All Entries in the "LAMBORGHINI" Category

Earth Day Comparo: Which Exotic Is Greenest?

Is Porsche the greenest?

By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG Porsche

OH, yes! It’s Earth Day!

If you live in these United States, you know that each year on April 22nd Americans take a moment to appreciate that Mother Nature provides our one and only home. Just to be different, the UN acknowledges this gift on the March Equinox.

Since cars and their fuel efficiency ratings are weighed heavily in the ongoing scientific analysis of our environment, those most… eco-conscientious… of sports car buyers who might seek speed AND fuel economy have some options.

The easy choice would be to buy a Lotus Exige 260 – a go-kart car that runs circles around most “sports cars”, the li’l Lotus uses only a four banger and can do 26 mpg on the highway.

But Colin Chapman’s stripped racers aren’t for everyone – especially for those who want the roar of an American V8, cushy security behind a German V12, or a tryst with a hot headed Italian V10.

Consider, then, the following assorted selection of exotics – their horsepower ratings and combined average (city/highway) miles per gallon:

Ferrari California | 460 hp V8 | 12.5 avg mpg

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Aston Martin DBS | 510 hp V12 | 14 avg mpg

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Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG | 604 hp V12 | 14.5 avg mpg

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Audi R8 | 420 hp V8 | 15.5 avg mpg

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Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 | 560 hp V10 | 16 avg mpg

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Dodge Viper SRT-10 | 600 hp V10 | 17 avg mpg

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Corvette ZR1 | 638 hp V8 | 17 avg mpg

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Nissan GT-R | 420 hp V6 | 18.5 avg mpg

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Porsche 911 Turbo | 480 hp flat-6 | 19.5 avg mpg

While Porsche’s flagship wins strictly on average consumption points, the Americans prove more efficient than Ze Germans! The Viper and Vette have 120 and 158 more horsepower, respectively, than the turbocharged 911’s 480 hp and come close to the aft-driven Porsche’s economical performance.

And who says American cars are unrepentant gas hogs?

The Aston and AMG Benz  both disappoint; their V12s falling well behind frugal ‘Merican muscle.

Lamborghini scores well in power to consumption ratio – and indeed does better than its Teutonic cousin – the less powerful Audi R8. Take that, Ingolstadt: the Bull is greener!

What’s our conclusion?  Which exotic is the “greenest”?

If it’s by the numbers lowest consumption – the Porsche wins. If it’s hp/mpg balance, the ZR1 wins handily followed closely by Dodge’s Viper.

New York Auto Show In The Year 2008

By Gunnar Heinrich

OUR New York Auto Show segment is back online following its televised premiere on CPTV, the PBS affiliate for Connecticut.

For those who never saw it, this story (TRT: 10:22) takes the auto show through ADL’s unique perspective.

Rather than giving the viewer a dry recount of yet another auto show, we decided to give it the theme of one of New York’s fashion events. After all, the auto show is as much about style as it is about the brass tax of selling cars to an often indifferent public.

The segment covers events such as the Saab Bio Hybrid concept party,the Lamborghini Press launch of the LP560-4, and interviews with GM execs and Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez.

Enjoy.

Lamborghini Estoque

The Rapier.

By Gunnar Heinrich

ESTOQUE.

Say it outloud. Now read it again silently.

If you give it some thought – which you and I have just spent much too much time doing – you’ll realize that it’s one strange name. Lamborghini might as well have called it the “Esoteric.” It would’ve made better sense for the angular, Dark Knight -esque four-door saloon concept now showing in Paris

But, no, the corporate bulls over at Sant’Agata thought the Spanish word for “rapier” was best. The P.R. folk made sure to put “sword” in parenthesis following “rapier” just to prevent ign’ant 20-something bloggers from gettin’ all snarky.

Few details but lots of pics in the release are meant to tease us with Lamborghini’s bedroom intentions of joining the four-door coupe orgy which is getting more Roman in its carnal grandeur by the day.

Lamborghini wants to play with the likes of Mercedes-Benz’s mature CLS55 AMG, a resurrected BMW 8-Series, the sublime Aston Martin Rapide, Maserati’s elegant Quattroporte, and Porsche’s unfortunate Panamera – an ugly Cayennesque toad of a brand extension too far.

But market considerations aside, it’s not the four doors that proves to be the interesting Lambo first. It’s the front mounted, mid-engine that by virtue of its sheer balance may just alter performance saloon market from here on out.

More on that later…

For now, let the strange Estoque stew with the stock of your day’s thoughts.

[Linked: Autoblog]

Just How “German” Is Lamborghini?

By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG by BusinessWeek

OR Bentley and Bugatti for that matter?

Catching up with the latest on “German” auto news as I’m prone to do over at the respectable German Car Blog, I continually find myself questioning the site’s self described focus of “delivering news and opinion about Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, VW and Porsche.”

Apparently, BMW and Mercedes-Benz aren’t German enough for inclusion which leads one to suspect the obvious – the blog really just covers the marques associated with the VW-Audi Group.

Fine, but back to the “German” point. Does foreign ownership of a nameplate dictate nationality?

Did anyone claim Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, or Volvo as American brands just for being members of Ford’s Premier Auto Group? Or might we have really thought Lamborghini as made-in-the-USA when Chrysler owned the raging bull?

I think not. So why insist that the British Bentley, the Franco-Italian Bugatti, or the Italian Lambo as Teutonic? As a concept, it seems oddly foreign.

[Linked: German Car Blog]

Lamborghini & Ferrari

By Gunnar Heinrich

GRANTED there are plenty of well healed AMEX holders who don’t have to choose just one.

But there really seems to be two distinct camps of driver. And two distinct kinds of car.

The Ferrari driver and the Lamborghini driver are every bit as unique a species of motoring animal as, say, the world’s BMW and Jaguar drivers. The differences are hard to pinpoint, exactly.

So, it’s best to look at it from the perspective of the product.

I read a quote some time back in one of the US rags that described Lamborghini and Ferrari (the cars) as women.

Warning: shameless chauvinism to follow.

The Ferrari, the owner said, was the woman you brought home to your parents. The Lamborghini was the slut that you- well – you get the idea.

As uncharitable as that comparison may seem for Lambo; there is a grain of truth to that.

Lamborghini is about image – first and foremost. Synonymous with the label “supercar,” the car’s visceral sex appeal is in its hot lines and hotter performance.

Ferrari’s prancing horses, on the other hand, are much more refined machines that sport a racing pedigree that extends back to the days when founder Enzo was driving Alfas around Italian courses. The sex is still there just packaged behind a more sophisticated veneer.

She’s great in bed and can hold a conversation over dinner.

The Lambo just wants to order room service with plenty of champagne….