After several years of record growth, Lamborghini, like most automakers, is struggling in a tough economy. Sales are down 30% so far in 2009, and the Raging Bull even laid off factory workers for seven weeks in an effort to keep down inventories. Chief Executive Stephan Winkelmann told Reuters that he expects the sales slump to continue through 2010, saying that the "crisis is very deep."

Winkelmann points out that sales are down over 40% in the US (Lamborghini's top market), and the company's waiting list has dropped from one year to six months. Lamborghini's struggles closely mirror problems with the economy at large; areas that have been hit by investment banking and real estate woes aren't in the market for Italian supercars.

Regardless of the dim forecast for the next 18 months, Winkelmann is still bullish when it comes to profits. The company cleared 60 million euros in 2008 ($84 million in US funds) and the Italian automaker expects to remain in the black even if sales take a 40% plunge. And the world renown luxury exotic automaker will have to stay solvent while vastly improving its carbon footprint. Lamborghini plans to reduce CO2 emissions coming from its vehicles by 35% in six years.



[Source: Reuters]

Not all of us have over a million to spend on a new car, otherwise we'd all be driving Bugatti Veyrons, right? Or at least most of us would. So how about $25,000 – that's a bit closer, right? Well now you can get your hands on a Veyron for just that amount. Unfortunately the twenty-five grand will only get you one day behind the wheel of the super-fast, super-expensive supercar.

Holders Vehicle Contracts, an exotic rental company in England, has got a Veyron on its hands that it's willing to rent out to anyone who can shell out the £16,000 (about $25k). Oh, and did we mention would-be renters will need to put down a $160,000 deposit? That's a little bit steeper than the typical contract down at the your local Hertz, but then that Chevrolet Impala or Ford Mustang convertible isn't going to get you up to 250 miles per hour, now is it?

[Source: Top Gear]

While the intertubes are abuzz with Lamborghini's announcement of a comprehensive carbon emissions reduction plan, arch-rival Ferrari is keen to show it's keeping pace as the company's CEO has reportedly indicated the direction Maranello is heading with regards to its greenification.

Two approaches which Ferrari chief executive Amadeo Felisa confirmed the company is looking into include turbocharging and E85 bio-ethanol. Regarding the former, Felisa assures that the weight of Ferrari's technical know-how will be thrown into ensuring that turbocharged engines retain Ferrari's trademark high-revving feel, while he revealed that the ECU on the company's latest model, the California, is already ready to burn E85. But beyond turbos and corn-fuel, Felisa also revealed that they're working on a hybrid concept, likely to incorporate the F1-derived KERS regenerative braking system, to debut at an upcoming auto show in the United States following the Frankfurt Motor Show in September where Ferrari is expected to debut the replacement for the F430 line. Sources suggest Los Angeles as a strong possibility for the hybrid Ferrari's debut.



[Source: Car and Driver]

We hate the sight of a destroyed exotic, especially one so rare and exceptional as the McLaren F1. So we're glad to bring you this follow-up report from Santa Rosa, California, where one such supercar went up in smoke last week. And though it hasn't been fixed yet, journos on the scene report that the McLaren in question is being flown back to the factory in England to be repaired.

Ordinarily an engine bay catching on fire would be cause enough for a write off, but this is no ordinary vehicle. With a reported value in excess of $2 million (and being insured for $3 million), even if the repairs cost over a million by themselves, it'd still be well worth the effort and expense, especially if there hasn't been any real damage to the chassis. Check out the video after the jump, and follow the link to check out the full report at the Press Democrat where they quote the most authoritative source in the land. (Hey, one good turn deserves another.)

[Source: Press Democrat]

For Autoblog readers, cars and computers converge on a daily basis, but never like this. At Computex, creative PC packaging company Kimpro displayed an Intel Atom-based netbook (for the tech-challenged, that's an inexpensive laptop) that hides within the plastic of a Ferrari F430 GT. We don't know much about the company that produced this object of processing perfection, but we're pretty sure we could live with one of these babies for blog duty.

The tech geeks at Engadget tell us that Atom-based computers are anything but sprightly, making the choice of a toy Ferrari chassis a dubious one at best. We don't care, though, because how many exotics have two USB ports, DVI out, and an internal DVD burner? We just hope that the processor managed to find a home nestled between the rear wheels. Hat tip to Sea Urchin




[Source: Engadget]

In a letter from California Congressman Darrell Issa to Chrysler's Bob Nardelli, the Auburn Hills executive is charged with failing to disclose information regarding the sale of the Dodge Viper line.

According to the letter obtained by Autoblog from a source close to the situation, the Republican congressman cites Nardelli's explanation as part of the automaker's bankruptcy proceeding that there was "a lack of 'purchaser interest in response to the offering of Chrysler's Connor Avenue Viper manufacturing plant for $10 million." And yet, the letter states, "The Committee has conducted interviews and reviewed materials that clearly show there was in fact one purchaser willing to pay $35 million to purchase the Viper line."

The communication indicates that discussions were held as early as February between Chrysler's emissaries and Joseph Moch Sr. and Joseph Moch Jr. to buy all of the company's Viper-related assets. Further, an oral agreement was reportedly reached in April, with an acquisition agreement drafted later that month for $35 million – substantially more than the $10 million Chrysler was reportedly seeking for the Connor Avenue plant.

