Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder Live Unveil, More Details [Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder]

We saw the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder a bit earlier today, but now we've got the official details and the live reveal photos from the LA Auto Show. The LP 560-4 Spyder boasts the same 560 HP, 5.3 liter V10 with 398 lb-ft of torque, all-wheel-drive, and slick shifting sequential manual transmission as the normal LP 560-4 but pops the top to give it a more So-Cal flair. Rightly so, as 30% of all Lambo's are sold in the currently smoky southern part of California and we're betting a good percentage of those going forward will be wearing the "Spyder" badge. Complete details, full resolution images, and an unnatural desire to wear your gold chains on top of your open-collar Hawaiian shirt below. What's that? Oh, those darn booth professionals got in the way again. Can we never get a clear shot at the cars!?

Check out more on the Lamborghini LP560-4 Spyder from CarandDriver.com

Automobili Lamborghini Debuts Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder at the Los Angeles Auto Show

Automobili Lamborghini, creator of the world’s most exclusive super sport cars, today held the worldwide debut of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560—4 Spyder at the Los Angeles Auto Show. As the successor to the best-selling Lamborghini of all time, the new LP 560-4 Spyder combines the Coupé’s design, performance and handling characteristics with the open-air pleasure only a soft top super sports car can deliver.

As the brand’s largest global market, the United States – specifically Southern California - was strategically chosen as the perfect location to unveil the new open top super sports car. In 2007, Southern California contributed to approximately 30 percent of all Lamborghini sales in the United States, maintaining its position as the country’s most successful region.

“The LP 560-4 is the best example of the Gallardo to date and will be a great contribution to Lamborghini’s future success,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “The entirely new LP 560-4 Spyder adds another dimension to the Gallardo’s lineage with extreme design language and class-leading performance.”

The much anticipated Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder offers a new 5.2 liter engine with 40 additional horsepower than its predecessor; allowing it to sprint from 0-62 mph in only four seconds with a top speed of 201 mph. The car’s agility has also been greatly refined with a new, lighter transmission, which allows increased shift times by 40 percent (Corsa Mode), combined with an all-new chassis, suspension and Lamborghini’s permanent all-wheel drive system. Despite increased performance, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions have been reduced by 18 percent.

Since 2003, more than 8,500 Gallardos have left the production facility in the birth place of all Lamborghinis in Sant’Agata, Bolognese, Italy. The Gallardo LP 560-4 Coupé was first unveiled to the world at the Geneva Motor Show in 2008 with the dynamic launch taking place in Las Vegas later that spring. Each person who experienced the new Gallardo on the track or the streets unanimously agreed: the Gallardo LP 560-4 is an all-new car that can be enjoyed on any driving surface. Since, the new Gallardo has been critically acclaimed by customers and the media for its extreme performance, aggressive design and increased drivability. The highly anticipated LP 560-4 Spyder is set to continue this legacy. The Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder is now available to order from dealers worldwide, with customer deliveries commencing Spring 2009.

In 2007, the United States market accounted for 39 percent of total Lamborghini sales worldwide and remains the brand’s largest global market. Since the beginning of 2005, Automobili Lamborghini has strategically increased its global reach from 65 to 119 dealers worldwide; 31 of these dealers are located in the United States. Last year was a record year for the brand with 930 Lamborghinis delivered in the United States and 2,406 delivered worldwide.

[Source: Lamborghini]

Related posts:

• New driver? Prepare to get tagged!
• 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt Unveiled with 315 Horsepower
• 2012 Volkswagen Up: Simple & Charming
• 2010 Ford Fusion Revealed With New Face, Engine And Six-Speed Transmission [2010 Ford Fusion]
• Electric-powered ‘72 Datsun is a Drag Strip Legend in Portland

Related posts:

• Beauty is part of pleasing today’s market as it was in days past the consumer ...
• Car Buyer’s Remorse
• New leader for GM, new hope for bankruptcy?
• AutoblogGreen for 12.02.08
• Parents Television Council shakes finger at GM, Nissan over advertising

Read More!

Volkswagen Touareg V12 TDI Baja Racer [Volkswagen Touareg]

VW launched into another class of Baja today as it released it's Touareg Baja Racer at the LA Auto Show. Racing along the same 630 miles of desert peninsula as the ever popular Baja Bug class, this Trophy Truck packs a 542 HP 5.5 liter V12 turbodiesel powerhouse motivating only the rear wheels to kick up some thick, dusty awesome. A tubular chassis only retains the visual dimensions of a Touareg - It's actually 10% larger than the production model. Full press release below the jump.

Check out more on the Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI from CarandDriver.com

The answer: the Volkswagen Baja Race Touareg with a V12 TDI engine

The surprising success achieved with the "Dakar" Touareg sparked an ambitious programme by Volkswagen of America specifically geared to the Baja rallies. In close collaboration with the team of Mark Miller and Ryan Arciero an innovative prototype for the Trophy Truck class was created. For the first time, an automobile manufacturer dares to tackle this class with diesel technology. The rear-wheel driven Baja Touareg TDI’s power of more than 550 PS is supplied by a 5.5-litre V12 diesel engine from the Volkswagen Group. The efficient and fuel-saving TDI engine, together with a gearbox operated by steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, promises to develop its power in a clearly better, and thus tyre-saving, way than spark-injection engines do. Whereas the fuel tank capacity of the petrol-powered vehicles is unlimited and typically designed to handle 120 to 130 gallons, the diesel vehicles must settle for 65 U.S. gallons (246 litres).

The chassis, with a tubular frame and a rigid rear axle with an enormous suspension travel of 75 centimetres, follows the typical principles of Trophy Trucks. The Baja Touareg TDI is prepared and fielded by Arciero-Miller-Racing in the USA; the engine is prepared in Germany. Visually, the Baja Touareg TDI will resemble the production vehicle. However, in all of its proportions the prototype is slightly ten per cent bigger than its production role model; it is practically an XL-sized Touareg.

Mark Miller and Ryan Arciero are two proven experts in the cockpit. Both have won several Baja 1000 and Baja 500 competitions as well as off-road titles in the USA. 46-year-old Mark Miller from Phoenix / Arizona is navigated by 34-year-old Willie Valdez jr. from Los Angeles. Ryan Arciero hails from Los Angeles and is 35 years old. He comes from a family that has been active in racing for over 50 years and for whose teams the likes of Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, Michael Andretti and other well-known names have driven. Arciero’s co-driver is 32-year-old Benny Metcalf jr. from San Clemente/California. The decision about the time and place for the driver change will be taken after the track inspection and strategy planning.

Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen and Clark Campbell, Motorsport Manager of Volkswagen of America, agree about the objective," At the Volkswagen Touareg TDI’s maiden race we want to master the route of the Baja 1000 and reach the finish. At such a tough and unusual event this would be a first success and a promising starting base for the first full off-road season in 2009."

Related posts:

• VW expects U.S. to be no.1 market for the Passat CC
• What Could Be Finah than Porsche in China?
• VW Diesel with the highest mileage found
• Volkswagen Golf among Top Three Finalist for 2009 World Car of the Year
• VW Scirocco Arrives in Geneva: North America Deprived Again

Related posts:

• U.S. VW plant will built Jetta, a new sedan and maybe Cayenne
• Porsche: Buying more and more of VW
• VW announces 2009 Routan pricing, giving $1,500 for college
• VW completes production of BlueTDI for U.S., 60mpg Jetta on the way
• VW teams up with Sanyo to produce lithium-ion batteries

Read More!

