Lamborghini SUV

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

The rumors have finally been confirmed by a senior source atAudi that the Lamborghini SUV is indeed, in the works.  Unlike their old giant LM002 that went out ofproduction in 1993, this SUV will be a much smaller crossover. The car has noofficial name yet, but the project goes by LB 736.
 

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

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

Some Lamborghini traditionalists are going to wish this hadnever 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 itis 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 fromthe CES convention in Vegas and the latest from the automobile industry at theNAIAS in Detroit. But this year the lines between the two seemed to blur asautomobiles took a prominent spot at CES and technology was booming at theDetroit Auto Show. We’re not just talking about your standard car stereo or car navigation system; almost every automaker introduced better-than-ever entertainmentsystems that connect the driver like never before.

Chevrolet, Toyota, Audi, Hyundai and Ford are among the manyautomobile companies that have recognized the growing importance of technologywhile driving. Chevrolet’s “MyLink” offers wireless phone compatibility whichcan link your calls and address book directly to the vehicle. The car alsooffers wireless streaming of music from your phone including the use of Pandoraand other music apps. Toyota’s “Entune” offers the same features, but also hasbuilt in apps including Pandora, iHeartRadio, Bing search and more. AudiConnect will feature a pop-up 7-inch touchscreen display, connected wirelesslyand automatically to your phone to access a multitude of features. The knob bythe driver’s side can scroll through screens and text, making it easier tooperate than a traditional display screen. With this system you can store andtrack 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! Almostevery new model offers a remote-link app for your cell phone which allows youto unlock, lock, sound the alarm, and sometimes start your vehicle fromanywhere in the world. The days of car keys are slowly becoming a thing of thepast.

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

I Wanta, The F&M Evantra

Do you happen tohave 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 listof stops and pay a visit to F&M Automotive. While you are there you may want to purchase a new ride, lose yourNavigation Unit and got lost on the Italian roads, because F&M has producedsomething 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 theEvantra.  The Northern Italian Company hasoutdone themselves with this handmade creation. The car boasts a 3.5-litre flat-six engine that comes in either a 329hp naturallyaspirated version, or a high performance twin-turbocharged 587hp version.  The high performance version can go from zeroto 62mph in 3.7 seconds.  By the way, italso looks remarkable.

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

F&M will onlymanufacture five of these bad boys a year and the first one will roll out inabout six months. They have not mentioned anything about pricing yet, althoughI’m sure that it won’t be cheap.  You mayjust 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 ahalf ago, America has been without a standout muscle car. Stateside muscle carenthusiasts have been as lost as a senior citizen trying to operate anavigation system.   Well, there is now a light at the end of thetunnel.  Dodge just made an announcementthat will ease those motor enthusiast worries. No longer will they feel as directionless as a navigation system missingits SD card.

The Viper is indeed actually coming back, but it will not bea Dodge.  It will be an SRT Product.  This is the second brand since the Fiattakeover 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 ina few years and ask ourselves, “what were they thinking?” or we could look backand think, “what a smart move?” Either way, I am just happy the car thatepitomized American muscle in the last decade will be back on the prowl, orshould I say, “slithering back on the streets.” Come on, you knew there was no way I would get through this whole thingwithout a bad snake joke.

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