Automakers often use teaser images and clips to hype up a new product introduction before the grand reveal, but Lamborghini decided to kick things up a notch.
Last week, the Italian supercar manufacturer sent its most extreme Huracan, the Performante, around the famed Nürburgring for a record lap. The result was a blistering time of 6 minutes and 52 seconds, five seconds quicker than Porsche’s 918 Spyder (which was the current record holder).
It was this “red carpet” of sorts upon which Lamborghini introduced its new model at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.
The Performante is not only the fastest Huracan, it’s also Lamborghini’s most powerful V10 model ever built, with 640 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque available from the same 5.2-liter V10 as the standard Huracan. Tweaks to the powertrain include a bronze manifold, new intake, and titanium valve exhaust. Like the LP610-4, power is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Top speed rises to 202 mph and 0 to 60 mph drops to just 2.9 seconds.
Beyond the extra power, Lamborghini has shed 88 pounds from the Huracan thanks in part to more extensive use of Forged Composite. The Performante also uses Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva (ALA), which is Italian for active aerodynamics. Specifically, the front and rear spoilers will adjust depending on a need for less drag or for greater downforce when cornering. These aerodynamic modifications have increased downforce by 750 percent over the regular Huracan. Yowza.
Inside the Huracan Performante cockpit, Forged Composite has been applied to the air vents, door handles, center console, and steering wheel paddles. The 12.3-inch digital driver display reconfigures depending on driving mode: Strada, Sport, and Corsa.
The Lamborghini Huracan Performante arrives this summer at a starting figure of $274,390.
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.