Toyota CNG Camry Hybrid Concept [LA Auto Show]

Toyota has released images of the Toyota CNG Camry Hybrid Concept, or the T. Boone Pickens cruiser as we like to call it. Already known for their gas-electric hybrids, this concept combines the Hybrid Synergy Drive system with a natural gas-fueled engine. Toyota claims the Hybrid should travel more than 250 miles per fill-up, which could theoretically occur at any of the approximately 1,000 CNG refueling stations in the US. As this is currently just a concept, they've added an aggressive body kit with a covered grille which certainly distinguishes it from the regular Camry Hybrid. Natural gas has been part of the alternative fuel discussion because of its domestic production capacity and relatively stable price. Details about the CNG Hybrid Camry from Toyota below.

A Camry Hybrid Fueled by CNG

As you very likely know, we’re big believers in the concept of hybrid vehicles. We build gas-electric hybrids in several styles; one of them, our Prius, is the most fuel-efficient vehicle in America.

But we also believe that there’s more than one way to solve a problem. One problem we’d like to solve involves the unpredictable nature of gas prices.

Gas prices are relatively low now, but they were incredibly high last summer, and could well revert to those high levels. But the price of compressed natural gas (CNG) remains fairly stable, and there’s a strong, reliable domestic supply of CNG. It just happens to be one of many alternative fuel applications being explored in Toyota’s broad sustainable mobility research and development strategy.

That’s why we built a special concept CNG Camry Hybrid that we’ll display at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday.

To convert a stock Camry Hybrid to a CNG vehicle, the gasoline fuel system was replaced with a CNG system that includes a pair of CNG tanks installed in the spare-tire well of the vehicle’s trunk. Because it now lacks a spare tire, the CNG Camry Hybrid rolls on runflat tires.

And roll it does. With the proposed CNG equivalent of 8 gallons of gasoline in its tanks, the estimated range of the CNG Camry Hybrid is more than 250 miles. Link that efficiency to the price of CNG and you can see why we’re interested in this – as this is written, CNG is about a dime cheaper, per gallon, than the national average price of regular-grade 87-octane gasoline.

But price and efficiency are only the tip of the iceberg of CNG benefits. Natural gas also produces lower particulate emissions and lower levels of nitrous oxide (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and non-methane organic gasses (NMOG) when compared with gasoline. And because CNG is so clean, potential wear and tear on an engine fueled by it is greatly reduced.

Those are the considerable upsides to CNG. There also are downsides. An important one is that there are fewer than 1,000 CNG refueling stations in the U.S., with fewer than half of them open to the public. Also, natural gas is less dense than gasoline. So a CNG engine will have approximately 10% less power than an equivalent gasoline engine. Also, a CNG vehicle’s fuel tank must be cylindrical, so it is more difficult to package than a gasoline tank, which can be shaped to conform to any available space.

We want to underscore the fact that the CNG Camry Hybrid is just a concept vehicle. This concept vehicle is a statement that we intend to include CNG in our diverse portfolio of future alternative-fuel R&D. Our purpose in building it as a concept is to demonstrate the efficiency and adaptability of Hybrid Synergy Drive, and to demonstrate that we continue to work with a variety of powertrain concepts to ensure that we have products that meet the current and future needs of our customers on a global basis. We think you’ll find the CNG Camry Hybrid interesting. So if you’re visiting the LA show, feel free to drop by and take a look.

[Source: Toyota via Carscoop]

Related posts:

• Toyota/Scion inventories reach record levels
• Video: Toyota projects profit decline for next fiscal year
• Toyota Tundra Named Motor Trend's 2008 Truck of the Year
• Geneva 2008 Preview: Production Ready Toyota iQ and Urban Cruiser Unveiled
• Toyota plans to spend $100 million during the next four years on advanced ...

Related posts:

• Reader Review of the Week
• New Ford Fusion Hybrid Becomes First Ever Hybrid NASCAR Pace Car [Ford Fusion Hybrid]
• Car Buyer’s Remorse
• The Best 5 Used Cars
• The Thunderstorm Is Part Geo Storm, Part Subaru Brat, 100% Awesome [Found On EBay]

Read More!