Lamborghini Pregunta Concept Could be Yours for $2.1 Million

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THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013 |

If you're looking to buy a hugely-expensive supercar or hypercar, you are willing to spend six-digit figures to achieve your dreams, then perhaps you should take your eyes off thePaganis, Koenigseggs and Bugattis of the world, and take a look at this Lamborghini Pregunta (Spanish for "question") concept from 1998.

As you would imagine, only one was ever built, but more importantly, it represents the final car made by Lamborghini, before going under Audi control.

It was shown at the 1998 Paris motor show, and the 1999 Geneva Motor show, where it reportedly drew a really big crowd. The car appears to have been inspired by 1960s jet fighters, and if I look at it for long enough, I start seeing a Harrier jump jet. That is probably also due to the fact that its coach-built body is coated in a special Dassault stealth paint, which is also used on the Dassault Rafale jet fighter.

There's more. It has dynamic air intakes, a digital gauge cluster, rear-view camera, GPS and "combat jet-derived cockpit ergonomics." The car was loosely based on the Diablo, which was the contemporary high-end Lambo at the time, but it is lighter and simpler in its construction, giving up the use of all-wheel drive, so that its 530 hp V12 engine could push it to its top speed of 333 km/h (202 mph) – the Pregunta is not just a show car, and it is fully-functional and considerably quicker than the Diablo of the time.

The car is being advertised for sale on classicdriver.com, where the roadster (hardtop comes out) is priced at €1.6 ($2.1) million. Keep in mind that this is the 1998 equivalent of therecently-unveiled Veneno, so the price is justified for the kind of car this is, and its rarity.

By Andrei Nedelea

Story References: Autodrome 

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BMW Woos Japanese Consumers with New 5-Series Exclusive Sport Edition

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THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013 |

The marketing division of BMW Japan is looking for select buyers, 300 of them, to be precise, for a new special edition version of its 5-Seriessedan and Touring (station wagon) models dubbed "Exclusive Sport", which are offered with a choice of two four-cylinder engines, a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol for the 523i and a 2.0-liter force-fed diesel for the 523d.What they'll get with the Exclusive Sport is a selection of otherwise optional equipment and styling features beginning with the M Sport exterior and interior packages that add elements such as a bodykit with bespoke bumpers and side skirts, 19 inch wheels, contoured sports seats and a three-spoke M steering wheel.
Available exterior colors include white and carbon-black (the latter is a very dark blue metallic shade that can be mistaken for black), while the seats, parts of the door panels and the lower section of the dashboard are dressed in Cinnamon Brown leather. Black piano trim, an "Exclusive Sports" plaque, Head-Up Display and an upgraded audio system complete the list of features.
Prices in Japan range from ¥ 7,190,000 to ¥ 7,490,000 (about US$72,200 to US$75,200).

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Consumer Reports Not Really Thrilled About New Mitsubishi Outlander

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THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013 |

The Mitsubishi Outlander has never been the kind of car one buys because of burning desire, but it was always competent and one of the better vehicles to drive in its class. Now, the all-new model, which is radically different from its predecessor, takes center stage, as Mitsubishi tries to keep itself relevant in the current context of the automotive industry, both in the US and the rest of the world.

The new 2014 Outlander needs to be very good, but if we are to listen to Consumer Reports (CR), which recently took it for a drive, things aren't looking up.

Right off the bat, the car is criticized for its "melted" styling, which CR says nowhere near as sharp-looking as the car it replaces, and even that wasn't a particularly eye-catching piece of automotive art, either. The bad points continue with the ride quality, high levels of road noise and a driving experience which is inferior, according to the reviewer, to that of the previous generation model.

It does, of course, have some redeeming features, like the fact that it gets third-row seating as standard on all models, as well as an optional V6 engine (only the Jeep Cherokee offers it in the class), and a much improved interior quality than before, with more intuitive and modern controls. The new model is also around 200 pounds lighter than before, so this should translate into marginally better fuel efficiency and performance numbers, especially for the 224 hp V6.

By Andrei Nedelea

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