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    20,000th Lamborghini Huracán Rolls off the Line in Italy

    The 20,000th Lamborghini Huracán has been built, an STO painted in Grigio Acheso Matt, destined for a customer in Monaco.71 percent of Huracán buyers have gone for coupes, while 32 percent of sales have been in the United States.Lamborghini says that 60 percent of Huracáns have been customized by the company’s Ad Personam program.For most of Lamborghini’s history, the Italian supercar marque managed to sell only a few hundred vehicles per year. But this changed when the Gallardo arrived in 2003—the junior V-10 supercar sold just over 14,000 units during a ten-year production run. This blew its predecessor, the V-8–powered Jalpa, out of the water, with only 410 Jalpas being sold between 1981 and 1988. But the Gallardo’s follow-up, the Huracán, has proved even more successful, and Lamborghini announced on Thursday that it has built the 20,000th example of the V-10–powered supercar that entered production in 2014.

    Lamborghini

    The 20,000th Huracán to roll off the line in Sant’Agata Bolognese was an STO, the high-performance, track-focused version that draws inspiration from the Huracán EVO Super Trofeo race car. This record-setting STO was finished in Grigio Acheso Matt paint for a customer in Monaco.

    With the announcement, Lamborghini provided some details on how Huracán customers have ordered their supercars so far. 71 percent of Huracán owners have opted for a coupe version, while the remaining 29 percent wanted the ability to drop the top to better hear the naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10 sing. The United States has been the Huracán’s biggest market, with 32 percent of sales, with the U.K. and the China completing the top three.The majority of Huracáns have come with some form of personalization, with 60 percent of the 20,000 units sold so far being decked out by Lamborghini’s Ad Personam customization program. Lamborghini says that customers have taken inspiration for colors, trims, and materials from everything from furniture and clothing to makeup and precious stones. Central Europe, Japan, and the U.K. have been the biggest markets for the Ad Personam division. With STO production underway and the recent introduction of the Tecnica model, the Huracán should continue racking up sales before a plug-in hybrid model arrives in 2024.
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    1978 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Is Our Bring a Trailer Auction Pick of the Day

    • This 1978 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz embodied Cadillac’s unique approach to luxury in the 1970s.• The ninth-generation Eldorado was a symbol of wealth and success when it was new, especially in full-fat Biarritz trim, but its appeal faded and many were scrapped in the 1990s.• This low-mileage coupe is for sale right now on Bring a Trailer, and the auction ends on April 25.You’d never guess this by walking through the traffic jam of classic European econoboxes in my garage, but I love American land yachts. My parents owned a series of bargelike General Motors cars when I was a kid—I remember my dad having to park his 1985 Oldsmobile Delta 88 diagonally to fit it in our garage—but none were as special as my step-grandfather’s Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. These massive Cadillacs have amassed a following in recent years, and there is what looks like an unusually well-kept 1978 Eldorado Biarritz currently live on Bring a Trailer – which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos.

    Finished in Ruidoso Saddle Metallic, this old-school coupe effortlessly illustrates what Cadillac stood for in the 1970s. It says “I’ve got it made” without trying or leaning too far towards the ostentatious side of the scale. It didn’t need to: everyone knew what they were looking at. In a way, the spot that Cadillac occupied in popular culture during the 1970s was like the one that Mercedes-Benz currently enjoys. It’s not a Chevrolet Chevette or a Chrysler Cordoba that Johnny Cash built in “One Piece at a Time.”

    Bring a Trailer

    The stately Eldorado was a big deal, too; it was the epitome of the personal luxury car, that nebulous segment that embarked on a nosedive in the 1980s and crashed hard during the 1990s. The one listed on Bring a Trailer cost $15,074 new, which represents about $66,700 in 2022, and it’s optioned with a six-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, a tilting steering column, cruise control, and a cassette player. And, look at those Biarritz-specific pillow seats! I’d bet the inflation-adjusted cost of the optional rear window defogger that they’re at least as comfortable as the seats Cadillac puts in the 2022 CT5.

    Bring a Trailer

    Poke your head into the cavernous engine bay and you’ll meet a 425-cubic-inch (that’s 7.0 liters) V-8 that lazily developed 180 horsepower and a stout 320 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive, which the Eldorado adopted for the 1967 model year, and a three-speed automatic transmission came standard.

