LAMBORGHINI

Just Say No: Lamborghini Gallardo “Galaxy Warrior” 

Even if you somehow blocked these images from your screen, the name “Galaxy Warrior” alone is a sign that something ain’t gonna be right with this tune. Found for sale on the German edition of eBay, the “Galaxy Warrior” is a styling package for the Lamborghini Gallardo coupe from a company called ATS Automotive. The aero parts include a front bumper that imitates the styling of Lamborghini’s limited run Reventon, side skirts, an aftermarket rear wing, plenty of additional air vents at the back and a new rear bumper. A set of new alloy wheels that match the car’s exterior color and a twin pipe exhaust system round off the package.
While we could go for the front-end upgrades, the rear end styling modifications make this Gallardo look like its suffering from the results of a…laxative overdose.
Check out the rest of the pictures below and tell us what you think in the comments area. 

Would You or Wouldn’t You: Fiero-Based Lamborghini Diablo Replica with BMW V12 Power 

 

If a Fiero-based Ferrari replica is a “Fierrari”, then I figure its Lamborghini equivalent must be a “Lambieroghini”. Here’s one such monstrosity for sale on eBay, though on closer inspection there’s a lot to like about it. For one, though it’s incomplete, much of the grunt work has already been done. The unpainted fibreglass body that replicates the Diablo VT 6.0's styling has been mated to the tubular steel frame and the gas door struts, power window motors and headlights have all been installed.
Also, the brake rotors are from a Corvette and the wheels are genuine 2004 Lamborghini Murciélago 18-inch stock clad in Pirelli P-Zero rubber.
There are also stainless steel exhaust tips, an aluminium gauge panel and all the required interior fibreglass components and switchgear graphics included with the car though not fitted. Same goes for the OEM taillights and door glass.
Better still is what’s under the hood: a BMW M70 5.0 L V12, the same one used in the E32 7-Series and E31 8-Series, mated to an Audi Getrag 016 5spd manual tranny - though the supplied clutch and flywheel have yet to be installed. The same goes for the engine wiring, sensors and the ECU.
The bad news? Well, there’s no windshield or three-quarter-glass and you’d have to live with the fact that underneath it’s a 1988 Pontiac Fiero. Though the price is currently at a reasonable US$11,100, the seller is quick to point out:
“This is not a complete working car. It is being sold as a project car. It cannot be driven, it will need to be towed. It is highly recommended that you come see the car before purchasing if possible.”
So what’s the verdict? Would you or wouldn’t you? Be sure to check out our fully gallery of image below and leave a comment with your decision.

Pontiac Loans Heart and Body to Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder Superleggera Replica 

 

From the creators of the Murcielago LP-640 Roadster wannabe we showed you back in 2009, comes a new Lamborghini doppelganger with fresh looks but the same Pontiac Solstice underpinnings. This time, the car is supposed to resemble a Gallardo Spyder in a Superleggera outfit. The Lambo replica is finished in the usual for this type of conversions canary yellow and while the builders ditched the scissor door solution, they did add power controlled doors and a hood, which automatically open at the touch of a button – you know, just in case some of your friends weren’t already impressed […].
Naturally, there’s no V10 under the rear compartment with power being provided by a 300-horsepower version of GM’s turbocharged four-pot located up front. For more details, watch the video below.

Hat tip to Przn for the find! 

Aussie Supercar Buyers Paying More than Anyone Else 

 

