Lamborghini Gallardo ready to tow your Home Depot load

Lamborghini Gallardo ready to tow your Home Depot loadJonathon Ramsey

It's possible the Lamborghini Gallardo would have had an even grander reputation as an everyday exotic if more people had used it to tow trailers and lug home-renovation materials from store to workshop. That's what Canadian channel Canal Vie did to promote its new renovation show, strapping a couple of two-by-fours and a roll of insulation to the roof, and hooking up a trailer to the back of a second-generation Gallardo.

The promotion had its intended effect. How could it not? People stare at a Gallardo even when it isn't hauling. With 398 foot-pounds of torque at its disposal, we wonder if you could slip a fifth-wheel on it...Related Gallery2013 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4: Paris 2012

Read more »

Audi R8, Lamborghini Huracan could get twin-charged five-cylinder

Audi R8, Lamborghini Huracan could get twin-charged five-cylinderImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew Phillips2015 R8MSRP$115,900ShopReviewsMore Photos2016 Audi R8 e-tron: Geneva 20152016 Audi R8 LMS: Geneva 20152016 Audi R8 LMS2016 Audi R82015 Audi R8 Competition: LA 2014Radical SR8 RSXChris Bruce

Engine downsizing and forced induction are some of the biggest trends in automotive powertrains today because. They offer the chance to reduce emissions and boost fuel economy, while possibly maintaining power. The shift is already happening to performance cars with turbocharged four-cylinders finding their way into the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and future Porsches. Now, there are rumblings of a tiny chance for a similar change coming for the Lamborghini Huracán and Audi R8.

Why the new powertrain? China. While the market there might have slowing growth, it's still a major country for auto sales. The annual taxes on cars there also happen to be based on engine displacement, and there's a 40 percent rate on those over 4.0-liters, according to Car and Driver.

The obvious answer to this conundrum is to build a smaller displacement, forced induction engine for the R8 and Huracán. Car and Driver points to the new turbocharged and electrically supercharged, 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder from the recent Audi TT Clubsport Turbo concept as a possible solution. Audi's e-turbo technology runs off a 48-volt electrical system and lithium-ion battery to produce a total of 600 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque in the prototype. With this mill, horsepower would barely shrink compared to the R8 V10 Plus and Lambo, but it actually makes more peak torque than their 5.2-liter V10s.

While this is all theoretically feasible, take the possibility with a big grain of salt for now. According to Car and Driver, Quattro GmbH's Stephan Reil says that there's no work currently underway to fit the twin-charged five-cylinder, "but it has been talked about." That means such a vehicle is likely years away, if ever. In the meantime, a diesel version of the e-turbo setup is on the way the in the SQ7.


Related Video:

#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-254562{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-254562, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-254562{width:100%;display:block;}Featured Gallery2016 Audi R8: Geneva 2015Related Gallery2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4: Review

Read more »

Watch a Lamborghini Aventador SV Lap the 'Ring in Under 7 Minutes

Another supercar now claims to have lapping the Nürburgring below the elusive 7-minute mark. In a new YouTube video, Lamborghini shows its Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce completing the Nordschleife circuit in exactly 6:59:73 during a development test. More on Motortrend.com:Lamborghini Aventador Road Trip: A Bull For All Seasons

Read more »