    Bring a Trailer

    Calling the ninth-generation Eldorado rare wouldn’t be accurate: Cadillac produced 46,816 units during the 1978 model year, which was last call before the drastically downsized 10th-generation model landed in showrooms. But two things make this example special: first, it survived. By the 1990s, these big coupes were widely considered anachronisms, and not very exotic ones, and many were driven into the ground by a succession of increasingly careless owners. When I was growing up in Utah in the 2000s, when Cadillac was leveraging Art and Science to disassociate itself from land yachts, the Eldorado was a common sight in self-service junkyards or beached next to barns in rural parts of the state, landau roof–deep in weeds with rust holes big enough to fit a piston through. Two, it survived with astonishingly low mileage. The odometer shows just under 20,000 miles, which represents an annual average of about 450 miles.What are the odds of finding another 20,000-mile big-body Eldorado Biarritz without traveling back to a used-car lot in 1980? Bidding currently stands at $12,500, a sign that interest in these cars is growing.

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    VW ID.3, Other Electric Cars Are Turning a Greek Island Green

    Volkswagen starts delivering EVs to residents of the Aegean Sea island of Astypalea in an effort to transform all transport on the island to electric mobility.The automaker plans for 1000 EVs to replace about 1500 gas- and diesel-engined vehicles on the island.VW is also introducing electric ride-sharing services to the 44-square-mile island, along with electric bicycles and scooters.Volkswagen has delivered the first EVs to private customers on Astypalea as part of an experiment to transform the Greek island to an EV-only oasis. VW handed over the first examples of the ID.4 and VW e-up! hatchback to the island’s residents, in addition to the new ID.3 hatch and the Seat MÓ eScooter 125. The automaker’s Smart & Sustainable Island project, conducted in partnership with the Greek government, will eventually see 1000 EVs replace a fleet of some 1500 gas- and diesel-engined cars on the 44-square-mile island, with electric bicycles and scooters also part of a new fleet being introduced. Emergency vehicles and commercial vehicles will also be replaced with electric ones in the near future, with vehicle rental agencies switching to zero-emission models as well.

    “Astypalea is a laboratory for the mobility of the future. The island is experiencing the same change as any other region in Europe, only in a much shorter time. With the first private customers driving electric now, word will quickly get around how fascinating e-mobility is,” said Maik Stephan, project manager and head of business development at Volkswagen Group.VW is working on more than simply importing new EVs. It’s also getting rid of all the scrap vehicles currently polluting the island, often sitting abandoned in ravines instead of being recycled. (If you’ve ever been to Greece, you know this is a major issue in the country, even on the Aegean Sea islands.) The automaker is now working with the municipality and the importer for Greece Kosmocar to collect broken cars, trucks, and motorcycles from the island, and ship them to the capital Athens on the mainland to be professionally recycled.

    Abandoned cars are a major issue in Greece, especially on islands that often lack large-scale metal recycling facilities. As a result, old cars tend to just sit around or are discarded improperly.
    Volkswagen

    As on other islands in the Aegean Sea, the ability of the local industry to properly recycle scrapped vehicles is limited, which often leads them to be stored indefinitely once they’re no longer running, often by the side of the road or hidden away in the countryside, as shipping them to the mainland imposes costs.The next stages of the project will include the launch of all-electric ride sharing and vehicle sharing, just in time for the summer tourist season.”E-mobility is a perfect match for Astypalea,” said Thanos Papagiannis, shown above, who’s the first ID.3 customer on Astypalea. “The distances here are short, the power consumption is low, and the charging network is now very well developed. I really hope that Astypalea will inspire other regions to increase their efforts for climate protection (by) adopting e-mobility solutions.”

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    Best Minivans for under $35,000: Window Shop with Car and Driver

    You don’t need a license to breed. But you will need a license to drive those babies around. And you’ll want to drive them around in a minivan. Yes, we swear, you do want a minivan. Stop giggling.Infinitely versatile and persistently unstylish, the minivan is so dang practical it ought to be issued with every newborn. But which van is the least embarrassing to be seen in? Which bears the smallest stigma of family hauler? And which can be had for $35,000 or less? That’s why this week’s edition of Window Shop on YouTube exists.This week also features new microphones. Except for editor-in-chief Tony Quiroga who, through the sheer majesty of his aura, imparts his voice directly onto the Internet without the intermediary of a computer. Also participating is youthful-ish Joey Capparella; some guy from Road & Track named Pearley; everyone’s best bud, Jonathon Ramsey; and, voted Best Beard by the readers of Dog Fancy Magazine, K.C. Colwell.Will anyone want to watch a bunch of guys talk about minivans? Nah. But here it is anyhow. Please like, subscribe, indemnify and hold blameless.

