The Emilia-Romagna canal and its fruits

EXPERIA South of the Po - The Emilia-Romagna canal and its fruits

RAI

We depart from the Po river (Salvatonica di Bondeno) next to CER’s water intake structure, a large canal carrying water that is vital for Romagna’s specialised agriculture. The canal is the result of a struggle for land reclamation and agricultural development that the people in Emilia Romagna have pursued for centuries. The region’s economic development and wealth depend on the water flowing in the canal. Irrigation techniques are experimented here for a range of cultivations, young farmers assess opportunities for entrepreneurship, it’s time to go back to the land. 

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Bernardo Bertolucci

TRIBUTE TO BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

estorilfilmfestival

An inevitable name in the worldwide movie scene and impossible not to mention when talking about the so called modern cinema.

Versatile in his style, but always true to himself and his vision, Bernardo Bertolucci has left his mark with one of the most provocative erotic movies ever, Last Tango in Paris; passing through risky social-political pictures such as the epic Novecento; Hollywood kind of projects like The Last Emperor, winner of 9 Academy Awards; and recently returning to more personal movies like The Dreamers.


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Bernardo Bertolucci

Bernardo Bertolucci; born 16 March 1940) is an Italian film director and screenwriter, whose films include The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, 1900, The Last Emperor, The Sheltering Sky and The Dreamers. In recognition of his work, he was presented with the inaugural Honorary Palme d'Or Award at the opening ceremony of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

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Bertolucci is well-known to American audiences. He started out as a protege of Pier Paolo Pasolini. He is of Parmesan paternal descent, and his half-Irish mother was born in Australia.

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Federico Fellini on 'Biography'

Biography: Federico Fellini

Pobednik1985

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Federico Fellini

Federico Fellini (Italian: January 20, 1920 – October 31, 1993) was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for his distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness, he is considered one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of the 20th century.

In a career spanning almost fifty years, Fellini won the Palme d'Or for La Dolce Vita, was nominated for twelve Academy Awards, and directed four motion pictures that won Oscars in the category of Best Foreign Language Film. In 1993, he was awarded an honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement at the 65th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

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Federico Fellini was of Romagnol ancestry.

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Laura Bassi - The first woman in the world to earn a university chair in science

Laura Bassi

Laura Maria Caterina Bassi (31 October 1711 – 20 February 1778) was the first woman in the world to earn a university chair in a scientific field of studies. She received a doctoral degree from the University of Bologna in May 1732, only the third academic qualification ever bestowed on a woman by a European university, and the first woman to earn a professorship in physics at a university in Europe. She was the first woman to be offered an official teaching position at a university in Europe.


Biography

Born in Bologna into the wealthy family of a lawyer, she was privately educated and tutored for seven years in her teens by Gaetano Tacconi, a University teacher of Biology, Natural History and Medicine. She came to the attention of Cardinal Prospero Lambertini, who encouraged her scientific work.

In 1732, at the age of 21, she was appointed professor of anatomy at the University of Bologna, was elected to the Academy of the Institute for Sciences, and in the following year was given the chair of philosophy. Thus, Bassi became the second woman in Europe to receive a degree from a university, after Elena Cornaro Piscopia in 1678, fifty-four years prior. In her early years, her teaching opportunities were restricted to occasional lectures.

The defence of her degree, awarding ceremony, and first lecture in 1732 were significant as they took place in the Palazzo Pubblico, one of the most important government buildings in Bologna. These events were attended by "not only the university faculty and students, but also by principal political and religious figures of the city - the Papal Legate and Vice-Legate, the Archbishop of Bologna, the Gonfaloniere, the Elders, senators and magistrates. Additionally, 'all the ladies of Bologna and all the nobility'." The Bologna community came to recognize the achievements of Bassi earning and receiving her degree.

As a political figure, the Senate expected Bassi to attend various events. The Carnival Anatomy, a public dissection with tickets open to anyone, was an event she was expected to attend because it was a central feature of public life at the University which attracted the attention of many foreigners and important community members. She began attending this event annually in 1734.