In today’s economy, AU$1.0 will get you US$1.06, but it seems Australia’s overseas automakers have yet to acknowledge this. A Lamborghini Aventador, for example, costs a hefty AU$754,600 – or more than twice the price you would pay for one in the U.S. of A. And its 51% pricier than a V12 powered Lamborghini Diablo was ten years ago. This was tolerable when the Aussie dollar was worth 64 U.S. cents a few years ago, but those days are over. While TV’s, computers and mobile phones have all become more affordable, supercars have not. It’s so bad that one prospective Lamborghini buyer, businessman Ra Hazouri, has flat out refused to pay.
“I was considering buying a Lamborghini Aventador but I’ve given up because I’ve discovered the dealers are blaming Italy [for the pricing] and the people in Italy are saying they have the right to rip us off because everyone else does it," Hazoori told the Brisbanetimes. "They are doing it because they can – and they told me in an email that the price is ‘locally positioned relative to competitors, product features and brand values’.”
In other words, Australia is a supercar backwater, and if you want one of these fine Italian thoroughbreds, you will need to wear an AU$380,000 suit. Lamborghini’s South East Asia and Oceania sales manager Andrea Baldi argues that supercar prices cannot move along with exchange rates:
“We have to ensure the price is fair compared with Porsche, Maserati, Aston Martin, Ferrari and other competitors. It’s always a difficult balance. There are markets where you can be fairly profitable … Australia and the UK are opposite [in profitability] at this moment. It’s difficult to finds a solution so that everybody’s happy. We cannot simply play with the price [depending on currency changes] each year.”
And it’s not just Lamborghini: the Ferrari 458 Italia was 14% - or a wallet-scrunching AU$70,000 - pricier than the outgoing F430. Meanwhile the luxury car tax is up, import tariffs are down and inflation has reduced the price of more mainstream models by as much as AU$4,000. Scroll down for a breakdown of the price fluctuations over the past ten years.

Bertone Auctions Off Some of its Most Recognizable Concepts to Avoid Insolvency 

 

Here lies Bertone, the famed Italian automotive design house, bankrupt and on almost on the verge of death. The once legendary company was forced to sell its most prized possessions – six concept cars – to appease the bankruptcy commission and also to remain afloat. RM Auctions of London handle the sale at this past weekend’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2011. So what delectable concepts were the vultures able to get their beaks into? Well, there’s the 1967 Lamborghini Marzal that once graced the Monaco Grand Prix and is often cited as the inspiration for the Espada of the following year.
Then comes the extreme, wedge-shaped 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero, which looks like the car RoboCop would use on the weekends and the little known Chevrolet Testudo of 1963. Next are two more low slung, Lamborghini-badged offerings – the Countach-alike Bravo coupe of 1974 and its convertible Athon brother from 1980. And lastly is the 1978 Lancia Sibilo that looks to me like a prop out of Total Recall and is finished in a very ‘70s shade of chocolate brown.
Overall, the auction went well with the Lamborghini Marzal fetching €1.51 million (estimated: €1 to €1.8 million), the Lamborghini Athon €347,200 (est. €150,000 to €220,000), the Lamborghini Bravo €588,000 (est. €150,000 to €220,000) and the Lancia Sibilo €95,200 (est. €60,000 to €100,000). The only cars that didn’t meet their estimated sales value were the Lancia HF Zero at €761,600 (est. €1 to €1.8 million) and the Chevrolet Testudo €336,000 (est. €500,000 to €800,000).

Lamborghini CEO Hints at New "Everyday" Model Fueling Rumors about the Estoque 

Italian sports car manufacturer Lamborghini plans to add an "everyday" model to its lineup, according to a report from Reuters quoting the firm’s CEO Stephan Winkelmann. The Lamborghini executive believes the luxury super sportscar market will return to the record levels seen in 2007 by 2013-2014. In 2007, some 35,000 super sports cars were sold, compared with around 26,000 in 2010. And with demand from emerging markets such as China and Russia growing, Lamborghini wants to add a new model to its range to increase sales. "We are going to have a third model. It has to be an everyday car. We want to have a car which is able to be used on a daily basis," said Winkelmann, fueling rumors that a production version of the 2008 Lamborghini Estoque could be in the cards.
However, Winkelmann didn't mention anything about the type of vehicle, simply stating that Lamborghini hasn't reached a decision yet. He also said that once the decision is made, the company will need about four years to launch the car and added that the new model will be developed in-house, with help from the VW Group. “We will use synergies where possible within the (Volkswagen) group", noted Winkelmann.
Given that customers in China and other emerging markets such as Russia, India and Brazil, have a taste for four-door sports saloons, the possibility of Lamborghini producing the Estoque seems very likely.
Lamborghini's sales peaked in 2008 at 2,430 units, but in 2010 sales declined to 1,302 units, with the company expecting to sell around 1,500 cars this year, helped by the launch of its new Aventador LP 700-4 supercar. 