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    Honda India Future Plans – Electric Scooters, Flex Fuel Motorcycles

    Honda aims to serve more than 40 overseas markets through its operations in IndiaImage for reference.Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has officially revealed their roadmap / details about their upcoming plans for the country. This involves entry into the electric mobility space as well as introduction of newer technologies like flex-fuel system, etc. The country’s second largest two-wheeler company will introduce multiple EVs in the next few years.Honda India Electric Vehicle PlansThe Japanese brand has said it aims to retail 10 lakh units of electric two-wheelers per annum by 2030. That is a huge number, considering they do not sell a single unit of EV today in 2022. In order to achieve this, Honda will be leveraging support from other Indian subsidiaries. These include the recently established Honda Power Pack Energy India Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru, which will provide battery-sharing service and technical support for EVs from next month.However, it is not yet clear if these models will be overseas products like PCX electric or ‘made-in-India’ models specifically targeted at the India market. Honda is currently studying the feasibility for readying its EV model line-up and developing the overall ecosystem in India. With a massive surge of EV brands in the country, sales volume in the electric two-wheeler space has witnessed a jump of 370 percent last fiscal year.The bikemaker is also working towards developing a battery swapping infrastructure. It has already teamed up with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) to set up swap stations across the country. Further, Honda is testing Benly e electric scooter on Indian roads for fleet and last mile service. The e-scooter features a battery swapping technology that could be used in future models for the two-wheeler segment.Honda electric scooter with battery swap tech – Benly eAlternate Fuel, Flex Fuel TechnologyThe Japanese auto giant is aggressively pursuing development of fuel-efficient products for the country. Honda also plans a phase-wise implementation and integration of flex fuel technology in its model range of scooters as well as motorcycles. This will not only reduce dependency on fossil fuels, but also make vehicles run cleaner thus adhering to future emission norms. Honda is confident of such transition since it already retails such flex fuel two-wheelers overseas.Honda CG 160 Titan – Flex Fuel Motorcycle. Image – La MotoFor example, Honda already retails CG 160 Titan motorcycle in Brazil which can run on both petrol and ethanol. Honda even claims that this was the world’s first ethanol fuel-based motorcycle. Off late, the Government of India has also been pushing towards adoption of alternate fuels and flex fuel technology.Entry-Level Motorcycle To Rival Hero SplendorHonda also plans to dive into the entry-level commuter segment with a new 100cc motorcycle which will rival the likes of Hero Splendor, TVS Sport and Bajaj Platina. Currently, the Japanese brand’s motorcycle portfolio starts with CD110 Dream Yuga which is priced at Rs 66,0033 (ex-showroom) and feels too expensive for an entry-level motorcycle that is barebones essentially.To supplement all these plans, Honda aims to further strengthen its Manesar-based plant in Haryana as a Global Resource Factory for ‘Making in India for the world’. Honda 2Wheelers India currently operates four manufacturing plants-one each in Manesar (Haryana), Tapukara (Rajasthan), Narsapura (Karnataka) and Vithalapur (Gujarat). More

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    Yamaha Sales March 2022 – R15, MT15, FZ S, Fascino, RayZR

    Yamaha India domestic sales and exports dropped on YoY basis while MoM performance was more positiveImage – King IndianAs demand for electric two wheelers rises, petrol powered models are experiencing diminishing sales. Every leading two wheeler maker has posted a YoY de-growth in March 2022 even as MoM sales saw some improvement. Taking domestic sales into account, Yamaha India sales dipped 14.15 percent YoY to 39,697 units in March 2022, down from 46,241 units sold in March 2021. MoM sales improved 14.02 percent over 34,817 units sold in February 2022.Yamaha Sales March 2022Yamaha FZ and FZ25 were the only two models in the company lineup to post both YoY and MoM growth. FZ sales stood at 23,016 units in March 2022, up 38.96 percent over 16,563 units sold in March 2021. This was a 6,453 unit volume growth while the FZ currently commands a 57.98 percent share. MoM sales improved 71.83 percent over 13,395 units sold in February 2022. No other bike in the company lineup was able to cross sales above the 10,000 unit mark.At No. 2 was Yamaha RayZR with a 23.39 percent YoY degrowth to 6,341 units. This was against 8,272 units sold in March 2021 relating to a volume de-growth of 1,931 units while share percentage stands at 15.97. RayZR MoM sales dipped 24.11 percent over 8,355 units sold in February 2022.Yamaha R15’s YoY sales also dipped substantially by 17.46 percent to 5,768 units, down from 6,988 units sold in March 2021. MoM sales fell 9.95 percent over 6,405 units sold in February 2021. Share percentage also dipped MoM from 18.40 percent held in February 2022 to 14.53 percent in the past month. Yamaha MT15 sales were 0 last month, as it was not on sale. This month, the new MT15 V2 has been launched.Yamaha Domestic Sales March 2022YoY and MoM sales of the Fascino also fell significantly by 47.28 percent and 36.53 percent respectively. Sales which had stood at 7,724 units in March 2021 dipped to 4,072 units in March 2022. Sales had also been at 6,416 units in February 2022 leading to a 2,344 unit volume de-growth while share percentage dipped from 18.43 percent to 10.26 percent.FZ25 saw increased demand in domestic markets. Sales which had stood at 222 units in March 2021 increased 125.23 percent to 500 units last month while MoM sales increased 103.25 percent over 246 units sold in February 2022. This caused an increase in share percentage from 0.71 percent to 1.26 percent. Earlier this month, Yamaha announced a price hike across its portfolio. Following this price hike, Yamaha scooters see an increase in the range of Rs 1,600 to Rs 3,000 while the company’s motorcycles have become costlier by up to Rs 4,500.Yamaha India Exports March 2022Even as YoY exports dipped 8.53 percent to 30,731 units in March 2022, down from 33,596 units sold in March 2021, its MoM sales increased 37.96 percent over 22,275 units shipped in February 2022. In global markets, the Yamaha FZ and Saluto commanded more attention from buyers. Yamaha FZ exports increased 4.62 percent to 13,670 units in March 2022, up from 13,066 units sold in March 2021 with a 44.48 percent share. MoM sales also increased substantially by 34.81 percent over 10,140 units sold in February 2022.Yamaha Exports March 2022Exports of Yamaha RayZR dipped 22.01 percent to 4,288 units from 5,498 units sold in March 2021. MoM exports, however, increased by 131.91 percent over 1,849 units sold in February 2022. Yamaha Crux exports fell 27.04 percent on a YoY basis to 4,172 units while MoM shipments increased 57.20 percent over 2,654 units in February 2022. YD125 exports were at 2,550 units in the past month. This was a 5.56 percent MoM de-growth over 2,700 units sold in February 2022.Shipments of the Yamaha FZ25 and SZ also fell 26.83 percent and 0.97 percent YoY to 2,130 units and 2,040 units respectively while SZ MoM performance improved 205.39 percent over 668 units sold in February 2022. Saluto also saw a YoY and MoM growth to 900 units however, R15 exports dipped to 717 units, Alpha (112 units), MT15 (80 units) and Saluto RX (72 units) in the past month. More

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    OSM To Setup World’s Largest Electric 3W Factory In Karnataka

    Omega Seiki plans investment of US$ 250 million targeting 1 million electric three wheelers per annumOmega Seiki Mobility Megafactory in makingOmega Seiki Mobility, an Indian electric vehicle manufacturer, is set to revolutionize the electric three wheeler segment. The company marks World Earth Day by announcing the setup of the world’s largest electric three wheeler manufacturing unit in Karnataka.The new facility being planned by Omega Seiki Mobility (OSM) will be built in three phases. Funds are being raised via equity and debt, to set up this mega factory from where production is scheduled to commence from FY 2024. The facility will be spread over an area of 250 acres and OSM is in talks with existing and new suppliers to set up ancillary units close to this megafactory.Omega Seiki Mobility MegafactoryTotal investment planned is at US$ 250 million (Rs 1,910 crores). Production capacity will stand at 1 million electric three wheeler units per annum. The new OSM Megafactory will cater to demands of the Indian market as well as ASEAN, Africa and the Middle East markets.Mr. Uday Narang, Chairman and Founder, OSM, said “The organised electric three-wheeler market has exponentially grown by a massive 200% in FY22 as against the previous fiscal. This has helped EV 3 wheelers now command a massive 46% of overall three-wheeler volumes. We at OSM believe that adoption of EVs in the last-mile delivery sector and government bodies will help India become the first market in the world where every 3 EV three-wheeler will be sold for every 1 ICE three-wheeler. We want to be the market leader in the three-wheeler market, not just in India but the world and the new OSM Megafactory with a capacity of 1 million units is the first step towards this goal.”Omega Seiki Electric CV – India’s First Electric Small Commercial Vehicle (SCV)OSM Range of Electric Three WheelersOSM, a leader in the electric cargo three wheeler segment with its Rage+ brand, plans to produce the entire range of vehicles among which are Rage+, Rage+ RapidEV, Rage+ Frost, Rage+ Swap, and Rage+ Tipper. The company also plans to embark on the electric three wheeler passenger carrier segment with the OSM Stream which will soon enter production.Omega Seiki Mobility unveiled the country’s first battery-powered small commercial vehicle (SCV) named M1KA in November 2021. The company also has the Rage+ Rapid electric three-wheeler in India, that comes in at a starting price of Rs 3.59 lakh for its open carrier half tray variant and goes up to Rs 3.99 lakh (ex-showroom, India) for top body container variant.OSM Rage+Rapid Electric Three WheelersOmega Seiki’s Rage+ Rapid electric three-wheeler receive RapidX 6,000 fast-charging batteries based on InstaCharge technology developed by Log 9 Materials. The batteries can be charged upto 100 percent in 35 minutes, and capable of taking on tough Indian weather conditions where temperatures range from -30°C to +60°C, allowing up to 40,000 charge-discharge cycles and 10+ years of battery life. The battery offers a range of 90 kms per charge and is directed towards use of last mile cargo and delivery segments in the country.Following its successful entry into the electric three wheeler segment in India, OSM also plans to enter global markets. The company has entered into joint ventures with partners in Bangladesh, Egypt and UAE. As per Dr. Deb Mukherji, Managing Director, Omega Seiki Mobility is the only company in India to offer three powerpack options – long range, rapid charging and swappable. More

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    Royal Enfield 650cc Cruiser, Meteor 650 – Spied In Production Guise

    Royal Enfield is working hard to put its upcoming 650 cruiser line-up through final rounds of testingUpcoming Royal Enfield 650cc cruiser and Meteor 650Upcoming Royal Enfield 650cc test mules have run the gauntlet of testing in every condition for quite a number of years. Royal Enfield will be launching these not only in the domestic market but also overseas and obviously wants them to succeed from the word go.If grapevine is to be believed, the long-awaited Royal Enfield 650 cruiser line-up is all set to make its debut in mid-July this year. As that time approaches, the bikes were caught testing totally undisguised in near production-ready format by Madras Tribe channel.Royal Enfield 650cc Cruiser, Super MeteorThough it is not yet clear how many new 650cc motorcycles are planned for launch, it is safe to predict that there would be at least two models. As can be seen in the spy video below, one motorcycle has a cruiser stance, while the other is more like Meteor.Upcoming RE cruiser 650 is expected to be longer and lower with the rider sitting in a relaxed feet forward position, while Super Meteor 650 will have a conventional stance with the rider sitting in a more upright position.[embedded content][embedded content]Cruiser 650 will come equipped with LED headlight, upside down forks, alloy wheels shod with tubeless tyres and forward-set footpegs placed near the front of the engine covers and right next to exhaust downpipe in typical cruiser fashion. Both bikes will have single disc brakes at both ends with dual-channel ABS. Instrument cluster will be a semi-digital twin-podded affair with a tripper navigation system also on offer.Super Meteor 650 will likely have a halogen headlight, wire-spoke wheels, a conventional telescopic front fork and mid-set footpegs. What would remain common is layout and design of the frame, shape of the fuel-tank, side panels, exhaust system though on the Cruiser 650 it will be finished in chrome while on the Super Meteor 650, it will be finished in matt black.Common engine, gearboxRoyal Enfield will be using the same engine and gearbox from the Interceptor and 650 twins. State of tuning might be altered on the bikes but the 648cc parallel twin engine will have the same output of 47 hp and 52 Nm of torque, like on the 650 twins, mated to a 6-speed transmission with revised gear ratios for more relaxed cruising and higher speeds on highways. Instead of brushed aluminium finish, on the upcoming bikes the engine will be finished in black.The Cruiser 650 could get a 130-section rear tyre mounted on a smaller wheel than the front in typical cruiser configuration, while the Super Meteor 650 will also have different-sized wheels and tyres. Speculation is rife of there being a third model in the cruiser line-up which is being called Classic 650 but at the moment Royal Enfield is holding cards close to their chest and all information will only be disclosed near the launch date. More