Geipel and Lunardi on Silverstone poles

Philip Geipel and Dino Lunardi secured pole positions for the opening races of the 2010 FIA GT3 European Championship at the Silverstone circuit. The Lamborghini and Corvette drivers were quickest in the two qualifying sessions held this morning.



After some rain overnight the session was declared a wet track and it took a few laps before the lap times started to improve. The final minutes of the session saw several drivers taking provisional pole for only a brief moment. Siso Cunill, Daniel Keilwitz and Joe Osborne were all on provisional pole once, but with just over two minutes remaining in the session it was Philip Geipel who posted a 2:04.866. None of the other drivers was able to post a sub 2:05, resulting in the first pole position of 2010 for the Argo Racing Lamborghini

In the second qualifying session it was Dino Lunardi in the number 18 Toni Seiler Racing Corvette who posted the first properly fast lap time in 2:04.576.
All others tried to pass the French driver, but it took until there were only 8,5 minutes left before Martin Ragginger in the number 21 TrackSpeed Porsche was able to go quicker. Ragginger posted a 2:03.636. In the final minutes lap times improved, but only one driver was quicker than Ragginger and that driver was Dino Lunardi again. Improving the time by only 0.098s he secured the pole position for the second race. Ragginger remained in second place, with Christian Hohenadel taking third place.

The session was red flagged with just over a minute left when the BMW Z4 GT3 of Edward Sandström tank-slapped and spun backwards into the gravel, making heavy contact with the barrier.

Source: planetlemans.com

Underground Racing Lamborghini cracks 250 mph

Earlier this year, we told you about Underground Racing, a shop in Charlotte, N.C., that makes a business out of upgrading Lamborghinis with twin turbochargers to boost engine output to more than 1,000 hp.

Now, a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera upfitted by Underground Racing cracked the 250-mph mark at the Texas Mile event.

Car owner Richard Holt made the 250.1-mph run in late March, but video was posted just this week.

We gave you a look at Underground Racing and what it does back in January. You can read the article, including a test drive with IndyCar driver Graham Rahal, here: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100104/CARREVIEWS/100109992

The twice-yearly Texas Mile is a three-day, high-speed challenge staged on a runway for the Goliad Industrial Air Park, about 90 miles southeast of San Antonio. Participants drive to post a top speed for a one-mile section of the runway.



Source: autoweek.com

SP Engineering Lamborghini LP640 Twin Turbo

SP Engineering, from California, US has showcased its custom twin turbo LP640. The complete setup has been assembled in-house. Within the video below you will hear the turbo spool and blow off valves emiting a pretty monstrous sound.

The LP640 was tuned on 91 pump gas, recorded 703awhp and 660lbs of torque to all four corners @ 6psi. The tuning is subtle allowing the driver to enjoy daily/weekend driving. The sports car was also outfitted with carbon aerodynamics from CarbonTEK and ADV.1 matte black wheels.

The custom built twin turbo kit is available to any owner of a Murcielago/LP, Gallardo/ Superleggera and Diablo. It will be installed by SP technicians.



Source: gtspirit.com

Chinese Knockoffs: Fake iPhones and Strange Sights at a Shenzhen Market

Many of the phones sold at this and other Chinese markets are knock-offs, but others are inventive new takes on the mobile phone. This phone is shaped like a Lamborghini, with a camera lens embedded in the car's hood and the screen and keypad hidden on the car's underbelly. The car's wheels even spin, so you and your friends can race your phones.



Source: pcworld.com

Lamborghini test ride video: So what's it like to ride shotgun next to an Italian driving legend?

When you think of the word's fastest most exotic cars you'll most like think of Italian names that end in an "I" like Maserati, Ferrari, and of course Lamborghini.

If you really know your Italian super cars there's one other "I" name that comes to mind.

That name is Balboni, as it Valentino Balboni.

He's the guy that's outlived all of the fast and famous Italian men that now lend their last name to some of Italy's and the world's fastest cars.

He is the long time test driver for the Lamborghini factory and he's driven every Lamborghini ever made.

Check out the video below and get an up close and personal view as Valentino Balboni takes you on a test drive through Tuscany, Italy in one of today's fastest and most powerful super cars.



Source: examiner.com

Lamborghini to be E85 Compatible

According to Car and Driver magazine, Lamborghini will soon be introducing a new generation of vehicle. This new generation Lamborghini will end the production of having a manual transmission and will be E85 compatible.

Maurizio Reggiani, the director of research and development at Lamborghini, says in an interview with the magazine that they will likely follow Ferrari in ending their manual transmission. He stated that manual transmissions are fitted to less than five percent of the firm’s cars. Other technologies to be implemented are systems like stop/start capability to thrift fuel in urban settings, cylinder deactivation – the V10 and V12 will then operate on half as many cylinders, E85 compatibility, and even a mild-hybrid solution.

Lamborghini was founded in 1963 by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini. It has changed ownership numerous times since, most recently becoming a subsidiary of German car manufacturer AUDI AG (itself a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group).

Source: domesticfuel.com

Peter Hackett Starts GT Championship In Superb Form

VodkaO Racing Lamborghini Gallardo driver Peter Hackett dictated the Lamborghini pace in the 2010 Australian GT Championship season opener on the streets of Adelaide after a superb debut performance with his new car and team.



The former Australian open wheeler champion driver set top ten lap times in practice in his first competitive drive of his exotic Lamborghini Gallardo, making him the fastest Lamborghini driver in the bumper 31 car GT field. The 29 year old followed his practice form by claiming the first Pole position of the new GT Championship season on Friday in Adelaide. Hackett's fastest lap time of 1:24.3872s was over 2/10ths of a second clear of Porsche GT3 997 Cup Car driver Max Twigg and over 4/10ths of a second ahead of defending Australian GT Champion David Wall, also in a Porsche.

In the first of three Clipsal 500 support races, a start line mishap saw Hackett drop from first to fourth and despite suffering some damage in the opening lap melee for positions, he retained a strong fourth place through to the completion of the 11 lap race.

Saturday's second race saw Hackett once again in speedy form, clearly setting the fastest pace of any of the Lamborghini drivers in the impressive GT field to take his first podium finish of the 2010 season in third place.

The final GT Championship race of the Clipsal 500 weekend saw Hackett once again take the fight to the leaders, with another strong third place behind David Wall and Dodge Viper driver Greg Crick.

According to Hackett - "I spent the entire Clipsal 500 weekend learning about my car as it is very different to drive in comparison to my past experience with the Diablo. We made heaps of progress throughout practice,qualifying and in the three races and we were clearly the fastest Lamborghini team in the field. So to head to the Grand Prix with a Pole position and two podium results and be third in the Championship is a great start to my first full time season of racing in two years."

VodkaO Racing Lamborghini Gallardo driver Peter Hackett will be back in action in the GT Championship support races at the 2010 Qantas Australian Grand Prix from March 25-28.

Source: nmd.com.au