Lamborghini SUV

Somethings should just not happen.  Such as, going on a long road trip with kids without a DVD player, or trusting my mom to find her way without a car navigation system.  Another example of “something that should happen” is that high performance car companies should not make SUVs. Well, news came out today that Lamborghini is doing just that.  

The rumors have finally been confirmed by a senior source at Audi that the Lamborghini SUV is indeed, in the works.  Unlike their old giant LM002 that went out of production in 1993, this SUV will be a much smaller crossover. The car has no official name yet, but the project goes by LB 736.
 

The gossip started when an Italian magazine wrote a story and posted renderings of what the vehicle might look like.  The car in the magazine borrows the styling of the Aventador, and looks like the platform could be that of the Audi Q7.

Speculation is that the LB736 will have a version of the Gallardo’s 5.2 Liter V10, and boasts 700hp.  There is no way that your kids will arrive late to soccer practice in this SUV.  The size of the engine means that this Lamborghini will have no competition. No other high performance SUVs even come close to 700 horses.

Some Lamborghini traditionalists are going to wish this had never happened, and honestly I do not know how I feel about it.  I do have a lot of time to decide though, because the car is not going to go on sale until 2015.  I also have a lot of saving to do, because it is going to cost upwards of $200,000.

Push to Start, Push to Park, Push to Drive?

It’s again the week that brings us the latest in tech from the CES convention in Vegas and the latest from the automobile industry at the NAIAS in Detroit. But this year the lines between the two seemed to blur as automobiles took a prominent spot at CES and technology was booming at the Detroit Auto Show. We’re not just talking about your standard car stereo or car navigation system; almost every automaker introduced better-than-ever entertainment systems that connect the driver like never before.

Chevrolet, Toyota, Audi, Hyundai and Ford are among the many automobile companies that have recognized the growing importance of technology while driving. Chevrolet’s “MyLink” offers wireless phone compatibility which can link your calls and address book directly to the vehicle. The car also offers wireless streaming of music from your phone including the use of Pandora and other music apps. Toyota’s “Entune” offers the same features, but also has built in apps including Pandora, iHeartRadio, Bing search and more. Audi Connect will feature a pop-up 7-inch touchscreen display, connected wirelessly and automatically to your phone to access a multitude of features. The knob by the driver’s side can scroll through screens and text, making it easier to operate than a traditional display screen. With this system you can store and track flights, view and play your phones entire music library, get news, weather and gas prices, and even create a Wi-Fi hotspot in the vehicle! Almost every new model offers a remote-link app for your cell phone which allows you to unlock, lock, sound the alarm, and sometimes start your vehicle from anywhere in the world. The days of car keys are slowly becoming a thing of the past.

Almost nothing excites me more than the progression of technology, especially when it comes to entertainment. For years the capabilities of our phones and other gadgets have exceeded that of our vehicles and it’s about time these features were incorporated into our cars.  I wonder how long it will be until our cars are the ones doing all the driving; they can already park themselves.

I Wanta, The F&M Evantra

Do you happen to have a trip planned to Tuscany anytime soon?  If so, go ahead and add another destination to your Navigation System.  Enter in the town of Pontedera to your list of stops and pay a visit to F&M Automotive.  While you are there you may want to purchase a new ride, lose your Navigation Unit and got lost on the Italian roads, because F&M has produced something to rival the other Italian greats.

Look out Ferrari, Lamborghini and Vespa, there is a new Italian indulgence entering the arena. Faralli & Mozzanti, better known as F&M, have unleashed the Evantra.  The Northern Italian Company has outdone themselves with this handmade creation.  The car boasts a 3.5-litre flat-six engine that comes in either a 329hp naturally aspirated version, or a high performance twin-turbocharged 587hp version.  The high performance version can go from zero to 62mph in 3.7 seconds.  By the way, it also looks remarkable.

This project was first known as “Mugello,” but later changed to Evantra.  Evatnra is the name of an Italian goddess of immortality. With the dangerous speeds that you can reach in the Evantra you better hope that you are indeed immortal.

F&M will only manufacture five of these bad boys a year and the first one will roll out in about six months. They have not mentioned anything about pricing yet, although I’m sure that it won’t be cheap.  You may just have to hang on to that rental Fiat with the navigation system.

The Dodge Viper is Coming Back....Sorta

Since Viper production was halted approximately a year and a half ago, America has been without a standout muscle car. Stateside muscle car enthusiasts have been as lost as a senior citizen trying to operate a navigation system.   Well, there is now a light at the end of the tunnel.  Dodge just made an announcement that will ease those motor enthusiast worries.  No longer will they feel as directionless as a navigation system missing its SD card.

The Viper is indeed actually coming back, but it will not be a Dodge.  It will be an SRT Product.  This is the second brand since the Fiat takeover that has been splintered off from the Dodge name.  The first was Ram Trucks.  It is an interesting move to separate Dodge, Ram Trucks, and now SRT from each other.  I’m not quite sure what they are trying to accomplish.  It could be a dumb and we could look back in a few years and ask ourselves, “what were they thinking?” or we could look back and think, “what a smart move?” Either way, I am just happy the car that epitomized American muscle in the last decade will be back on the prowl, or should I say, “slithering back on the streets.”  Come on, you knew there was no way I would get through this whole thing without a bad snake joke.

Another great benefit of this announcement is that it will be sending people back to work; 150 people to be exact.  The SRT Viper will be made in the Conner Plant in Detroit, Michigan.  According to Dodge’s press release, the jobs were first offered to current Chrysler hourly employees who previously worked at the plant.  The first Viper is expected to roll out the doors  in late 2012 as 2013 models.