L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 2023 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS What today appears like a vision of the future is set to be actualized by the end of the decade. "Introducing the Lan- zador, our 100% electric con- cept car, during Monterey Car W e e k w a s a m o n u m e n t a l milestone in Lamborghini's history, charting our course towards decarbonization and electrification," Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lam- borghini, stated. "The over- whelmingly positive reactions from our clientele, as they witnessed a glimpse of this fully electric future model, filled us with immense gratifi- cation." While innovation is para- mount, design remains at the core. Beneath the emblematic golden bull (the zodiac sign of Ferruccio, symbolizing his relentless tenacity) set against a stark black backdrop lies a litany of "beauties." These are prototypes representing style, technique, and experimenta- tion. Among them all, the founder's favorite stands out - t h e P 4 0 0 M i u r a g r a n d t o u r e r , s o r e v e r e d a s a n artistic masterpiece that it has been displayed at New York's MoMA since 1968. B o r n f r o m t h e c r e a t i v e p r o w e s s o f C a r r o z z e r i a B e r t o n e , i t w a s i n s t a n t l y adored, becoming the darling of the star system - flaunted by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Nicolas Cage, P e t e r S e l l e r s , a n d M i l e s Davis. Its commercial success is evident in its numbers: rather than the projected 50 units over 3 years, 763 were produced between 1966 and 1973, and today they remain coveted jewels in numerous celebrity auto collections. The technical side was orchestrat- ed by Giampaolo Dallara and Paolo Stanzani, key figures in the company's development and production. The model was designed by Marcello Gandini, the head designer at Bertone, and was available in three versions each boasting varying power outputs from the 12-cylinder engine, up to 350 horsepower at 7,000 r p m : t h e M i u r a t o o k t h e world by storm. Today, it remains an emblem of style, l u x u r y , r a w p o w e r , a n d unparalleled performance. E v e n i t s s i g n a t u r e h u e became iconic. These are bold, automo- biles with a personality as fierce as the individual who chooses them: they excel in their domain, they navigate life at a pace distinct from the crowd, and they crave their supercar in a unique shade. W i t h t h e A v e n t a d o r , Huracán, and Urus, come the i r i d e s c e n t c o l o r s , t h e s o - called "harlequin" shades that alter based on the play of light. Enter the multicolored, gradient, or personalized liv- eries. Today, there's a palette with over 360 colors to select from, 60 of which are catego- r i z e d i n t o f i v e f a m i l i e s : Sportiva, Contemporanea, Eclettica, Classica, and Tec- nica. In the '60s, these unique models often graced show- rooms as showcars intended for the catwalks. Now, they are termed '"few-offs," a cate- gory coined by Lamborghini to denote limited-run cars that preview the avant-garde t e c h n i c a l s o l u t i o n s t o b e adopted in future production models. Truthfully, this is not a n e w d a w n u n d e r L a m - b o r g h i n i ' s s u n : t h e 1 9 7 0 Miura Jota epitomizes the special edition, the car that perpetually envisions the evolution of the standard. A futuristic impulse will steer all creations. Like the 1982 Lma, a prototype of an off-road vehicle with sports performance, introducing a tubular frame, a front engine, and speeds surpassing 200 km/h—features previously unseen in an off-road vehicle. Or, the Countach Evoluzione with its fully carbon fiber bodywork, a groundbreaking feature for its time. Or the present-day plug-in hybrid, the symbol of the initial step into Lamborghini's second phase of electrification. Revuelto, unveiled globally in March and having made its US debut in April, fuses the might of a brand-new mid-mounted 6.5-liter V12 engine with three electric motors and an 8-speed dual- clutch transmission. Cus- tomers will start receiving the c o u p e , w h i c h a c c e l e r a t e s from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 2.5 seconds, reaching top speeds of 350 km/h, by year's end. With Lanzador, CEO Winkelmann says, the com- pany looks "ahead without n e g l e c t i n g o u r i n h e r e n t DNA." In Italy, a tour dedicated to the Lamborghini's classic model has just concluded. It journeyed through the roads of Franciacorta, Alto Garda, and Valpolicella with stops in V e r o n a a n d M o d e n a , a n d finally, in Sant'Agata Bolog- nese, There were icons like the 350 Gt, sporting the sec- ond chassis number, the old- est existing Lamborghini pro- d u c t i o n m o d e l , o r t h e Countach Lp 400 S, which was the pace car at the 39th Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix and recently graced the Pebble Beach Concours D'El- egance in the US. "The Giro del Polo Storico stands as a p i v o t a l e v e n t i n t h e 6 0 t h Anniversary celebrations," Alessandro Farmeschi, Lam- borghini's after-sales director, said. "Not just for the Polo S t o r i c o , g u a r d i a n s o f t h e brand's history, technical, and material heritage, but for all of Automobili Lamborghi- n i . O n i t s 6 0 t h b i r t h d a y , Automobili Lamborghini felt compelled to host the faithful owners of these iconic vintage cars." A 1960's Lamborghini 2241R tractor (Left: copyrighted work available under Creative Commons agreement. Ank Kumar/CC BY-SA 4.0), and the iconic Lamborghini Miura (right: Lamborghini Media Center) "Lamborghini is a global icon, epitomizing the best of Italian industrial tradition, always driven by innovation and the ambition to shape the future through advanced technologies." Mariangela Zappia, Italian Ambassador to the United States CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Ferruccio Lamborghini (Copyrighted work available under Creative Common Agreement. Eleoir/ Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., PRESS DATA- BASE/Wikicommons)

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