In 1738, she married Giuseppe Veratti, a fellow academic with whom she had twelve children. After this, she was able to lecture from home on a regular basis and successfully petitioned the University for more responsibility and a higher salary to allow her to purchase her own equipment.

One of her principal patrons was Pope Benedict XIV. He supported less censorship of scholarly work, such as happened with Galileo, and he supported women figures in learning, including Agnesi.

She was mainly interested in Newtonian physics and taught courses on the subject for 28 years. She was one of the key figures in introducing Newton's ideas of physics and natural philosophy to Italy. She also carried out experiments of her own in all aspects of physics. In order to teach Newtonian physics and Franklinian electricity, topics that were not focused in the university curriculum, Bassi gave private lessons. In her lifetime, she authored 28 papers, the vast majority of these on physics and hydraulics, though she did not write any books. She published only four of her papers. Although only a limited number of her scientific works were left behind, much of her scientific impact is evident through her many correspondents including Voltaire, Francesco Algarotti, Roger Boscovich, Charles Bonnet, Jean Antoine Nollet, Giambattista Beccaria, Paolo Frisi, Alessandro Volta. Voltaire once wrote to her saying "There is no Bassi in London, and I would be much happier to be added to your Academy of Bologna than that of the English, even though it has produced a Newton." Francesco Algarotti wrote several poems regarding her degree ceremonies.

In 1745, Lambertini (now Pope Benedict XIV) established an elite group of 25 scholars known as the Benedettini ("Benedictines", named after himself.) Bassi pressed hard to be appointed to this group, but there was a mixed reaction from the other academics. Ultimately, Benedict did appoint her, the only woman in the group. From 1746 to 1777 she gave one formal dissertation per year.

In 1749, she presented a dissertation on the problem of gravity.

During the 1760s, Bassi and her husband worked together on experimental research in electricity. This attracted talent of Abbe Nollet and others to Bologna to study electricity.

In 1776, at the age of 65, she was appointed to the chair in experimental physics by the Bologna Institute of Sciences, with her husband as a teaching assistant. Two years later, she died, having made physics into a lifelong career and broken a huge amount of ground for women in academic circles.

After her death, a marble statue was made in her memory and placed above the Nautical room in the institute.

She was elected member of many literary societies and carried on an extensive correspondence with the most eminent European men of letters. She was well acquainted with classical literature, as well as with that of France and Italy.

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'How Its Made: Dream Cars' - Lamborghini Aventador

The fastest Lamborghini yet with a 12-cylinder engine, and a look at how a new leap in artistic design and manufacturing logistics occurs.

'Lamborghini Factory: The Story' - National Geographic

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A short drive through part of the Apennines

Alessandro Grilli YouTube channel

I personally found the above video to be very simple and relaxing, but another nice more travel oriented short video about the north Apennine cultural region is entitled Two Days In The Apennines (Ash Clark).

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Ferrari building six copies of invite-only supercar

Ferrari building six copies of invite-only supercar

CNBC.com - October 27, 2014

Ferrari just got even more exclusive. The Italian luxury automaker is gearing up to start production on its invite-only supercar known as the Ferrari Sergio, and only six people will be able to get their hands on one.

The concept car, unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, was designed in collaboration with Italian firm Pininfarina, and each model is expected to sell for millions, though Ferrari would not disclose an exact price.

But if you wanted to be one of the lucky six, you're too late as Ferrari has already pre-sold all the Sergio cars. Long-standing Ferrari clients are the only ones who got the invites.

 A spokesperson from the automaker told CNBC the final orders are being confirmed and production will start "shortly", with the aim of delivering the final product to clients next year. Ferrari will have to make changes to the design unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in order to comply with road laws so the design is likely to be different from the original concept which had no windshield or mirrors.

Ferrari has made a point of being exclusive by capping the number of vehicles it makes each year to 7,000 and the move has paid off financially. The brand, owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA-IT), reported revenues of 1.3 billion euros ($1.65 billion) in the first half of the year, a 14.6 percent rise from the same period in 2013.

The company also has a "one off" program where enthusiasts with deep pockets can design a bespoke car from start to finish and have it made at Ferrari's Maranello headquarters. The Sergio buyers' identities have not been revealed but in the past big names like Eric Clapton have purchased custom made cars.

 The Sergio is based on the Ferrari's 458 Spider mechanical base and technologic components. The doors rise up rather than open outwards and the company said the car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3.4 seconds.

Ferrari has pursued a similar exclusive approach with another car in its range – the LaFerrari supercar . Only 499 are being made, and after its debut at the Geneva Motor Show last year, over 1,000 people had already requested the car. But similar to the Sergio, you don't choose the car, Ferrari chooses you.

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McLaren's P1 And Ferrari's LaFerrari: BATTLE OF THE SUPERCARS!

By Business Insider October 27, 2014 3:55 PM

The McLaren P1 and the Ferrari LaFerrari are two of the superbaddest supercars in the supercar world.

Business Insider checked out the McLaren last year in New York. We're still waiting to get an up-close with the LeFerrari, successor to the Enzo and Ferrari's new flagship supercar.

Both are gorgeous. Both are hybrids. Both cost more than $1 million.

We crunched the numbers — considering power, speed, looks, and more — to find out if one is better.

[And earlier version of this post was written by Alex Davies.]

NAME: The P1 name links the car to McLaren’s legendary F1, the former fastest production car in the world.

NAME: LaFerrari is Italian for “The Ferrari.” In English or Italian, it's a bit confusing.

NAME: McLaren takes this one, easily.

McLaren P1: 1

LaFerrari: 0

HORSEPOWER: The P1 pairs a V-8 engine that delivers 727 hp with an electric motor, yielding a total of 903 hp.

HORSEPOWER: The LaFerrari is also a hybrid, combining a 6.3-liter V-12 engine with two electric motors. Total horsepower: 950.

HORSEPOWER: Ferrari ties it up.

McLaren P1: 1
LaFerrari: 1

TOP SPEED: The McLaren has an electronically limited top speed of 217.5 mph.

TOP SPEED: The Ferrari tops out at 217 mph.

TOP SPEED: Too close to call. We'll given them each a point.

McLaren P1: 2
LaFerrari: 2

ACCELERATION: The P1 goes from 0 to 60 mph in under 3 seconds, and can hit 186 mph in 17.

ACCELERATION: The Ferrari's 0 to 60 mph time is also under 3 seconds, but it reaches the 186 mph mark in just 15 seconds.

ACCELERATION: Ferrari for the win.

McLaren P1: 2
LaFerrari: 3

EXTERIOR: The P1 has some beautiful styling cues, especially the fighter jet bubble windshield and nostril-like air intakes in the hood, which are reminiscent of the swooping McLaren logo.

EXTERIOR: The LaFerrari is also a gorgeous car, with rear view mirrors that look like the stalks on the Pagani Huayra.

EXTERIOR: This is a close (and subjective) call, but we give it to the P1.

McLaren P1: 3
LaFerrari: 3

WITH THE DOORS UP: In a classic pose for any car with scissor or gullwing doors, the P1 cuts an impressive figure.

WITH THE DOORS UP: But this view of the Ferrari gives us shivers.

WITH THE DOORS UP: An easy point for the LaFerrari.

McLaren P1: 3
LaFerrari: 4

INTERIOR: For extraordinarily complex cars, both have impressively simple interiors. The P1 continues the fighter jet theme with a glass canopy overhead. To save weight, there’s no sound deadening, but customers will want to hear all 903 horses.

INTERIOR: The LaFerrari’s interior is similarly minimalistic. We like the unorthodox, three-button (Launch, R, Auto) gear shifter, big shifter paddles, and simple controls. But we dock points for the almost square steering wheel.

INTERIOR: We give this one to the P1.

McLaren P1: 4
LaFerrari: 4

PRICE: McLaren has put the P1 price tag at $1.2 million.

PRICE: The LaFerrari is $1.4 million.

PRICE: Ferrari edges ahead.

McLaren P1: 4
LaFerrari: 5

AVAILABILITY: McLaren will make just 375 P1's.

AVAILABILITY: Ferrari's run is also very limited: Only 499 LaFerrari's will roll off the line.

AVAILABILITY: The fewer the cars in a limited run, the more valuable each one is. McLaren takes the final category.

McLaren P1: 5
LaFerrari: 5

And the winner is...

The LaFerrari is a beautiful car that everyone wants.
But despite being less powerful and a tad slower, McLaren's P1 is the more jaw-dropping of the two — and harder to get.

The McLaren P1 takes this one...and it's a tie at the finish line!

But that's not as far as you can go with the P1...

DON'T MISS: This $3.2 Million McLaren Is So Exclusive That Only 375 People Can Buy One>

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The $4.5 Million Lamborghini Veneno driving in California

From the video description (TheStradman):

The $4.5 Million Lamborghini Veneno driving in California

Check me out on Facebook: www.facebook.com/StradmanPhotography

See the other Lamborghini Veneno I've filmed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu-X4...

This $4.5 million dollar Lamborghini Veneno was shown at the Quail Motorsports gathering in Monterey, California. Lamborghini is producing just 4 Venenos; This one will be at the Lamborghini factory in Sant'agata Bolognese, Italy. Two of the remaining three will end up in the United States, one in Miami, Florida and one in Long Island, New York. The third one will end up in the Middle East. The two American bound Lamborghini Venenos have been delivered. The Veneno in Long Island, owned by Antoine Dominic (owner of Lamborghini Long Island) is expected to be displayed at the showroom of Lamborghini Long Island. Dominic is a long time Ferrari owner who had an F40, F50, Enzo and an MC12 prior to switching to Lamborghini. The Miami bound Veneno, owned by Kris Singh, is expected to be driven somewhat regularly. Mr. Singh is managing director of Tequesta Investments. Each of the three customer delivered Venenos is finished in a different colored accent, red, white and green. The Veneno in this video is red. This is noticeable on the front splitter and rear diffuser.

It has been announced that Lamborghini will also introduce a roadster version of the Veneno. Lamborghini will produce 9 Lamborghini Veneno Roadsters.



 
The Lamborghini Veneno was first unveiled at the Genevea Auto Show in April 2013. The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster was first photographed at a special private viewing in Beverly Hills, California in November 2013. It's official debut was on an Italian air craft carrier in Abu Dhabi. It also was shown at CES 2014, Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada in conjunction with Monster Audio, who fitted a custom $100,000 sound system in the Veneno Roadster.

The Lamborghini Veneno is a development of the Lamborghini Aventadors 6.5L V12 producing 740 HP. Veneno means venom in Spanish. Lamborghini currently produced the Aventador, the Veneno and is set to begin production of the Gallardo replacement, the Lamborghini Huracan. The Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 is set to be officially unveiled at the Geneva International Auto Show on March 4, 2014.

The Lamborghini Veneno follows in the footsteps of other extremely limited production Lamborghinis. Prior to the Veneno, Lamborghini built 20 race oriented Lamborghini Sesto Elementos, based off the Gallardo. Prior to the Sesto Elemento, Lamborghini produced the Lamborghini Reventon, of which only 20 coupes and 15 roadsters. The Reventon was sold for $2 million USD.

The Lamborghini Veneno is featured in Forza Motorsport 5 and Need for Speed.

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$2.2 Million Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Will Blow Your Mind

$2.2 Million Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Will Blow Your Mind

Brian Warner - CelebrityNetWorth.com - February 7, 2014

Are you in the market for a new car? Looking for something a little more sporty than your current whip? Do you have a couple million dollars lying around gathering dust? If you answered yes to these questions, then we highly recommend you consider buying the new $2.2 Million Lamborghini Sesto Elemento. The $2.2 million sticker price makes this Lambo the second most expensive car in the world, right behind the $2.4 million Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. If you are still interested, you better act fast because Lamborghini is only producing 20 Sesto Elementos.

