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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]

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."

LA 2008: Random sights from the show

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Etc.

Click image at right for high-res gallery of some random sights from Los Angeles.

While we did a lot of coverage of the LA Auto Show this week, there are always some interesting things at the convention center that just don't make into a post of their own. We've collected a bunch of photos that we thought were worth sharing and decided to just dump them into a gallery so you could experience it for yourself. Click on the gallery and you'll see performers that helped Infiniti launch the new G37 Convertible (above), the Mazda3 designer's colorful choice of footwear, Tony Hawk's dream Jeep, a lemon chiffon Rolls-Royce, an unfortunate quality control issue at Maybach, Hell freezing over (for some) at Toyota, and just a bunch of random interesting cars that we've seen before perhaps, but that happened to catch our eyes in LA. We hope you enjoy our farewell to Los Angeles. We can hardly wait for Detroit in January.

Gallery: LA 2008: random sights