”

Sorry, but we’re having a hard time coming up with a witty quip after that one (well, other than the one in the headline).

Gilles made the announcement while speaking with reporters at the Automotive News World Conference, and while the revelation about the vehicle’s design inspiration was a big highlight, he also announced that the next Viper would take dead aim at stealing buyers away from both the Porsche brand and the Chevrolet Corvette. That’s especially true when it comes to the crowd of younger buyers – guys and girls under 45.

The next-generation Viper is set to debut in 2013, and while that gives Dodge plenty of time to get the car right, we don’t expect either Porsche or Chevrolet to sit back and allow the Viper to play catch up. Suddenly we’re very excited to see what the sports car world looks like in two years.