So what do you get for $2.2 million? "Sesto Elemento" literally translates to "Sixth Element" which is a reference to the fact that the car is made almost entirely out of an extremely expensive rare carbon fiber and is therefore the lightest Lamborghini ever manufactured. The car weighs 2200 pounds which is less than most sub-contact mini-cars. The name, unfortunately, is not a reference to "The Fifth Element", one of the greatest movies of all time, but the Sesto Elemento is absolutely out of this world. The car is powered by a 570 horsepower V10 engine. Combined with a semi-automatic six speed paddle-shift transmission and nearly 400 lbs of torque, the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento can go from 0-60 in 2.6 seconds and has a top speed of 217 MPH! For comparison, the 2013 Ford Taurus takes 13 seconds to go from 0-60 and has a top speed of 133 MPH.

Let's say you are rich enough to afford the Sesto Elemento and lucky enough to be one of the only 20

buyers, there is one catch… The Lamborghini Sesto Elemento is not and will never be street legal in the United States or Europe. If you live in either of those regions, you'll only be allowed to drive your Sesto Elemento at the track because the car will not include any of the street-legal-required safety equipment or speed controls, including airbags. But that doesn't mean you can't have fun on the track or ship the car to your mansion in Russia, Brazil, Japan… etc.

What do you think of the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento? Would you pay $2.2 million for a car you could never drive on the streets?

[More images]

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1958 Ferrari sells for $8.25 million

1958 Ferrari sells for $8.25 million

This Ferrari, along with nine other top-selling cars at the 2013 Scottsdale collector car auctions, together raked in about $39 million.

Peter Valdes-Dapena - 'Fortune' magazine - January 23, 2013

 
Sold for: $8.25 million
Auction house: Gooding & Co.

Watch: The Ferrari California Spider - A car collector's dream

At the annual Scottsdale, Ariz. auto auctions last weekend, the biggest headlines were about the Batmobile, which sold for $4.6 million. But that was only the third-highest price paid at the auctions and it wasn't even close the top dollar amount.

That honor went to this beautiful 1958 Ferrari painted in Bleu Sera Metallizzato which sold at the Gooding & Co. auction. Only 50 long-wheelbase versions of this car were ever made and this is number 13. It has its original upgraded V12 engine.

All the prices in this gallery, as collected by the collector car insurer Hagerty Insurance, include commissions which usually amount to 10% of the "hammer price."

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Lamborghini Aventador Roadster, ready for takeoff

Lamborghini Aventador Roadster, ready for takeoff: Motoramic Drives

Lawrence Ulrich - Motoramic - February 5, 2013

Gunning the Lamborghini Aventador Roadster down a straightaway at Homestead Miami Speedway, I manage a quick glance at the speedometer: 147 mph, just in time to bend into the NASCAR oval that forms a section of the winding infield road course.

This convertible version of Lamborghini’s latest 12-cylinder flagship could go much, much faster. But the Italian pace driver ahead checks my speed along the steep 20-degree banking, making sure the day isn’t spoiled by anyone introducing their $445,300 baby to the unforgiving track walls. Fair enough: The Lamborghini’s 691-hp howl and skull-snapping acceleration – including 3 seconds flat from 0-60 mph, and a quarter-mile in just 10.7 seconds at 136 mph – are entertainment enough.

And honestly, while the nearly 3,600-lb. Aventador handles the course reasonably well, this is less a tool for tracks than a supercar fantasy for Wyoming-style, wide-open roads. Or open runways, as Lamborghini showed, blasting five candy-colored Aventadors down a Miami International Airport runway at 210 mph, just shy of the car’s 217-mph top speed. That’s faster than any jet has traveled on Miami’s tarmac, where takeoff speeds peak around 175 mph. That record-setting run was recorded by Miami-Dade Sheriff’s officers, in what has to be history’s happiest encounter between police radar and a Lamborghini.