Despite the offer from Moch and apparent interest from other companies, the letter notes that Chrysler only reported a single bid for its Viper business to the bankruptcy court's Judge Arthur Gonzalez – the much smaller $5.5 million offer from Devon Motor Works reported last week. In the letter, Congressman Issa warns Nardelli:

"Failure to make this disclosure may have been illegal if you knowingly made false statements in response to questions under oath."

Perhaps the central question is: Why would Nardelli and Co. fail to disclose the Moch offer? Issa's letter offers a theory:

As you know, the Fiat group includes Ferrari, a Viper competitor in the sports car market. If it is the case that Fiat used its "hard-fought" superior bargaining position to establish as a condition of the merger a requirement that Chrysler allow the Viper brand to disappear in order to reduce competition for Ferrari, this too must be presented to the court.

Issa goes on to urge Nardelli to "disclose all legiimate offers for Viper to the court at the hearing," (which is slated to occur today, June 5) as well as "all records and communications between Chrysler and its agents with Joseph Moch Sr., Joseph Moch Jr., and their legal representatives."

So... did Nardelli and Chrysler really fail to disclose more lucrative offers for the Viper – possibly because of pressure from new parent Fiat? Stay tuned.

If you've been waiting for Lamborghini to replace the aging Murcielago and were disappointed by recent reports that its successor may not arrive until 2012, the mavens over at Autogespot may have some good news for you.

While the Murci may stay on for another few years, word has it that Lamborghini is working on another model, apparently to run in parallel. The reports suggest that the new model, tentatively dubbed Jota (after the label previously used on special Miuras and Diablos of yore), will use the Murcielago's V12, albeit packaged in a shorter wheelbase with an even wider track and lightweight materials.

Any truth to the rumors? It's hard to tell, but in the meantime, Sant'Agata is said to be working on a Reventón Roadster to follow up on the limited-edition fighter jet-inspired supercar.

[Source: Autogespot]

It's the little things in life that make all the difference. Flames shooting out the exhaust of a supercar? Awesome. Flames billowing out of the entire engine bay? Uh-oh. So seeing a McLaren F1 – in the United States, no less – going up in smoke is a real tear-jerker.

We have to admit that with so many drivers exhibiting more flash than talent, reporting on the endless barrage of destroyed supercars got a little tiresome, if not downright depressing. The McLaren F1 made even the Ferrari Enzo seem dime-a-dozen common – 100 examples were made in all, and only a tiny fraction of those squeaked through DOT regs to make it Stateside.

Reportedly valued at $2 million, this toasted Mac was spotted on Airport Boulevard in Santa Rosa, California, its BMW V12 on fire after its owner reportedly took it for a ride after leaving it dormant for six months. If that's the case, this is proof positive that cars need to be driven, not mothballed.

[Source: Wrecked Exotics]

Gemballa doesn't strike us as a company that would be easily deterred by minor details. Things like the end of a production run, for example. So while the Porsche Carrera GT may have finished its run, that doesn't mean the German exotic tuning house is about to stop having fun.

We initially reported on the latest Gemballa Mirage GT Carbon Edition back in February, when details and images were scarce, but both have now emerged. As you'd expect from the name, the modified Carrera GT features a lot of carbon fiber trim, but unlike some other weave-clad tuner cars, the carbon on the latest Mirage isn't just for show: the aerodynamic elements aim to improve the car's performance by channeling airflow in and around the supercar's svelte shape to keep it breathing free and stuck to the tarmac.

Of course, Gemballa hasn't stopped there. Porsche's free-revving V10 has been tuned to produce 670 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, enough to propel the rocket-sled up to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 208 mph. There's also an electro-hydraulic adjustable suspension to keep that carbon fiber lip spoiler clear of curbs and speed bumps. The package costs just shy of 300,000 euros ($425k), which doesn't include the cost of the donor car, and production will be limited to just five examples, which may keep moneyed Porschephiles satiated until the rumored roadgoing RS Spyder hits the road. Details in the press release after the jump and photos in the high-resolution image gallery below.



[Source: Gemballa]

Lamborghini supercars tend to have a relatively long lifespan. The Countach stayed in production for sixteen years from its introduction in 1974 until the Diablo replaced it in 1990, which in turn anchored Sant'Agata's line-up for eleven years until the Murcielago was introduced in 2001. Now eight years in production, the steel-bodied Raging Bull has grown pretty long in the tooth, even if it can still hold its own against its contemporary competition.

In order to keep it fresh, the Murci has spawned a seemingly endless succession of variants, from the original through the LP640, 40th Anniversary and Versace editions, fixed roof and roadsters versions, the Reventón, LP650-4 Roadster and LP670-4 SuperVeloce. Lambo's done a good job of keeping its biggest, baddest fighting bovine with the times, but they know it's about time this aging bull be put to pasture. However if the latest reports are any indication, it may yet be a couple of years more before the Murci meets its replacement.

When it does come along, though, Auto Motor und Sport says we can expect the new flagship Lambo to ditch the Murci's outmoded steel chassis in favor of an aluminum one – likely based on the Audi R8's. Draped in aluminum and carbon fiber, the chassis will, in all likelihood, carry a revised version of the Bizzarrini-designed V12 that was the company's first engine and which has, with considerable modification, carried on in the company's supercars ever since. While the wheelbase is expected to carry over from the outgoing Murcielago, the front overhang is expected to shrink, while all-wheel-drive will continue to put the power down to the tarmac.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport]