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A Russian Instagram model covered her Lamborghini in 2 million Swarovski crystals — take a look

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mercedes sl swarovski crystal

  • A crystal-studded Lamborghini is taking the internet by storm. 
  • The Russian Instagram model Daria Radionova showed off the flashy supercar in London last week. 
  • The $500,000 car is covered in 2 million Swarovski crystals. 
  • Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

London may be full of flashy supercars, but a Russian Instagram model and fashion blogger has found a new way to turn heads: covering a $500,000 Lamborghini Aventador in millions of expensive Swarovski crystals.

Daria Radionova last week posted photos of the car around London, including in the posh Knightsbridge and Sloane Square neighborhoods. The supercar appears to have been decked out with the crystals by the UK's Cars in Cloaks, which also posted photos of the car on Instagram.

Radionova appears to like all things crystal or gold. She previously outfitted her Bentley and another Lamborghini in similar crystals.

Almost ready 💎💎💎 #ba11byy

A post shared by Daria Radionova (@dradionova) on Apr 3, 2017 at 9:07am PDT on

An Instagram account called Rich Kids of London has become popular in recent years, sharing photos of opulent shows of wealth like Radionova's. The account has 20.3K followers, and its Facebook page has 1,916 likes. As you might expect, both feeds are full of private jets, gold Bentley's, and expensive houses to remind regular people of how the 1% lives.

SEE ALSO: Instagram's 'Rich Kids of London' want you to know how much money they have

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The Karlmann King is a $2 million enormous ultra-luxury SUV built upon a Ford F-550


I drove a $250,000 Lamborghini Urus to see if the radical SUV lives up to the hype — here's the verdict

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Lamborghini Urus

  • The Lamborghini Urus is, according to the Italian automaker, the world's first "super sport utility vehicle."
  • Our tester cost $250,000, it was well optioned, and was outfitted in a bonkers yellow paint job. In other words, it was very much a Lamborghini.
  • The Urus is, however, surprisingly versatile.
  • In the end, I decided that Lamborghini did a fantastic job with a design that would have been easy to screw up.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

 

For decades, the names Ferrari and Lamborghini meant sexy, sleek, powerful Italian sports cars — supercars, and later, hypercars. Expensive dream machines.

Of course, the business model for cars that start at $200,000 and keep going until you hit a million or more is ... limited. Until recently, Ferrari built only about 7,000 road cars per year. Lamborghini built less.

Lamborghini was particularly limited, with just the Huracán supercar and the Aventador super-hypercar in its lineup. In this day and age, it made no sense for Lambo to do a grand tourer or a sedan, so instead, we got a "super sport utility vehicle"— a Lambofied SUV that was announced a few years back. 

It hit the market last year, but we didn't get a crack at it until early 2019. We're no strangers to Lambos, having driven various iterations of the Huracán and the Aventador. Personally, after I saw photos of the Urus when it was revealed, I was impressed. It looked crazy cool, like a true SUV supercar.

But would it be a real Lamborghini? On that score I assumed physics would mitigate that Lambo fizz.

I might have been wrong. Read on to find out why:

Photos by Hollis Johnson.

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The 2019 Lamborghini Urus, the most flamboyant SUV on the market, arrived at our New York headquarters on a snowy day. The very Lambo color was "Giallo Auge"— that's Italian and Spanish for "Yellow Boom." Subtle!



And booming the Urus is. It's named for an extinct wild ox (Lambo's have traditionally been named for legendary fighting bulls). Price as tested was $250,000.



The designers have literally done as much as possible to scale up a supercar to SUV proportions. The Urus is all angles and slashes, with a steeply sloping roofline and shark-attack vibe that isn't generally seen with utes.



The front end is like something out of the movie "Tron."



The Lamborghini Urus, like the brand's Huracan supercar, boasts a hexagonal motif, echoed throughout the car, outside and inside. The grille gets the honeycomb, blacked-out treatment.



The headlights are full LEDs that can adapt to driving conditions.



The Urus may be named for an ox, but the badge on the hood is pure fighting bull.



The 22-inch wheels are $700 extra. The carbon-ceramic brakes are not, but the black calipers are $1,100. Our Urus tester had a base price of $200,000 — the add-ons took it to $250,000.



For a super-sport-utility-vehicle, the Urus appears to have a high stance, but the air suspension can raise and lower the vehicle. It's supposed to perform as well on the track as it does off-road. But do you actually want a $250,000 rally car?



Overall, the Urus' design is kind of brilliant. When Lamborghini said it intended to build an SUV, the jokes started coming. But as the look of the machine has rolled out over the past few years, it's become obvious that Lambo genuinely worked through the integration of supercar and truck. Bravo!



Cargo capacity is a respectable 22 cubic feet with the rear seats up (the rears on our tester couldn't be lowered). That was enough to handle our video team's gear, and I was even able to go to IKEA and get two desks and a chair in there, with a bit of interior rejiggering.



On to the meat of the machine: the 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8, making 641 horsepower with 627 pound-feet of torque. Yep, massive in every way, including fuel consumption: 12 mpg city/ 17 highway/14 combined.



This is one impressive motor, tuned to take on everything from racetracks to rock-strewn trails. The power is routed through an 8-speed transmission to the Urus' full-time all-wheel-drive system, which biases the rear wheels in sport modes but distributes the grunt to all four when the conditions get gnarlier. The Urus also has rear-wheel steering.



Much of the "Nero Ade" interior is derived from the Huracan and Lambo's sibling in the VW Group, Audi. (Note the hexagonal dashboard air ducts, which are pure Lambo.)



The interior conjoins sportiness — the yellow topstitched leather, for example — with a fighter-plane cockpit vibe. One of my passengers succinctly described how the Urus differs from other Lambos: "More legroom." The front seats are both heated and cooled.



The script nameplate appears outside and in.



Cupholders! Check out that ambient lighting — it's over $3,000 extra.



The rear seats are snug — but there are rear seats!



In effect, they're more like two extra front seats, slim and well-bolstered.



The headrest logos will cost you $900.



Let's walk though the nerve center of the Urus — and the part that fans of the brand should pay close attention to. Does this thing feel like a Lambo behind the wheel?



The flat-bottomed wheel is wrapped in stitched, perforated leather, and is complete with Italian-flag colors to accompany the switchgear that controls some vehicle functions.



The hexagon theme recurs here.



The starter is below the red switch, and the shifter sits above, like an airplane's throttles.



The anima selector is where you choose your drive modes. There are six, three for on-road and three for off-road and poor conditions: Strada for everyday, Sport for fun, Corsa for serious fun, Sabbia for sand, Terra for rocky terrain, and Neve for wet.

There's also an aptly named "Ego" mode that can be customized to your preference, as far as steering response, suspension, and throttle ae concerned.



The digital instrument cluster adapts to drive modes.



Here it is in Corsa, the most intense mode, with the tachometer front and center.



The Urus' two-screen infotainment/climate control interface is borrowed from Audi.



The main unit is a touchscreen ...



... As is the lower screen. In practice, this takes some getting used to. But it's effective.



The Audi tech that undergirds the system is first-rate.



The audio system is a sweet-sounding Bang & Olufsen 3D Advanced setup, and it is not cheap: $6,300. That's an expensive option, but the full suite of driver assist features matches it.



Bluetooth connections are easy, there's Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available, you have USB ports for devices, and ...



... Lambo has embedded numerous vehicle-setting controls.



Among these is a rundown of drive modes and what effect they're having on the Urus.



So what's the verdict?

We did a "Real Reviews" episode on the Urus to see how the world's first "super sport utility vehicle" (SSUV) fared in some real-world situations, and you can watch here to see how it did (spoiler alert: it lived up to its billing, although my eight-year-old was a harsh critic). 

The upshot is that the Urus is every bit a Lamborghini and a worthy, first SSUV. As it turned out, I got to at least sample how it's 40/60 front-rear-wheel traction distribution adapts to lousy weather, and it adapts magnificently. I drove the Urus into and out of Manhattan in a sloppy snow-and-ice storm, and while in a Huracan I might have been extremely nervous, in the Urus I was in command. I can only imagine what this thing is like on dirt roads.

In more benign conditions, the Urus is ferocious. It has abundant horsepower and abundant torque on tap in any gear, and even if you aren't busting toward the legal speed limit — testing the 0-60 mph dash of 3.5 seconds or tasting the top speed to 190 mph — you can always do that Lambo thing, making use of the the paddle shifters and the manual mode, wringing unholy engine howls and whines from the V8 while tooling this two-ton beast around at mellow velocities.

What it genuinely does that, most other SUVs don't is inspire cornering confidence. I had no qualms about diving into a curve and powering out, as the suspension and steering leaned in and the throttle let me hover between braking and accelerating. 

We've driven sporty SUVS a-plenty at Business Insider, but the Urus is in a new category. It's over-the-top design advertises its Lamborghini-ness, and while the driving dynamics aren't Huracán-y or Aventadorish, they are pretty freakin' flashy. If it hadn't been for the elevated driving position and the somewhat more plush seats, I might have thought at certain moments that I was in one of those cars.

The three boxes of flat-packed furniture in the cargo hold — as well as a passenger in the back seats — were a reminder that I wasn't.

So what's the point, ultimately, of the Urus? 

Well, it has to be all Lambo, but it also has to sell to people who don't have that much use for a supercar or hypercar. Or maybe they do and just want a second Lambo in the driveway. Yes, I know, that's sort of ridiculous. But that's why the Urus exists.

And I, for one, am glad it does.



Police in Brazil shut down a secret factory making fake Ferraris and 'Shamborghinis' — here's some of what they seized

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This July 15, 2019 photo released by Itajai Civil Police, shows car molds of luxury car replicas at a workshop in Itajai, Brazil. Brazilian police dismantled a clandestine workshop run by a father and son who assembled fake Ferraris and Lamborghinis to order, in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina. (Itajai Civil Police via AP)

  • Police in southern Brazil shut down a factory churning out cheap knock-offs of luxury cars and their accessories.
  • The raid followed complaints by Italian companies, and police seized eight partially finished vehicles.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian police say they've shut down a clandestine factory that was producing fake Ferraris and sham Lamborghinis.

SEE ALSO: Mexico is putting luxury cars seized from narcos and military hardware up for auction — here's what you can buy

A father and son who owned the workshop in the southern state of Santa Catarina have been arrested on industrial property charges.



Police said the cars were being offered on social media for $45,000 to $60,000 — a small fraction of the price of the real thing.



Officials didn't say what sort of parts were used to build the vehicles, but they distributed photos showing sleek bodies, as well as badges and accessories emblazoned with the Italian brands.



Monday's raid followed a complaint by the Italian companies. Eight partially finished vehicles were seized.



A body shop in Brazil got busted for building knock-off Lamborghinis and Ferraris that look surprisingly real.

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Brazil Phony Ferraris

  • Police in Brazil shut down a factory making fake Lamborghinis and Ferraris on Monday.
  • The sham cars were being sold for 1/5th the price of the real exotic supercars.
  • The shop was offering the cars on social media for $45,000 to $60,000. The Italian automakers notified police.

Brazilian police have shut down a covert factory making knock-off Ferraris and Lamborghinis on Monday, following complaints from the two Italian automakers.

Police arrested a father and son duo who owned the workshop in Santa Catarina, about 840 miles southwest of Rio de Janeiro, according to the Associated Press.

The shop was offering the cars on social media for $45,000 to $60,000, which is far less than what the genuine exotic supercars cost. The least-expensive 2019 Ferrari model is the Portofino with a MSRP of $214,533 and the Lamborghini Urus has a base price $200,000.

Read more:I drove a $250,000 Lamborghini Urus to see if the radical SUV lives up to the hype — here's the verdict

The sleek vehicles looked similar to the authentic ones and included badges and seats embroidered with the car companies' logos.

Police delegate Angelo Fragelli told Folha de São Paulo that the mechanical parts came from old cars, such as the engine of a Chevrolet Omega. Authorities are still looking into how many sham vehicles were made. 

The raid comes just a few weeks after an Italian court recognized the Ferrari 250 GTO as a work of art, protecting it from reproductions, according to The Telegraph. Only a few dozen of those cars were made during a two-year period in the early 1960s. One Ferrari 250 GTO sold at auction in 2018 for $48 million.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Inside Roborace: the Formula One for self-driving cars

I drove a $610,000 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ and I'm here to tell you that this is the most insane supercar money can buy

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Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

  • I test drove a $610,000 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, a track-optimized version of Lamborghini's top-of-the-line supercar.
  • The Aventador starts a little north of $500,000, but my tester received many thousands of dollars in options.
  • The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ is incredibly expensive, but it pulls off a cool trick: it joins the "Big Lambo" virtues of a 770-horsepower, V12 engine with modern aerodynamics and all-wheel-drive to produce a track weapon.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

I've driven a lot of Lamborghini Huracáns in the past few years, but no Aventadors. I've enjoyed the "Little Lambos," but I longed for the "Big Lambo."

The Huracáns, while brilliant, have been a bit too subdued, for the most part — supercars that can handle everyday driving. 

Not so the Aventador, which reminded me of Lambos of old. My tester car also had the "SVJ" high-performance treatment, intended to make the Aventador a proper track warrior rather than just a very loud, very fast, and very flamboyant example of what the good people of Modena think of when they think supercar.

Here's how it went:

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Say hello to the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, in a "Rosso Mimir" matte-red paint job.



The Aventador is the "Big Lamborghini," versus the smaller Huracán. The Aventador arrived in 2011. The supercar is named after a fighting bull.



The SVJ logo is— brace yourself — $8,400 extra. SVJ stands for "Superveloce Jot." Superveloce means "superfast" in Italian, and Jota is a designation used for Lambos geared towards track performance.



The base Aventador is about $517,000, but my SVJ tester car — the second-most expensive vehicle Business Insider has sampled, behind the Rolls-Royce Phantom — benefited from many thousands of options and upgrades, taking the price to $610,000.



The Aventador's upswinging doors are a dramatic feature.



The doors look cool, but in practice they're a bit difficult to use.



The Big Lambo is, relatively speaking, rather small (And low!) as cars go. The mid-engine layout pushes the driver's position forward, close to the front wheels. Fully fueled, it weighs in at just under 4,000 lbs.



Just 900 SVJ's will be produced in Modena; my tester car was numero uno.



Lamborghini Aventador SVJ that I tested differs from the stock Aventador thanks to an "Ad Personam" custom exterior and exterior, as well as additional carbon-fiber aero elements and a beefed-up engine.



The Aventador's land-shark design comes through, nevertheless.



The all-wheel-drive Lamborghini Aventador SVJ also has rear-wheel steering. The upshot is that handling is exceptionally stable, despite the incredibly stiff suspension.



This supercar is a wind-cheating wedge. The 0-60 mph passes in 2.8 seconds, on the way to a top speed of over 217 mph.



The Aventador SVJ isn't exactly a fuel-economy champ. You can expect about 11 mpg, using premium petrol.



The SVJ's rear is dominated by a massive rear wing, part of the "ALA 2.0" or Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva, package.



The wing is really a wing, complete with winglets and an airfoil design that manages turbulence and increases downforce.



I didn't get the car moving fast enough to take advantage of it ...



... But ALA is a compelling system, if you intend to track your SVJ.



The aero extends to the front end, as well ...



... Where a "floating" front splitter adds downforce and improves airflow.



Side scoops also contribute to airflow efficiency and engine cooling.



The shark-nosed front is also where you'll find the Lambo's raging-bull badge, in snarling gold.



The headlights are bi-xenon units, and the grand scheme of the Aventador's aesthetic, they could be more flamboyant.



If you can manage to look below the wing ...



... You'll notice that the Aventador has a pair of pretty massive exhaust pipes. Not to mention a major-league diffuser.



These are the end point of the Lambo's legendary growl, bark, blurp, and shriek.



Carbon-ceramic brakes are a necessity on a car this fast. As are Pirelli P-Zero tires.



A little more carbon fiber can't hurt, right? The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ has it for the side-view mirrors!



The Lamborghini Aventador's front trunk or "frunk" is ...



... Too small for even a hat. For some supercars, there are trade-offs.



Beneath this louvered carapace is the cruel heart of the Aventador SVJ: a 6.5-liter V12.



It produces 770 horsepower and 720 pound-feet of torque, with a redline at 8,700 rpm.



Let's slip inside the "Nero Cosmus" interior.



The Aventador door sill lights up at night.



Operating the doors is tricky. Here's the inside latch.



And once the door is raised, you can pull it down with this red strap.



It's easy to spot in a sea of carbon fiber.



The Aventador's steering wheel is Alcantara and perforated leather, with long paddle shifters and a digital instrument cluster.



The cluster changes its look depending on the drive mode.



The modest, Audi-derived infotainment screen sits atop the center console. It's handles is duties quite well, but it's a little awkward to navigate using the multipurpose knob-and-buttons interface.



The starter button is hidden beneath a small red hatch, fighter-plane style.



Flip it up and fire it up! The sounds of a Lambo coming to life is one of the world's great auditory pleasures. The Aventador's "anima" buttons offer Strada (road), Sport, Corsa (track), and an individual "Ego" mode.



But the premium sound system isn't too bad by comparison.



Lamborghini callouts are where they usually are ...



... As well as on the headrests ...



... And there's an SVJ nod on the seat bolsters.



The interior is nice, but this thing is a race car, so don't expect cupholders. or even storage compartments. I'm not even sure this depression in the armrest is really intended to hold the key fob.



The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ looks cool, but it isn't terribly comfy inside.



And you can forget about using the rear backlight.



So what's the verdict?

With the Huracán, Lamborghini moved decisively away from the signature combination of crude and flashy that had previously defined the brand. The Huracán is, depending in configuration, the easiest-to-drive Lambo ever created.

That's all well and good, but some Lamboistas crave that old-time terrifying Lamborghini experience. And for them, the Aventador SVJ is just what il dottore ordered. 

The Aventador SVJ is, of course, the already insane Aventador optimized to ravage racetracks. As such, it offers effectively no compromises. The SVJ is, without a doubt, the most difficult-to-drive supercar I've ever gotten behind the wheel of. For example, with a redline at 8,700 rpm, even in theoretically benign Strada mode, getting the seven-speed single-clutch transmission and the V12 engine to stop kicking you in the tush is a tall order.

Tickling that redline and thereby mitigating the more F1-aspects of driving the SVJ is impossible. You could perhaps get there in third gear, but you'd be afraid that the motor would burst through the firewall and kill you, and also you'd be going 1oo mph in a red Italian supercar on public roads and raising a wail that could back off a starving Tyrannosaurus Rex.

To be honest, it usually isn't the overt supercars, the automotive big boys, that terrify me like this. Rather, it's the wild little machines that punch miles above their weight. I consider myself fairly accomplished at getting some satisfying real-world supercar performance out of these four-wheeled aristocratic savages. Not so the Aventador SVJ. This is the Big Lambo that shredded the Nürburgring in just over six minutes and 42 seconds, claiming the title of fastest production car to lap the German Nordschleife circuit.

What we have here is a majestic throwback, modified to be a modern-day track weapon, with enough aerodynamic extras to impress a US Navy fighter jock. The Lamborghini SVJ is, however, at base, a simple idea: take a huge amount of engine displacement, add gas and air, and use that alchemy to produce shattering, noisy velocity. What the SVJ treatment does is refine this familiar Lambo quality to be altogether better around corners and into curves.

That's great, but let's be real — this Big Lambo is still insane in a big way. In fact, it's perhaps the most insane Lambo I've driven lately. And it's definitely the most insane Lambo money can buy.



I drove a $610,000 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, a $250,000 Lamborghini Urus, a $98,000 Audi RS 5 Sportback, a $42,000 VW Golf R, and a $27,000 Final Edition of the VW Beetle — here are the big differences in those cars

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Lamborghini Urus

  • It's a constant question: "Is the ultra-expensive car really worth it compared to a much cheaper set of wheels?"
  • I set out to answer that question by comparing five VW Group vehicles: the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ and Lamborghini Urus; the Audi RS5 Sportback; and the VW Golf R and VW Beetle Final Edition.
  • The upshot is that one can get great performance and premium quality at under $50,000. But if you want a howling Lamborghini V12 engine, it's still gonna cost ya!
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Is a $610,000 car really an entire mortgage better than a $27,000 car?

That's the question I set out to answer, after testing five vehicles a across a wide spectrum of prices. The quintet had something in common: they were all made by the VW Group which owns the VW, Audi, and Lamborghini brands.

I thought about comparing just sedans or SUVs, but the truth is that sometimes a luxury SUV might be based on a mass-market vehicle, so distinctions are harder to draw. In that case, you're dealing with premium appointments, luxurious extras, and upmarket styling. Mechanically and performance-wise, however, the vehicles could be quite similar.

So I took a different approach, along the lines of "What are you getting for your money?" I also enjoyed all six of these vehicles, so I had a positive baseline to begin with.

Let's see how it all went down!

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We'll start with the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, a track-oriented version of the "Big Lambo," already a near-hypercar that at $610,000 is the second most expensive vehicle we've tested at BI, after the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Read the review »



The Aventador arrived in 2011 and, like all Lambo sports cars, is named for a fighting bull. The car is a beast, and in a "Rosso Mimir" matte-red paint job, it looked ultra-aggressive. The base Aventador is about $517,000



What you're paying for in a car like this boils down to three things. First and foremost, you're getting a 6.5-liter V12 engine, making 770 horsepower and 720 pound-feet of torque, with a redline at 8,700 rpm.



Next, you're shelling out for space-age aerodynamics, crafted from carbon fiber. This supercar is a wind-cheating wedge. The 0-60 mph passes in 2.8 seconds, on the way to a top speed of over 217 mph. The huge rear wing is part of the "ALA 2.0" or Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva, package. This includes a front splitter and rear diffuser.



Finally, you're paying a sort of Lamborghini insanity premium. With its land-shark styling and upswing doors, the Aventador SVJ is the pinnacle of flamboyant Lambo-ness.



You aren't paying for trunk space — because there isn't one! The Aventador SVJ is a mid-engine supercar that has a front trunk, or "frunk." And it barely has room for a hat. Actually, scratch that — even a hat won't fit.



Because the Aventador SVJ is in the VW Group family, it does enjoy the benefits of the corporation's shared technology features. The infotainment system makes do with a small screen in a jet-fighter-cockpit cabin, but it's fairly good as supercars go.



On to the Aventador's newest stablemate, the much-anticipated Lamborghini Urus SUV.

Read the review.



The Urus arrived at our New York headquarters on a snowy day. The very Lambo color was "Giallo Auge"— that's Italian and Spanish for "Yellow Boom." Price: $250,000.



A major piece of the hefty price tag is that the Urus — named for an extinct wild ox — has to evoke that same Lambo-ness that the Aventador does, but in the form of an SUV. Against the odds, the Urus pulls it off.



The 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8, making 641 horsepower with 627 pound-feet of torque will also cost you some dough. And not just for its performance: 3.5 seconds for the 0-60 mph dash, with a the top speed of 190 mph. The MPGs are 12 mpg city/17 highway/14 combined. So expect to part with some dollars at the pump.



What's this? A back seat in a Lambo?!?! Actually, it's a pretty nice back seat, so with the Urus you're getting staggering performance plus enough seating to carry three passengers.



Cargo capacity is a respectable 22 cubic feet with the rear seats up (the rears on our tester couldn't be lowered). That's pretty good, but of course you can get as much or more in an SUV that costs literally hundreds of thousands less.



The Urus, more so than the Aventador, benefits from having Audi as a corporate cousin. The entire infotainment setup is derived from Audi's, and that's good news because it's among the best in the industry.



Speaking of Audi, how about we take a closer look at the Audi RS5 Sportback, in a show-stopping "Sonoma Green Metallic" paint job. Before many thousands of dollars in options, the car costs $74,200. As tested, it was $97,815.

Read the review.



The RS5 Sportback is a four-door version of Audi's A5, with some added goodies. For example, the car was equipped with a $5,500 black carbon-fiber package.



The dashing fastback roofline means that there's a hatch rather than a trunk.



Under the hood is a punchy, 2.9-liter, twin-turbo V6, making 444 horsepower with 443-pound-feet of torque. It blasts the Sportback to 60 mph in under four seconds. Fuel economy is respectable if not remarkable: 17 city/26 highway/20 combined, running on premium fuel.



Under the hatch, 12 cubic feet of useful cargo space is revealed. That's plenty for a weekend getaway, or for grocery-store runs.



The interior is sport, luxurious, and yet never blingy, in typical Audi fashion. The Audi MMI/Virtual Cockpit combo of instrument cluster and infotainment screen is fantastic.



Now we move down to the VW Group's core brand and the "Lapiz Blue Metallic" Golf R, a high-performance version of the good-old Golf hatch. It was just south of $42,000 on the sticker price.

Read the review.



The Golf R is being dropped from the VW range in 2020, but the vehicle is slated to return with a new name a bit later.



With cars such as the Sportback and the Lambos, you assume superlative build quality. With outstanding cheaper cars such as the Golf R, you're surprised by it. But that's a definite selling point!



The Golf R's interior isn't fancy, but the minimalism should appeal to a lot of buyers who don't want or need wood grain and plush leather. The four-door/hatchback design also makes for serious versatility.



The gutsy 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine makes 288 horsepower with 285 pound-feet of torque. The 0-60 mph run is achieved in about six seconds, and fuel economy is fine: 22 mpg city/29 highway/25 combined.



The Golf R has about 23 cubic feet without the rear seats dropped. With the rears down, that capacity more than doubles. Such is life with a hatchback! You have ample space for stuff.



The instruments and infotainment setup are a bit of a trade-off, relative to what you get on the Audi. But everything in the Golf R works as advertised.



Finally, we'll check out the VW Beetle "Final Edition" SEL, in a handsome "Platinum Gray Metallic" paint job. It's just under $27,000 in price — and sadly, the last in a long line of Beetles. VW has ended production.



The VW Beetle, however, is an excellent example of a low-cost, high-quality, fun-to-drive set of wheels.



It's also stylish. For the same price, of course, you can buy plenty of compact four-doors and subcompact crossovers from competing brands.



The two-tone interior was smashing, and while the back seat is as hard to access as it is in any two-door, its fairly roomy.



The hatch covers a 15-cubic-foot cargo area, which is on par with what you usually see in the segment.



The VW Beetle Final Edition is powered by a 2.0-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine that makes 174 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. Acceleration isn't slow, just not blisteringly fast: the 0-60 mph dash happens in less than eight seconds. Fuel economy is fixed-income friendly: 29 mpg city/33 highway/26 combined.



The 6.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system is sort of antiquated, but navigation, media, and Bluetooth pairing all performed flawlessly in my testing, as did the voice-recognition program.



So what's our verdict? Is the $610,000 supercar worth a nice house more than the plucky hatchback?

The answer is: It depends.

Objectively, the Aventador and to a lesser extent, the Urus, are flashy playthings for the 1%. But supercars always have been. And now super-SUVs have joined that party.

But you can get fantastic driving performance for much, much less than the Aventador. The new Corvette Stingray, for example, is a mid-engine supercar design, and it's priced at less than $60,000.

And what the Urus does can also be handled by far less expensive BMW and Audi SUVs.

A better question is, "Is the Audi RS5 Sportback worth its almost $100,000 cost? And the answer there is absolutely yes. In fact, its performance-to-versatility ratio makes it look like a bargain. And it's completely crammed with tech, luxury, and go-fast goodies.

The truly staggering performance value, however, is the VW Golf R. This is the kind of car that puts a smile on your face every time you drive it, but the monthly payments are within reach for a large number of consumers. It proves that there are still some no-compromise cars out there that can do it all.

The Beetle, meanwhile, it simply proof that a cool, enjoyable car with excellent pep and eye-catching design does exist at a sub-$30,000 price point. (And once the Beetle is gone, there will still be MINI and its groovy little two-doors.)

What this comparison tells us is that unlike a few decades back, when buying a small hatchback meant accepting low-grade build quality and wimpy performance, consumers can now obtain plenty of car for a reasonable amount of money: less than $50,000. 

Moving up the price ladder, then, is more about differences of degree. While the Golf R is undeniably a blast, the Aventador SVJ is utterly mind-blowing. If you're into having your mind blown, then spending $610,000 might be the best way to do it.

So which of these rides would I buy? Most likely the Golf R, but if I were feeling loose, probably the Audi RS5 Sportback. And to be honest, I don't think anybody needs to spend $610,000 on a supercar when the Lambo Aventador SVJ's charms can be relished for a lot less. 

Then again, a Lamborghini is a Lamborghini, and if that's what you want, you're gonna need to pay up.



Lamborghini just announced its most powerful car ever, the hybrid electric Sián

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Lamborghini Sián

Lamborghini has announced the Sián, newly crowned the most powerful car it has ever produced. It also doubles as its first hybrid.

The Sián has a combined horsepower rating of 819, 34 of which comes from its 48-volt electric motor. That beats the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, which has the same V12 engine without the electric motor.

The new car can accelerate to 62 mph in under 2.8 seconds and has a top speed of 217 mph, Lamborghini says.

 The car is Lamborghini's first step towards hybridization and electrification, according to the automaker. The electric motor helps drivers in situations where low speed is required, driving in reverse and parking.

The car's electric motor is part of the gearbox which is designed to provide a quicker response and better performance for the car. This is not typical for a low-voltage hybrid, and Lamborghini says it is the first time it has ever been done.

"Sián" is a word in the Bolognese dialect that means  "flash" or "lightning," an obvious nod to the car's hybrid.

Read more: Bugatti's new $18.7 million hypercar was purchased by an anonymous buyer, making it the most expensive new car ever sold

"Not only does the Sián deliver a formidable hyper-car design and engineering tour de force today, it augments the potential for Lamborghini as a super sports car brand for tomorrow and for decades to come, even as hybridization becomes more desirable and inevitably essential,"  Automobili Lamborghini Chairman and CEO Stefano Domenicali said in a prepared statement.

Only 63 units of the car will be created in honor of the year Automobili Lamborghini was founded, 1963. Each car will be individually customized and styled by its owners via the automaker's design studio and program, Lamborghini Centro Stile and Lamborghini Ad Personam. All examples are already spoken for.

Take a sneak peek at the car that will soon be officially unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show:

SEE ALSO: This $300,000 luxury Hummer features quilted leather seats and only 12 are being made — take a look inside

Lamborghini says it used technology from its previous model, the Aventador, and improved it to store 10 times the power.



The Sián has a combined horsepower rating of 819, making ti the most powerful Lamborghini ever produced.



The car uses the same naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine that Lamborghini put in the SVJ.



But it also equipped with a 48-volt electric motor that delivers 34 horsepower. This, combined with the 785 horsepower V12 engine, allows the car to reach the total of 819 horsepower.



The automaker claims the car has the lowest weight-to-power ratio of all V12 Lamborghinis.



The car can reach 62 mph in under 2.8 seconds and has a top speed of over 217 mph.



Only 63 units of the car will be created in honor of the year Automobili Lamborghini was founded, 1963.



Each car will be individually customized and styled by its owners via the automaker’s design studio and program, Lamborghini Centro Stile and Lamborghini Ad Personam.



“Sián” is the word in the Bolognese dialect that means “flash” or “lightning,” which is an obvious reference to the electric applications.



“Not only does the Sián deliver a formidable hyper-car design and engineering tour de force today, it augments the potential for Lamborghini as a super sports car brand for tomorrow and for decades to come, even as hybridization becomes more desirable and inevitably essential,” Automobili Lamborghini Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Stefano Domenicali said in a prepared statement.



The electric motor also helps low-speed maneuvers such as reversing and parking.



The car will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2019, which runs from Sept. 14 to 24.



All 63 of the models being produced have already been spoken for, and are already sold.



25 luxury cars seized from an African dictator's son were sold for $27 million — here's what was on the auction block

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FILE - This Tuesday, March 5, 2013 file photo shows the new Lamborghini Veneno during the first media day of the 83rd Geneva International Motor Show, Switzerland. On Sunday, Sept. 28, 2019, an auction house in Switzerland is set to sell 25 luxury cars including Ferraris, Rolls-Royces and a Lamborghini Veneno that Geneva authorities seized from the son of Equatorial Guinea's president in a money-laundering probe. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani, file)

  • Twenty-five luxury cars seized from Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue were sold by a Swiss auction house on Sunday.
  • The cars belonging to the son of Equatorial Guinea's ruler included Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Bugattis.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

GENEVA (AP) — Car lovers from around the world splashed out more than $27 million at an auction Sunday for dozens of luxury cars seized from the son of Equatorial Guinea's president in a Swiss money-laundering probe.

The 25 lots sold by auction house Bonhams included a white-and-cream 2014 Lamborghini Veneno roadster that cost the buyer 8.28 million Swiss francs ($8.4 million), comprising a 15% premium for the auction house but with potential taxes still to be added.

The supercar — one of only nine such versions produced — had been driven only 325 kilometers (201 miles) and has an official top speed of 359 kilometers per hour (223 mph), Bonhams said.

Total proceeds from the sale beat the 18.5 million francs ($18.7 million) that authorities had hoped to fetch for a charity to benefit the people of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.

SEE ALSO: Police in Brazil shut down a secret factory making fake Ferraris and 'Shamborghinis' — here's some of what they seized

The auction comes after the Geneva prosecutor's office announced in February it had closed a case against Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of the country's four-decade president, Teodoro Obiang, and two others following a probe of money laundering and mismanagement of public assets.

Swiss authorities seized the cars and ordered the sequestration of a yacht in 2016.

The yacht was released in the arrangement announced in February, under which Equatorial Guinea agreed to pay Geneva authorities 1.3 million Swiss francs "notably to cover procedural costs," the prosecutor's office said.



Other cars sold at the Domaine de Bonmmont golf club on the edge of Geneva included a yellow 2003 Ferrari Enzo for 3.1 million francs, and a 2015 Koenigsegg One:1 that fetched 4.6 million francs.

An armored 1998 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur limousine described as being "perfect for someone with enemies" but requiring extensive work sold for 86,250 francs.



The Equatorial Guinea president's son, who is also a vice president, has been ensnared in legal trouble elsewhere.

Last year, Brazilian officials said $16 million in undeclared cash and luxury watches that were seized from a delegation he led may have been part of an effort to launder money embezzled from the country's government.

And a Paris court in 2017 convicted the son of embezzling millions of dollars in public money, although the case has been appealed.



The Geneva prosecutor's office in February cited rules allowing prosecutors to close cases in which the person under investigation had "repaired the damage or done everything that could have been expected of him or her to make up for the wrong that was caused."

The investigation involved authorities in the United States, the Cayman Islands, France, Monaco, Denmark, the Netherlands and the Marshall Islands.

___

Frank Jordans contributed to this report from Berlin.




See all the supercars seized from the son of an African dictator that just sold at auction for $27 million

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Bonhams Geneva 9_Lamborghini Veneno Roadster (2014)

Super and hypercars once owned by Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, vice president of Equatorial Guinea and son of the country's dictator, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, just auctioned off with Bonhams Auction House in Switzerland.

In total, 26 supercars fetched $26.9 million. This includes a 2014 Koenigsegg One:1, 1993 Porsche 911 Type 964 Turbo S 'Leichtbau' Coupé, 2015 Ferrari La Ferrari, and 2011 Aston Martin One-77, which all went for over $1 million in the auction.

The cars were originally seized after Swiss officials investigated Nguema Obiang for corruption and money laundering.

Read more: Watch a controversial $20 million 'Porsche' fail to sell in a huge auction mishap

The auction house hailed the sale as a "supercar success" after all 26 cars were auctioned off, an accomplishment compared to the Monterey Car Auction flops earlier this year.

The auction also set a world record for the highest amount achieved for a Lamborghini Veneno, which auctioned off for $8.27 million. This gives it the title of the world's most expensive Lamborghini ever auctioned.

Keep scrolling to read about the tainted history of the cars and its owners:

SEE ALSO: See the super-rare 30 most-expensive cars up for auction at Monterey including vintage Ferraris, Porsches, and Aston Martins

The cars once belonged Vice President of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, according to the Associated Press.

The 2003 Ferrari Enzo pictured fetched $3,102,722. The car had 13 miles on it and was one of 400 Enzos produced, according to the auction house.

Source: Associated Press



In 2017, Obiang Mangu was convicted of money laundering and embezzlement of over $100 million, although he appealed the case, the New York Times reported.

The pictured yellow 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari fetched $1.95 million The blue Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 Coupe achieved a little less at $1.3 million.

Source: The New York Times



His father was also investigated a decade prior after an accusation of state money embezzlement was filed against him and two other African heads of states.



In 2011, authorities seized parts of President Obiang’s property, including several luxury cars that were auctioned off.

The pictured 2015 Ferrari F12tdf Berlinetta fetched $861,867. It was one of 799 examples built and has about 430 miles on it.



These cars included the Ferrari Enzo and Mercedes Maybach.

The red 2011 Aston Martin One 77 Coupé auctioned off for $1.55 million. It was the 35th of 77 examples built and had about 761 miles logged.



In 2016, Swiss authorities confiscated 11 cars and a yacht from the younger Obiang according to the BBC.

This 2014 McLaren P1 Coupe achieved $1.26 million It is one of 375 of the hybrid hypercars built and has about 604 miles logged.

Source: BBC



Swiss prosecutors dropped the charges this past February and returned his yacht after Obiang agreed to pay $1.2 million to cover the investigation and procedural costs, according to the Washington Post.

The pictured 2015 Koenigsegg One:1 fetched $4.6 million.

Source: Washington Post



The 2016 Swiss case was allowed to be closed under the rule that the person being investigated “repaired the damage or done everything that could have been expected of him or her to make up for the wrong that was caused.”

The pictured hybrid 2014 McLaren P1 Coupé achieved $1.26 million and is one of 375 examples produced.



Obiang has been known to publicly live an extravagant “playboy lifestyle,” according to the BBC.

Source: BBC



The seized cars were sold by the State of Geneva.

This 1996 Ferrari Testarossa 512M Coupé went for $189,610 and has 1,235 miles recorded.



The 26 cars auctioned off for $26.9 million.

The 1996 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster, pictured, went for $218,339. It is the automaker's first open-top car with a V12 engine.



This exceeded the original estimated of about $18.7 million, authorities estimated the auction would fetch.

This 1998 Ferrari 550 Maranello Coupé fetched $91,932. It was originally delivered new to California and has been driven 2,406 miles.



This is the first Bonhams sale to take place in Switzerland in over a decade.

The 2007 Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé went for $195,356. Bonhams called it the "pinnacle of motoring opulence."



Bonhams called the auction a “very special sale” and a “supercar sweep.”

The 2009 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Coupé Chassis, pictured, has been called the "best Ferrari of its generation." It went for $172,373.



The most expensive car auctioned — and now the most expensive Lamborghini ever to be auctioned — was the 2014 Lamborghini Veneno, pictured, which went for a record-setting $8.3 million. The bidding lasted seven minutes long.



The $4.6 million Koenigsegg One:1 was one of only six examples made and had almost 371 miles logged.



The pictured 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder fetched $1.5 million It is one of 918 models made and was auctioned off with 361 miles on it.



Roughly $23.6 million was donated to charity as a result of the auction.

This 1998 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Armoured Touring Limousine requires restoration and reassembly but auctioned off for $86,186.



The money from the auction will be donated to a charity in Equatorial Guinea.

Bonhams claims this pictured 2002 Rolls Royce Silver Seraph Long Wheelbase Saloon needs "cosmetic refurbishment." The car, which is one of 127 examples made, auctioned for $36,773



This $8 million Lamborghini seized from an African dictator's son just became the most expensive ever sold

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Lamborghini Veneno Roadster (2014) 2

  • A 2014 Lamborghini Veneno fetched about $8.4 million at a Bonhams auction in Switzerland on Sunday.
  • The car was seized from Equatorial Guinea's vice president, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, by Swiss officials in 2016, the BBC reported.
  • The supercar is one of 26 vehicles from Obiang's collection that were auctioned by the state of Geneva and Bonhams.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A 2014 Lamborghini Veneno Roadster fetched about $8.4 million at an auction in Switzerland on Sunday, making it the world's most expensive Lamborghini ever auctioned, according to the auction house.

The car was part of a collection of 26 supercars auctioned off by Bonham and the state of Geneva. The cars had been seized from the vice president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of the oil-rich country's dictator, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

Read more:The most expensive car sold this year at auction is now an ultra-rare 1994 McLaren F1 which just auctioned for a record $19.8 million

Obiang Mangue was charged in 2017 with money laundering and embezzling over $100 million. The case was closed in February, The Associated Press reported. The Lamborghini was seized by Swiss authorities in 2016, according to the BBC.

The 26 supercars fetched almost $27 million in total at the auction. A portion of the sales — about $23.5 million — will be donated to a charity in Equatorial Guinea, Bonhams said.

Check out what is now the world's most expensive auctioned Lamborghini, which has a dark history:

SEE ALSO: Bugatti's new $3.9 million hypercar broke a world record for going over 300 miles per hour — now it's for sale

The roadster version of the Veneno was €3.3 million when it was unveiled in 2014.

Source: Top Gear



The Veneno was based on the Lamborghini Aventador and was created to celebrate the automaker's 50th anniversary.

Source: Top Gear



All nine examples of the Veneno Roadster sold out immediately.

Source: Lamborghini



"This Lamborghini concept car represents state-of-the-art design inspired by aeronautics, capable of giving you the indescribable feeling of flying on the road," the automaker said.

Source: Lamborghini



This car was sold for about $8.4 million, making it the most expensive Lamborghini ever auctioned, the auction house said.

Source: Bonhams



A 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV had held the record, fetching about €2.4 million in a Paris auction in 2017, according to Penta.

Source: Penta



This is the seventh of the nine Lamborghini Veneno Roadsters made.

Source: Bonhams



The car had logged 325 kilometers, or about 200 miles, upon its auction.

Source: Bonhams



It's in "as new" condition, with only "a slight scratch on the right rear wheel."

Source: Bonhams



The car has a V12 engine, giving it a top speed of about 220 mph.

Source: Bonhams



It has a 0-to-60 time of 2.8 seconds.

Source: Bonhams



Bonhams said that the tires on the auctioned vehicles were replaced in 2015 but that the battery needs to be changed.

Source: Bonhams



The car has a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, with a body designed to improve airflow and increase downforce, therefore increasing its speed.

Source: Bonhams



"Lamborghini's aim with the Veneno was to create a close approximation to a sports-racing prototype that would nevertheless be road legal, which entailed making a big departure from the styling of previous Lamborghini models," Bonhams said.

Source: Bonhams



Like other Lamborghini supercars, the Veneno Roadster has scissor doors that open vertically.

Source: Bonhams



The car comes with the "owner's handbook, car cover, all books and tools, and Equatorial Guinea registration papers and technical inspection," Bonhams said.

Source: Bonhams



Bonhams called owning the car a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Source: Bonhams



This 1969 Lamborghini Miura hidden away in a barn for years just sold for $1.6 million

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1_1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S by Bertone

A 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S by Bertone just auctioned off for almost £1.25, about $1.6 million.

The same family had owned the car since 1974, although it was kept nearly undisturbed in a barn since 2015. The Lamborghini passed through two owners before being auctioned off to its third on October 24 at a Sotheby's auction in London. 

Lamborghini named the Miura after legendary Spanish fighting bull breeder Don Eduardo Miura Fernández, according to the auction house. It also claims the Lamborghini Miura is the first modern supercar because of its speed, design, and "technical innovation" of its time.

"Arguably the most significant sports car of its era, the Miura catapulted Lamborghini into the same league as Ferrari and Porsche," the auction house wrote in a prepared statement.

Another 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S by Bertone went for almost $1.27 million in 2014, also with Sotheby's.

Keep scrolling to learn about the detailed, well-documented history of the million-dollar sports car:

SEE ALSO: This $8 million Lamborghini seized from an African dictator's son is the most expensive ever sold

The auction house claims the car is in “spectacular condition.”



It has its original Giallo Fly Yellow exterior paint job…



...which contrasts the Skay Bleu interior.



There are two deviations from the original that were added by its previous owners: front indicators and four-point seat belts.



There are vintage photos that have documented the car's life including this one, taken in Nürnberg on the day its second owner acquired it in 1974….



...and this one when the same owner brought his Lamborghini and Porsche 911 to Cremona, Italy in 1975...



...and this one, parked in his driveway.



The car was auctioned with its period documents that prove its authenticity.



These documents include its original 1971 German registration, original license plates, and service books, and documents from the second owner such as letters exchanged with the Lamborghini factory.



The yellow sports car still has its original engine.



It was originally designed by Bertone’s Marcello Gandini, an Italian car designer.



The auction house claims the Miura was the first supercar.



“With its otherworldly looks and extraordinary performance, the Miura became the car of rock stars, playboys, and wealthy eccentrics alike,” RM Sotheby's said in a prepared statement.



The P400 S was first unveiled to the public in 1968. It is the second production run of the P400.



This car was completed in September 1969.



It was first owned by Walter Becker of Nürnberg, Germany until 1971.



Becker sold the Lamborghini to Hans Peter Weber of Freiburg in 1974, who then kept it in his possession until his death almost four decades later.



He also owned a couple of Porsche 911s, pictured below on the right of the Lamborghini.



"Whenever my uncle Hans-Peter arrived with his Miura, we could hear him minutes before, as the sound of the engine was traveling fast," Hands Weber's great-nephew said in a prepared statement.



Hans Weber regularly maintained the car, although it has never been fully restored.



After Weber’s passing in 2015, his brother Karl moved the car into a barn for storage.



It needs further servicing in order to be driven on the road again.



“Finding such an example that has been preserved in exceptional original condition by just two careful owners from new is next to impossible,” the auction house said.



Trisha Paytas' $150,000 Lamborghini got stolen and she raged against her 'hella ghetto' building where it was kept

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Trisha Paytas Lamborghini

  • Trisha Paytas, who has over 5 million subscribers on YouTube, revealed her iconic orange Lamborghini, which said she bought $150,000, was stolen.
  • In two videos she explained it was taken from her apartment complex garage, and her custom pink Mercedes G-Wagon was also broken into.
  • She said security had been slipping in The Grove's Palazzo West in La Brea, Los Angeles, where she has lived for the past four years.
  • "Part of me thinks I was targeted ... but part of me feels like I have nice cars and my building has been hella ghetto," she said, adding that she was told there were several other break-ins.
  • Paytas has now moved to a new house in Studio City.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

YouTube star Trisha Paytas had her iconic orange Lamborghini stolen while she was in the midst of moving out of her apartment. Paytas, who has over five million subscribers on her YouTube channels, revealed her car that she bought for $150,000 just over a year ago had been taken from her apartment complex in a video posted on November 12.

Paytas also posted a photo of the stolen vehicle report on an Instagram story with the caption "So my Lamborghini was stolen..." She also revealed her custom pink Mercedes G-Wagon had also been broken into.

In the video, Paytas was surrounded by boxes as she was getting ready to move apartments. She said this meant there would be no more emotional kitchen floor vlogs, but she was happy to be getting out of The Grove's Palazzo West in La Brea, Los Angeles, where she has lived for the past four years.

She explained both cars were in the parking garage, but security had been slipping. She said complaints of threats from neighbors and having packages stolen went ignored, and her sister had noticed a stranger hanging around the garage and looking suspicious over the past week.

"I don't know if it was targeted towards me or random or what," she said. "But it was definitely scary."

Paytas said she wasn't bothered about the cars or the money, because "stuff is just stuff." But she felt violated because she didn't know what the thief wanted or how they got in.

In another vlog on her second channel, Paytas raged against her apartment complex some more.

'That place has always been ghetto'

Paytas said part of her thinks she was targeted but "part of me feels like I have nice cars and my building has been hella ghetto," and that police had said there were several other break-ins.

"That place has always been ghetto," she said. "By the time I post this, I will be f---ing out of there."

She also said fans kept coming up to her when she came out of the police station and asked for pictures.

"It is not the time to ask for pictures when someone is going into a f---ing police station," she said. "If you're going into a police station, something good hasn't happened, no matter how severe or not severe it is ... It's the most stressful thing in the whole f---ing world."

She said she was "visibly distraught" and had to tell fans it wasn't the time for photos.

Paytas is now renting a house in Studio City, which was last offered at $11,500 per month, according to Yahoo. She will be in the same neighborhood as Jason Nash, her ex-boyfriend, and his friend David Dobrik.

But Paytas may be wanting to leave behind her past dramas, considering she is already in a feud with YouTuber Gabbie Hanna over Hanna allegedly telling Nash that Paytas had herpes when they got together, and recently angered many people when she claimed to be transgender because she has "penis envy" and is attracted to gay men.

She also recently trolled the entire internet by teasing an upcoming shotgun wedding, only to marry a cardboard cutout of Brad Pitt.

Read more:

YouTuber Trisha Paytas has responded after receiving criticism for coming out as transgender because she's attracted to gay men

YouTuber Trisha Paytas said she's always wanted a male body because it would make dating gay men easier

YouTuber Trisha Paytas apparently got married in a Las Vegas chapel, then celebrated on stage with Criss Angel

After a week of teasing an upcoming wedding, Trisha Paytas posted a video of her marrying a Brad Pitt cardboard cutout

The life and controversies of YouTuber Trisha Paytas, from public feuds and breakups to identifying as 'a chicken nugget'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 9 items to avoid buying at Costco

One service allows investors to buy and sell shares of classic cars. These are the 10 best-performing car 'stocks' on Rally.

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Aston Martin


The US stock market is surging forward in its historically long expansion, but an unconventional investment is leaving equities in its dust.

Brokerage service Rally is among the businesses offering shares of pricey collectibles. The company began by splitting classic cars into thousands of shares, and has since expanded to list sports memorabilia, classic books, watches, and alcohol.

Several of the car "stocks" listed on Rally have yielded impressive returns. The top nine performing automobiles listed on Rally have outperformed the S&P 500 in the period since their initial offerings, and the cars listed aren't all Italian status symbols. The list of top 10 performers features Mustangs alongside Porsches, and one Mazda landed better returns than a Ferrari.

Here are the top 10 appreciating car "stocks" listed on Rally, by increasing return on investment.

1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale

Performance since offer (July 24, 2017): up 16.53%

S&P 500 performance since offer: up 25.3%

Market value change: $178,500 to $208,000

Current share price: $104



1980 Lamborghini Countach Turbo

Performance since offer (January 17, 2019): up 18.11%

S&P 500 performance since offer: up 17.43%

Market value change: $635,000 to $750,000

Current share price: $150



1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S

Performance since offer (May 10, 2019): up 20%

S&P 500 performance since offer: up 7.4%

Market value change: $66,000 to $79,200

Current share price: $36



1985 Ferrari Testarossa

Performance since offer (November 23, 2017): up 21.88%

S&P 500 performance since offer: up 19.1%

Market value change: $165,000 to $201,100

Current share price: $100.55



1989 Porsche 911 Speedster

Performance since offer (July 20, 2018): up 23.64%

S&P 500 performance since offer: up 10.5%

Market value change: $165,000 to $204,000

Current share price: $102



1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302

Performance since offer (November 21, 2017): up 25.39%

S&P 500 performance since offer: up 19.1%

Market value change: $115,000 to $144,200

Current share price: $72.10



1990 Mazda Miata

Performance since offer (April 17, 2019): up 26.88%

S&P 500 performance since offer: up 6.7%

Market value change: $26,600 to $33,750

Current share price: $6.75



1988 Lamborghini Jalpa

Performance since offer (February 9, 2018): up 28.89%

S&P 500 performance since offer: up 18.1%

Market value change: $135,000 to $174,000

Current share price: $87



1977 Lotus Esprit S1

Performance since offer (November 17, 2016): up 50.71%

S&P 500 performance since offer: up 41.5%

Market value change: $77,700 to $117,100

Current share price: $58.55



1990 Ford Mustang 7Up Edition

Performance since offer (July 24, 2018): up 52.12%

S&P 500 performance since offer: up 9.7%

Market value change: $16,500 to $25,100

Current share price: $12.55

 

Now read more markets coverage from Markets Insider and Business Insider:

Mercedes-parent Daimler warns the costly transition to electric cars is forming a triple-threat to future profits

Charles Schwab saw trading accounts surge 31% in one month after dropping commission fees

Andrew Yang wants to regulate big tech without breaking it up, and says his fan Elon Musk is in full support



We drove a $250,000 Lamborghini Urus SUV to see if the 2019 Car of the Year runner-up was equal to the hype — here's the verdict

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Lamborghini Urus

Editor's note: Business Insider will name its 2019 Car of the Year on November 23. Each day this week, we're taking another look at the five vehicles that were runners-up selected from a pool of 16 finalists. The first vehicle is the 2019 Lamborghini Urus. You can read our full 2019 Car of the Year coverage here.

For decades, the names Ferrari and Lamborghini meant sexy, sleek, powerful Italian sports cars — supercars, and later, hypercars. Expensive dream machines.

Of course, the business model for cars that start at $200,000 and keep going until you hit a million or more is ... limited. Until recently, Ferrari built only about 7,000 road cars per year. Lamborghini built fewer than that.

In this day and age, it made no sense for Lambo to do a grand tourer or a sedan, so instead, we got a "super sport utility vehicle"— a Lambofied SUV that was announced a few years back. But would it be a real Lamborghini? On that score I assumed physics would mitigate that Lambo fizz.

I might have been wrong. Read on to find out why — as well as why the Lamborghini Urus is a 2019 Car of the Year runner-up:

Photos by Hollis Johnson.

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The 2019 Lamborghini Urus, the most flamboyant SUV on the market, arrived at our New York headquarters on a snowy day. The very Lambo color was "Giallo Auge"— that's Italian and Spanish for "Yellow Boom." Subtle!

Read the original review.



And booming the Urus is. It's named for an extinct wild ox (Lambos have traditionally been named for legendary fighting bulls). Price as tested was $250,000. Let's just says the yellow POPS!



The designers have literally done as much as possible to scale up a supercar to SUV proportions. The Urus is all angles and slashes, with a steeply sloping roofline and shark-attack vibe that isn't generally seen with utes.



The front end is like something out of the movie "Tron."



For a super-sport utility vehicle, the Urus appears to have a high stance, but the air suspension can raise and lower the vehicle. It's supposed to perform as well on the track as it does off-road. But do you actually want a $250,000 rally car?



Cargo capacity is a respectable 22 cubic feet with the rear seats up (the rears on our tester couldn't be lowered). That was enough to handle our video team's gear, and I was even able to go to IKEA and get two desks and a chair in there, with a bit of interior rejiggering.



On to the meat of the machine: the 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8, making 641 horsepower with 627 pound-feet of torque. Yep, massive in every way, including fuel consumption: 12 mpg city/17 highway/14 combined.



This is one impressive motor, tuned to take on everything from racetracks to rock-strewn trails. The power is routed through an 8-speed transmission to the Urus' full-time all-wheel-drive system, which biases the rear wheels in sport modes but distributes the grunt to all four when the conditions get gnarlier. The Urus also has rear-wheel steering.



Much of the "Nero Ade" interior is derived from the Huracan and Lambo's sibling in the VW Group, Audi. (Note the hexagonal dashboard air ducts, which are pure Lambo.)



The rear seats are snug — but there are rear seats! In effect, they're more like two extra front seats, slim and well-bolstered.



The flat-bottomed wheel is wrapped in stitched, perforated leather, and is complete with Italian-flag colors to accompany the switchgear that controls some vehicle functions.



The anima selector is where you choose your drive modes. There are six, three for on-road and three for off-road and poor conditions: Strada for everyday, Sport for fun, Corsa for serious fun, Sabbia for sand, Terra for rocky terrain, and Neve for wet.



The Urus' two-screen infotainment/climate control interface is borrowed from Audi.



In practice, this takes some getting used to. But it's effective. The audio system is a sweet-sounding Bang & Olufsen 3D Advanced setup, and it is not cheap: $6,300. That's an expensive option, but the full suite of driver assist features matches it.



So what's the verdict on this 2019 Car of the Year runner-up?

We did a "Real Reviews" episode on the Urus to see how the world's first "super-sport utility vehicle" (SSUV) fared in some real-world situations, and you can watch here to see how it did (spoiler alert: it lived up to its billing, although my 9 year-old was a harsh critic). 

The upshot is that the Urus is every bit a Lamborghini and a worthy, first SSUV. As it turned out, I got to at least sample how its 40/60 front-rear-wheel traction distribution adapts to lousy weather, and it adapts magnificently. I drove the Urus into and out of Manhattan in a sloppy snow-and-ice storm, and while in a Huracan I might have been extremely nervous, in the Urus I was in command. I can only imagine what this thing is like on dirt roads.

In more benign conditions, the Urus is ferocious. It has abundant horsepower and abundant torque on tap in any gear, and even if you aren't busting toward the legal speed limit — testing the 0-60 mph dash of 3.5 seconds or tasting the top speed to 190 mph — you can always do that Lambo thing, making use of the the paddle shifters and the manual mode, wringing unholy engine howls and whines from the V8 while tooling this two-ton beast around at mellow velocities.

What it genuinely does that, most other SUVs don't is inspire cornering confidence. I had no qualms about diving into a curve and powering out, as the suspension and steering leaned in and the throttle let me hover between braking and accelerating. 

We've driven sporty SUVS a-plenty at Business Insider, but the Urus is in a new category. It's over-the-top design advertises its Lamborghini-ness, and while the driving dynamics aren't Huracán-y or Aventadorish, they are pretty freakin' flashy. If it hadn't been for the elevated driving position and the somewhat more plush seats, I might have thought at certain moments that I was in one of those cars.

The three boxes of flat-packed furniture in the cargo hold — as well as a passenger in the back seats — were a reminder that I wasn't.

So what's the point, ultimately, of the Urus? 

Well, it has to be all Lambo, but it also has to sell to people who don't have that much use for a supercar or hypercar. Or maybe they do and just want a second Lambo in the driveway. Yes, I know, that's sort of ridiculous. But that's why the Urus exists.

And I, for one, am glad it does.

Congratulations to Lamborghini for doing the impossible — that's why the Urus is a 2019 Car of the Year runner-up.



Tesla's Cybertruck has been called 'ugly as sin.' Here are 12 other cars that are considered the ugliest ever produced.

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lamborghini veneno

Tesla's Cybertruck was unveiled last week to much criticism over its geometric, futuristic appearance and even called "one powerfully ugly vehicle" by Mashable.

However, Mashable wasn't the only publication to criticize the new Tesla release. Forbes called the Cybertruck as "ugly as a sin" in a scathing review that compared the truck to the Pontiac Aztek. The Aztek has repeatedly been labeled one of the ugliest cars ever built. 

Luckily for Tesla, peculiar-looking car designs don't necessarily entail poor sales. The Cybertruck received more than 200,000 preorders after the unveiling of the vehicle, and AMC's 1970s Gremlin, which was once called perhaps the most "most badly proportioned car ever built," was one of the automaker's best-selling cars, according to Automotive News.

The same sale outcomes can't be said for Ford's Edsel, though. The Ford, which was called "one of those ugly ducklings that never had a swan phase" by The New York Times, caused the automaker to lose $350 million.

Keep scrolling to see what have been called some of the ugliest cars ever created, including the Cybertruck:

SEE ALSO: Everything that happened when Elon Musk unveiled the Cybertruck, including the window-breaking mistake that made him say 'Oh my f---ing god'

Pontiac Aztek

The Aztek was the car of choice for Walter White in "Breaking Bad," but Car and Driver said the Aztek was "not cool."

"It was and shall remain an irredeemable s--- heap," the review of the car added. "It was the antithesis of cool from the start."

The Globe and Mail also had choice thoughts on the Aztek.

"If you set out to build a car that violated every principle of aesthetics, you would find it hard to beat the Aztek: slab-sided, hunchbacked and perched on roller-skate-sized wheels, the Aztec looks like the spawn of an unholy union between a Transformers toy and a Dustbuster vacuum," the Canadian publication wrote.

The car was first released in 2001, but production halted five years later, according to Car Throttle.



Nissan Cube

The Cybertruck wasn't the only vehicle that was labeled unholy. The Globe and Mail said the car had "multiple stylistic sins," with windows that looked like they were pulled from a "Tolkien movie set or a bad Salvador Dali painting."

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times called it an "air-hating box of ugly." 

"With high style and an even higher coefficient of drag, the Cube seems to have what it takes to captivate the living-in-the-parents'-basement set," the LA Times review added.



1990 Pontiac Trans Sport

"Despite outward appearances, the 'space vehicle of the 90s' wasn't something from another planet or an oversized household cleaning appliance, it was just a really hideous minivan,"Jalopnik said about the 1990 Pontiac Trans Sport. 

The car was first created to be a competitor to the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager, according to Auto Evolution. However, the minivan generated fewer than 30,000 sales annually, according to How Stuff Works.



AMC Pacer

"Like avocado-colored appliances, the Pacer is an enduring symbol of 1970s bad taste,"The Globe and Mail wrote. It also compared the Pacer to a "rolling fishbowl."

The Pacer — which Jalopnik crowned one of the ugliest cars ever made — was first released in 1975 to press reviews that called it "futuristic" and "bold," according to CBS News. However, production of the "world's first wide-body compact" ceased in 1979, according to AxleAddict.



AMC Gremlin

"The Gremlin's front end evokes a dog of questionable health and breeding,"The Globe and Daily Mail wrote in a scathing review of the AMC vehicle. "The Gremlin's rear end was even worse, ending with an abrupt, strangely calculated angle that made the car look as though AMC had simply given up."

Despite its appearance, the oddly named car was a success when it was first introduced in 1970, becoming one of the automaker's best-selling cars, according to Automotive News.



Ford Edsel

The New York Times called the Edsel "one of those ugly ducklings that never had a swan phase." 

The car, which was released in 1957, caused the automaker to lose $350 million because of lackluster sales and cars that were delivered with issues such as oil leaks and trunks that wouldn't open.



Toyota Prius

Before the Prius' face-lift this year, Top Speed called the car "a double-chinned angry guppy that wants to eat your face" and the "strangest-looking car on the market."

"The fourth-generation Prius has an aesthetic that could make children cry," Kelsey Mays, Cars.com's senior consumer-affairs editor, wrote on Cars.com.



Chrysler PT Cruiser

The PT Cruiser halted production in 2010, much to the delight of critics, including Jalopnik, which wrote that it was "a tough car to love."

"The PT was a shrunken minivan, a bloated Neon, a car for families who needed something basic and leaned a little too hard on nostalgia," Jalopnik added in its eulogy to the car. "After watching all the injustices over the years, we're kind of glad that it's been put to bed."



Ford Taurus

Road and Track called the 1996 Ford Taurus the "saddest car ever made" because of its "basking-shark silhouette."

Customers may have responded to the design too. The Taurus was the best-selling car in the US in the early '90s, but sales sank after the '96 model's redesign, and it was beaten by the Toyota Camry in 1997, according to The Associated Press.



2014 Lamborghini Veneno

Edmunds placed the $4.5 million car at the top of its list of the "100 Ugliest Cars of All Time." 

"Every supercar cliché and every bad idea Lamborghini ever had, stuffed into one overpriced showcar," the automotive-information website Edmunds wrote on the list. "It's the worst thing out of Italy since fascism."

Luckily, only three examples of the Veneno were produced.

The Roadster version of the car recently fetched $8.4 million at a Bonhams auction in Switzerland in September, making it the most expensive Lamborghini ever auctioned off, according to Bonhams.



Nissan Juke

The Nissan Juke has taken multiple hits from critics. The Guardian called it "short-muzzled, frog-eyed and magnificently ugly," while Edmunds described it as "proudly peculiar and un-pretty."Car Throttle also took a jab at the car, saying it looked like a "bulbous crossover" and a "fussy mess."

However, the automaker defended its Juke.

"Great design often is polarizing," the Nissan spokesman Travis Parman told USA Today. "Juke is a fun car that allows for more assertive expression — which is exactly what many buyers want."



Chevrolet Caprice

The Washington Post described the 1991 Chevy Caprice as a "whale-like hump" and a "beast." 

The whale analogy seemed to be a reoccurring theme for the car. Fortune called it a "beached-whale" car and "Dustbuster minivan" that was disliked by customers.

"Everybody said, 'Wow, what an ugly car!'" Jerry Krampitz, who helped build the car at the factory, said in an interview with the magazine.



Tesla Cybertruck

The Tesla Cybertruck, which was unveiled on Thursday evening in Los Angeles, became the "butt of every internet joke," according to CNN. This is because of its unconventional geometric design and "armored glass," which broke during a live demonstration that was meant to prove its strength.

Mashable also called the Cybertruck a "dollar-store knock-off Firefly from Joss Whedon's 'Firefly.'"




Lamborghinis, baby lions, and stacks of cash: The Russian hackers in charge of 'Evil Corp' are living an absurdly lavish lifestyle

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Maksim

  • The Russian hacking group Evil Corp is being sought by various international governments, suspected of a wide range of illegal activities.
  • The UK's National Crime Agency said the group's leader, Maksim "Aqua" Yakubets, was charged in connection with "two separate international computer hacking and bank fraud schemes" across the past 10 years that allowed his hacking group to steal millions of dollars.
  • Photos released of the group's lavish lifestyle offer a look at how they spend the millions they're accused of stealing, from exotic animals to custom Lamborghinis.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The millionaire leader of what authorities have called "the world's most harmful cyber crime group," Evil Corp, lives a life full of luxury items and exotic animals.

Maksim "Aqua" Yakubets, a 32-year-old Russian man, was indicted on Thursday by US authorities. He's charged with carrying out "two separate international computer hacking and bank fraud schemes" across the past 10 years, siphoning millions of dollars from UK citizens into the coffers of Evil Corp, the UK's National Crime Agency said.

Since Yakubets resides in Russia, the indictments won't affect him unless he leaves the country. "If Yakubets ever leaves the safety of Russia," the agency said, "he will be arrested and extradited the US."

For now, Yakubets still lives in Russia and is apparently living it up alongside his cohorts. When they're not driving his custom Lamborghinis or taking videos of a lion cub roaming an ornate rug, they're posing for photos with wads of cash.

Take a look.

Alongside the news of the indictments, the UK agency released a variety of images and videos depicting the lavish lifestyles of Yakubets and his cohorts.



Here's a closer look at that custom Lamborghini Huracan, a car that costs about $250,000 before any customization.



That's far from the only fancy vehicle in his portfolio — he's also got a Nissan GT-R, an Audi R8, and a Dodge Challenger.



A video montage shows them doing burnouts and goofing around with electronics, and it features a surprising appearance from a lion cub.



Another such video details the life of Yakubets specifically, from his custom Lambo to his ornate 2017 wedding.



One final image was also released: Yakubets' wanted poster.

The FBI is offering as much as $5 million for information that could lead to Yakubets' arrest. The National Crime Agency said it was the largest reward offered by the FBI for someone accused of cyber crimes.

For more information on the indictments, check out the release from the National Crime Agency.



6 cars that won a 'Car of the Year' award in 2019

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Lamborghini Urus

  • Publications like Motor Trend, Esquire, and Business Insider have released their "Car of the Year" awards for 2019.
  • Cars on the list include the RAM 1500 pickup truck, Mazda 3, and Jaguar I-Pace, to name a few.
  • Two publications chose the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, which is the most of any car.
  • Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

Every year, several publications and companies — including Business Insider and Motor Trend — release their picks for its "Car of the Year" award.

This year, cars such as the Jaguar I-PACE and the Lamborghini Urus made the lists. The Chevrolet Corvette even appeared twice with Motor Trend and the Detroit Free Press both calling it the best car of the year.

However, not all of the picks on the list were comprised of luxury drives: pickup truck RAM 1500 took the coveted award with Business Insider's own Car of the Year title, while the Mazda 3 won with the Women's World Car of the Year.

Check out all of the cars that won Car of the Year for 2019: 

SEE ALSO: The 14 cars Americans drive past 200,000 miles the most proves Americans love their SUVs

RAM 1500

Business Insider selected the RAM 1500 pickup because it's the "most plush-driving and provocatively designed full-size pickup on sale today, making it the perfect full-size for the modern buyer," Business Insider wrote while describing its Car of the Year choice.

The RAM also has "robust" specs and a four-wheel independent suspension that provides durability to the pickup truck, according to BI.

The 2020 RAM 1500 has a starting price of $31,895. 



Lamborghini Urus

Robb Report claims the first super-SUV is a "class-defying breed" because of its six drive modes and aerodynamically optimized drive and handling, according to Robb Report.

"The power and strength of the Urus combined with a magical interior make this an exceptional vehicle," one judge told Robb Report. "It has multiple personalities, and I love them all."

The 2019 Urus has an MSRP of $200,000.



2020 Chevrolet Corvette

The Detroit Free Press claims that while the Corvette still has its iconic lights and fenders, the car is "better than those who dreamt of it could have expected."

The daily newspaper says this is because the engine — which places 60% of the weight on the rear wheels — outfits the car with a zero-to-60 mph time of less than 3 seconds with the Z51 package.

The Corvette was also named car of the year by Motor Trend. One of the guest judges initially noted that the vehicle was quiet for a supercar.

The magazine also claims the Corvette "rides surprisingly well" and has a high-quality and well-designed interior cabin with comfortable seats and multiple mode selectors.

The 2020 Chevy Corvette starts at $58,900.



Jaguar I-PACE

The I-PACE is the only all-electric car on the list and won three titles at the World Car Awards:  2019 World Car of the Year, the 2019 World Green Car, and the 2019 World Car Design of the Year. This is the first time a car has won three categories in the same year and was selected by a panel of 86 automotive journalists from 24 countries, according to the World Car Awards.

"For I-PACE to be awarded 2019 World Car of the Year gives our first all-electric vehicle the ultimate recognition it deserves," Land Rover CEO Dr. Ralf Speth said in a statement.

The 2019 Jaguar I-PACE has a starting price of $69,500.



Mazda 3

Exactly 41 judges from 24 countries decided on the Mazda 3 as the Women's World Car of the Year for 2019.

"This model is resonating with a broader range of people than ever before and Mazda aims to make a special bond with customers by offering products, technologies, and services that appeal to more people," Mazda spokesperson Ayumu Doi said in a statement.

The 2019 Mazda 3 has an MSRP of $21,000.



Toyota GR Supra

Esquire's pick for its coveted title was the Toyota GR Supra and calls the car "pure joy on four wheels" because of its 335 horsepower, agility, and stylishness. 

"Sports cars need to be for everyone, and the new Supra delivers," Esquire wrote. The 2020 Supra is the first model since it's 21-year hiatus. The car starts at $49,990.



Coronavirus outbreak leads Ferrari and Lamborghini to shut down factories in Italy, and Ducati is extending a pre-planned production pause (RACE)

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Ferrari factory

  • Ferrari and Lamborghini have ceased operations at their factories in Italy.
  • Italy is grappling with the most severe COVID-19 coronavirus crisis outside China.
  • Italy has almost completely shut down normal life for its citizens to curtail the outbreak, but until recently, Ferrari and Lamborghini's plants were fully functional.

  • Maserati also announced a shutdown of its factory, part of a larger action by parent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
  • Ducati, located in the same area of Italy as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati also announced a shutdown of its motorcycle factory. It was an extension of a previously planned production pause.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Italy is struggling with the largest COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak outside China, but until recently, both Ferrari and Lamborghini had kept their factories operating.

Lamborghini idled its plant in Sant'Agata Bolognese last week, and Ferrari followed suit at facilities in Maranello and Modena over the weekend.

"My gratitude goes first and foremost to Ferrari's women and men who, with their tremendous commitment over the past few days, have demonstrated the passion and dedication that defines our marque,"Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri said in a statement.

"Together with our suppliers, they have ensured the Company's production. And it is out of our respect for them, for their peace of mind and those of their families that we have decided on this course of action. Our clients and fans are also top of mind for us at this time, as we prepare for a strong restart."

Ferrari shares have declined 18% over the past month. The supercar maker was spun off from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in a 2015 IPO.

Lamborghini is part of the VW Group, based in Germany.

Stefano Domenicali Lambo

In a statement, Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali said, "This measure is an act of social responsibility and high sensibility towards our people, in the extraordinary situation in which we find ourselves right now in Italy and which is also evolving abroad due to the worldwide spread of Coronavirus."

He added, "As we have done up until now, we continue to monitor the situation in order to react rapidly and with the right flexibility, in collaboration with our people and in order to restart with energy in the right moment."

Italy has almost completely shutdown the country after the coronavirus struck the Lombardy region in the country's powerhouse industrial north. The outbreak has pushed the Italian medical system to the breaking point.

Maserati also announced a shutdown, part of a larger decision by parent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). 

"The Group will make use of these stoppages to implement revisions to production and quality control protocols to benefit our customers and enhance overall productivity,"FCA said in a statement.

"The Group is working with its supply base and business partners to be ready to enable our manufacturing operations to deliver previously planned total levels of production despite the suspension when market demand returns."

Ducati extending a pre-planned production pause

Ducati Scrambler

Ducati said in a statement that it would continue to idle its factory until March 25.

"Since the beginning of the health emergency in Italy, on February 24, Ducati has adopted an important series of measures to limit the probability of the virus spreading at its plant in Borgo Panigale, in a very timely manner and in advance of later arrangements," the motorcycle maker said.

Ducati added, "The most important was the measurement of the temperature at each person entering the plant, access was limited to necessary personnel, a strong urge to work from home, meetings with reduction of participants and distance between them and cafeteria with special procedures and revision of shifts to reduce close contact between people."

Ducati had already planned a shutdown from last week, March 13, through March 18. That would have entailed a "multi-shift work program to halve the number of people on the assembly line at the same time," Ducati said.

In a statement, CEO Claudio Domenicali said, "My thanks go to all those who, on a daily basis and even in a difficult situation like this, are confirming the great value of a united, cohesive but also sensitive and attentive workforce. For them, for their safety and for their security, measures and choices like the ones we are making are necessary and owed."

He added, "We want to reassure Ducatisti and our dealers all over the world: we are organising ourselves to be ready for the restart and, even in this period of downtime we will not fail to provide support."

 

 

SEE ALSO: Automakers are in much better shape to withstand a recession if the coronavirus pandemic tanks the US economy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'Ford v Ferrari' won 2 Oscars for film editing and sound editing. Here's the real story behind the movie and how Ford changed racing history.

People spent more than $1 billion on Lamborghini Urus SUVs last year as ultra-luxury car brands cash in on the SUV trend

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Lamborghini Urus

  • With the novel coronavirus hitting markets hard, Lamborghini revisited its 2019 successes this week to help calm nerves.
  • Last year was Lamborghini's best in the brand's 56-year history, with sales at 8,205 cars and nearly $2 billion in turnover.
  • The $200,000 Lamborghini Urus, a 641-horsepower "super SUV," accounted for more than half of the company's sales last year. 
  • Several luxury brands, from Aston Martin to Rolls-Royce, have come out with their own high-powered, opulent SUVs in recent years. Others, like Ferrari, have them in the pipeline. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The coronavirus pandemic is defining 2020, as it tanks markets and forces carmakers to halt production for safety concerns. But 2019 was an excellent year for some companies, Lamborghini included — and Lamborghini wants to remind everyone of that.

Thus, Lamborghini reiterated on Thursday that while the novel coronavirus "poses significant challenges for 2020," Lamborghini had its best sales in its 56-year history in 2019. It's a convenient way to calm the nerves of those invested in Lamborghini's success, at a time when nerves are rarely calm.

Much of that calming success comes by way of the Lamborghini Urus, a 641-horsepower, $200,000 "super SUV" that had its first full year on the market in 2019. Lamborghini sold a total of 8,205 cars last year — a number that may not sound like a lot, but represents an astonishing 43% increase in sales over 2018. 

That huge bump in sales was largely fueled by the Urus, which went on sale in 2018 and has given Lamborghini massive returns over the last two years. Urus sales totaled 4,962 units in 2019, accounting for more than half of all the Lamborghinis sold — and, at its starting price, Urus customers spent more than $1 billion on the SUV in 2019.

Moreover, the Urus has helped Lamborghini more than double its overall sales since 2017, when the brand sold just 3,815 cars across its entire lineup. 

And Lamborghini isn't the only high-performance or ultra-luxury carmaker cashing in on the SUV craze — Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley have all released their own powerful, opulent family haulers as of late, and the Ferrari Purosangue SUV is on the way

Take a look at the wildly successful Urus — along with the other super SUVs it competes with — below. 

SEE ALSO: BMW will stop making its hyper-futuristic sports car, the i8. Here's how it became the best-selling car of its kind.

With the coronavirus ravaging the auto industry — and many other sectors along with it — 2020 is proving to be a bleak year for car companies. But for Lamborghini, 2019 was a wholly different story.



Last year, the Italian supercar maker had its best annual sales in its 56-year history. In an effort to calm nerves amid the pandemic, the automaker reiterated that this week.



Lamborghini sold 8,205 vehicles last year, with a reported a turnover of nearly $2 billion.



That may not sound like a ton — especially when you consider that some large manufacturers churn out millions of cars annually — but it represents a full 43% increase in sales over the previous year.



Lamborghini's best-selling car by far wasn't a car at all — it was the Urus SUV.



Lamborghini sold 4,962 Urus models last year, accounting for more than half of all Lambos bought worldwide.



By comparison, in 2017, before the Urus went on sale, Lamborghini sold a total of 3,815 cars across its entire lineup.



So, the Urus effectively helped Lamborghini lift its sales figures more than twofold in just two short years.



Factoring in a starting MSRP of more than $200,000 and close to 5,000 units sold in 2019, the world's wealthy spent more than $1 billion on Urus SUVs last year — and that's without pricier options.



For those who can afford it, the Urus serves up an enticing cocktail of menacing looks, supercar performance, and SUV practicality.

Read more: Business Insider



It packs a 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 good for a rated 641 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque.



It purportedly makes the sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds, which is blisteringly quick for its size.



It claims a top speed of roughly 190 mph ...



... and a 0-to-124-mph time of just 12.8 seconds.



Carbon-ceramic brakes come standard for optimal stopping power at high speeds.



Sporting adjustable air suspension and four-wheel drive, the Urus is built ready to tackle off-road terrain. That is, if you want to risk it in your $200,000-plus SUV.



Plus, with four-wheel steering and active torque vectoring, the Urus is a cornering machine.



To cash in on the crossover and SUV craze, lots of other high-end car companies are building them for the first time. Aston Martin's DBX recently arrived with a sticker price of roughly $192,000.

Source: Car and Driver



Bentley debuted the Bentayga in 2015 and gave it 600 horsepower, 664 pound-feet of torque, and the ability to hit 60 mph in four seconds.

Read more: Business Insider



The Cullinan is Rolls-Royce's first-ever SUV, complete with a massive 6.7-liter V12 and an equally huge starting price of around $327,000.

Source: Car and Driver



Expect to see an increasing number of super SUVs on the road in coming years. And, with sales numbers like 2019, we'll see if Lamborghini expands its lineup as well.



Lamborghini is recalling the 2020 Aventador SVJ over the potential for owners to get stuck inside

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Aventador SVJ

  • Lamborghini is recalling more than two dozen 2020 Aventador SVJ models due to faulty internal door handles that could leave owners trapped inside their cars. 
  • The recall impacts up to 26 Aventador SVJ models built in December 2019 and January 2020. 
  • Lamborghini chalks up the defect to a new employee who may have improperly installed the door handles. 
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The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ is known for its meticulous engineering, with a 700-plus-horsepower V12 engine, an active aerodynamics system, and a record-breaking lap time around the Nürburgring. But all of that doesn't make it immune to pesky recalls, including ones that could leave owners in a tight spot — literally. 

According to NHTSA filings, Lamborghini is recalling more than two dozen 2020 Aventador SVJ Coupe and Roadster models due to a faulty door mechanism that could leave owners trapped inside. Up to 26 Aventador SVJ models built between December 3, 2019 and January 22, 2020 are impacted, and, like most of us when things go wrong, Lamborghini blamed it all on someone else. 

The filings state that the internal door-handle mechanism may fail over time and not allow the car to be unlocked from the inside, "posing an entrapment risk," but that the exterior handles are unaffected and should continue to work just fine. The issue could become life threatening in a crash, but barring that worst-case scenario, there are certainly worse vehicles to be stuck inside of than a half-million-dollar supercar. 

Lamborghini identified the cause of the defect earlier this year, faulting not itself, but a new factory worker.

"During the assembly a non properly trained new operator may have not correctly engaged the bowden cable pin inside the internal door handles," Lamborghini wrote in the filings.

Dealers will replace the cars' internal door handles for free, with owner notifications about the recall going out in May. But in case you can't keep your SVJ garaged during the wait, take solace in the fact that being trapped in a supercar probably isn't the worst thing you could be right now

SEE ALSO: People spent more than $1 billion on Lamborghini Urus SUVs last year as ultra-luxury car brands cash in on the SUV trend

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