Oakley Design Working on Extreme Lamborghini Aventador LP760-2 

With its 700 horsepower and jaw-dropping styling, the recently launched Lamborghini Aventador hardly needs a tuning job. However, that's not what the crew over at Oakley Design believe, as the UK-based aftermarket specialist recently unveiled plans for an extensively upgraded Aventador. As the name LP760-2 indicates, Oakley Design wants to add 60 horsepower to the V12 engine's output and to trade the all-wheel-drive system for a more dramatic Diablo-reminiscent rear-wheel-drive setup. Here's how these ambitious targets will be accomplished. The power increase will come from a re-mapped ECU, larger intake pipe diameter and a titanium exhaust system that will also save over 30 kilograms. The result will be 760 horsepower and 745 Nm (550 lb-ft) of torque, a gain of almost 10 percent compared to factory engine.
In addition to boosting output, Oakley Design wants to send all those ponies exclusively to the rear wheels, for weight saving reasons and increased performance. Oakley Design estimates the removal of the front differential, drive shafts and associated front drivetrain parts will reduce kerb weight by around 85 kilograms. The tuners believe the Aventador's advanced suspension design and very stiff full carbon monocoque should be able to handle 760 horsepower with just rear-wheel-drive. Nonetheless, to improve grip, the rear wheels will be wider. The company is also working on developing several suspension upgrade alternatives with Intrax.
Oakley Design will offer extensive modifications to the car's looks as well. Along with an aero kit, the package will include carbon fiber door mirrors and engine bay covers, plus a black carbon roof.
Even though we’ve yet to see the actual vehicle, Oakley Design claims it has already sold three of the five LP760-2 supercars it plans to build. 

Lamborghini Indomable Concept to Be Built as a 2,000HP Hypercar by U.S. Company 

Remember the Lamborghini Indomable concept? It was a supercar project designed by Daniel Chinchilla Ochoa and Alberto Fernandez Albilares under a Masters Program sponsored by Lamborghini. Well, guess what? The study will be built, albeit not by Lamborghini. A US company called 215 Racing has bought the exclusive rights for the design and will have the car built by its subsidiary Mostro Di-Potenza (Italian for “Monster of Power”). The sleek coupe will be renamed to SF22, as a tribute to the influence that the F22 fighter jet had on the car's design. In addition, SF stands for Street Fighter.
The company plans to build only 50 units of this supercar, and they want to attract customers with a mind-blowing package. "We knew that entering a market as a new supercar company has become a rarely successful trend. We hope to make our niche by offering the customers something they could never imagine," said Anthony Crudup, CEO of 215 Racing.
Now hold on to your seats: they want to equip the car with a…2,000HP 9.4-liter twin-turbo V8 572 GM engine! The monstrous powerhouse is said to develop an equally-colossal 2,000 lb-ft (2,710 Nm) of torque. Linked to a six-speed sequential transmission, the V8 would allow for wild performance: 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 265 mph (426 km/h). In addition, 215 Racing claims the car could do the quarter mile in 9.5 seconds.
The company added that the SF22 will have a carbon-fiber and Kevlar blend composite body, Airspeed adjustable intercoolers and wing / speed brakes. The American firm plans to build 2 cars per month and is already accepting orders, with first deliveries scheduled for mid-2012. The price? An eyebrow raising $950,000 (€668,000)... 

Wanted: Responsible Person to Drive World’s Top Supercars 

How’s this for a dream job? Britain’s Repairacar is seeking a very special someone who can drive supercars from a customer’s address to one of their repair shops and back. It’s all very glamorous – the opportunity to drive supercars as diverse as Aston Martins, Ferraris and even the occasional Zonda or Bugatti Veyron – though it does include some taking of public transport. A company spokesperson explains:“[The successful applicant] will also be expected to make their own way back to base from any corner of the UK and Europe – using public transport.”
So what they’re offering are a couple of hours on a bus or train in return for the chance to drive a selection of the world’s greatest supercars? Who could say no? Well, Repairacar, for one. You see, they’re not just looking for any Tom, Dick or Harry:
“This is a highly specialized role which requires a very special talent. Driving something like a Bugatti Veyron is a very different experience from driving a Ford Focus. Many of these vehicles are worth hundreds of thousands of pounds so it goes without saying that we are looking for a safe pair of hands here. This isn't a job for a boy racer.”
In other words, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth drivers need not apply. Annual income will be around the £30,000 (€33,973 / US$48,357) plus expenses for the slower part of the journey. A minimum of ten years high performance vehicle driving experience is required and applications close at the end of April.