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Lamborghini’s Centenario makes a rare public appearance in Los Angeles

The Lamborghini Centenario made its North American debut at a private event at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The entire production run of 40 cars is already sold out.

Its full production run may have already sold out, but the Lamborghini Centenario can still attract a crowd of admirers. Built to mark the 100th birthday of founder Ferruccio Lamborghini, this limited edition supercar debuted at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show back in March.

Since the U.S. is its biggest market, though, Lamborghini arranged a second outing on this side of the world. The carmaker arranged a private event at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, where the Centenario was shown to a small group of VIP customers and journalists.

Given that it was built to honor the company’s founder, the Centenario had to be pretty special. The body is rendered entirely in carbon fiber, with much more aggressive styling than any current Lamborghini production model. Aerodynamics were also a key consideration, which is why Lambo fitted the car with an adjustable rear spoiler, and slats in the gaping front and side air intakes. These not only recall 1970s Lamborghinis, but also provide more downforce, the company says.

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The Centenario’s engine is the most powerful ever in a production Lamborghini. It’s a 6.5-liter V12 based on the motor from the current Aventador. However, this version produces 770 horsepower. That will propel the Centenario from 0 to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds, and on to a top speed “in excess of” 217 mph, Lamborghini says. Power is sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and Lambo fitted the car with four-wheel steering and magnetorheological suspension to enhance handling.

The interior features lightweight carbon fiber sport seats and an infotainment system with 10.1-inch touchscreen display, but other than that Lamborghini says buyers will be free to customize their cars. It expects that no two will be alike.

Not that the Centenario is in any way common or forgettable to begin with. Just 20 coupes and 20 convertibles will be built. All have been claimed already; Lamborghini shopped the Centenario around to a hand-picked group of loyal owners in the months before its debut to ensure that. Each member of that inner circle paid roughly $1.8 million for the privilege of owning a Centenario.

BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.

What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles. 

Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.

PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?

Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.

General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.