The FAA-approved stunt, along with a 50th anniversary parade of 50 new and historic Lamborghinis along South Beach’s Collins Avenue, perfectly fit the gonzo mentality of a company that’s been blowing minds since 1964. And from the 350 GT V-12 of 1964, through the ‘70s Countach and the more-recent Gallardo and Murciélago, the mind blowing begins with styling. Like its sensational closed-roof cousin, the Roadster doesn’t disappoint: Aggressive and geometric yet fluid, the Aventador looks like a sexed-up Klingon warship by way of Sant’Agata Bolognese, Lamborghini’s northern Italian home.

Bragging points begin with a chassis and passenger tub made entirely of lightweight carbon fiber. And when it came to the carbon fiber convertible roof, Lamborghini freely admits sacrificing some ease-of-use for beauty: “We told the designer, you can do whatever you want – it just has to look the best,” says Stephan Winkelmann, Automobili Lamborghini’s elegant chief executive.
The result? No bulky folding hardtop or shapeless cloth pup tent to break up those suggestive body lines. Instead, two glossy, ridge-backed panels of carbon fiber, weighing just 13.2 pounds each, pop into the roof -- and take up nearly the entire under-hood cargo space when not in use. Storing or fitting the roof takes some practice and steady hands. Owners will want to keep a sharp eye out for sudden thundershowers.

Locked into place, the top actually forms a structural element that boosts chassis stiffness to 24,000 Newton-meters. And including some additional carbon fiber to beef up door sill areas, the Aventador Roadster weighs just 110 pounds more than its closed-roof cousin.

Viewed from above, the black, pointy-eared roof panels look remarkably like Batman’s mask, creating a two-tone effect with Lambo’s wide selection of body colors. Those include Bianco Canopus, a matte white that’s paired here with an edible-looking, chocolate-leather interior. Or, Verde Ithaca, a shade that proves that Lamborghinis are among the only cars that look good in bright green (Aside from a ‘60s Hemi ‘Cuda, perhaps).

With the top stored and the separate rear glass window rolled down, we’re ready for beautiful machine music, courtesy of the 6.5-liter V-12 that’s visible beneath clear, insect-wing composite panels. Those stacked shelves feature huge gaps to extract heat from the Aventador’s pulsing, 8,250-rpm heart.

The 691 horses and 509 pound-feet of torque are unchanged from the hardtop version. But the Roadster’s V-12 does have new tricks up its aluminum sleeve: Half the twelve cylinders shut down under steady cruising, trimming fuel consumption by up to 20 percent, and 7 percent overall. An engine stop-start system uses a fast-charging supercapacitor to restart the big V-12 at stop lights with remarkable smoothness, and in just 50 milliseconds. The roughly 15 mpg average will still cost American buyers a $3,700 gas-guzzler tax, though that’s not likely to dissuade people who have a line on one of the world’s most exclusive sports cars.

How exclusive? Consider that just 582 Americans landed a Lamborghini last year. Even that number represented a 50 percent jump from 2011, when Lamborghini found 387 American buyers.

Like many other sports car purveyors, from Porsche to Aston Martin, Lamborghini is clawing back from a recession that cut sales virtually in half. Here in America, 12,000 wealthy buyers treated themselves to a “super sports car” in 2007, Winkelmann says, in a market that moved more than 16 million cars overall. But those 12,000 sales tumbled to 6,100 just two years later.

The Aventador is leading the comeback, with 922 buyers worldwide in 2012, more than double the Murciélago’s best-ever year. 

Those buyers are getting a car that’s hotter, faster and more approachable than the departed Murcielago. The seating position is more natural, steering feel is improved and ergonomics are unexpectedly good for an Italian supercar – including a slick Audi navigation system and climate controls, courtesy of Lamborghini’s position within the VW/Audi empire. Even the view out the back is more generous than in V-12 Lambos of old. On the track or on winding roads, the fast windshield and bulky front roof pillar do make it hard to get a good, long-distance look around curves.

Still, there are a few unexpected compromises for a car that can easily sneak past the half-million dollar mark. Lamborghini’s dual clutch ISR transmission is steadily improving, but the car’s three performance modes – which also adjust throttle, stability control and other parameters — have a Goldilocks issue: In the street-oriented Strada mode, shifts are slow, syrupy and distressingly vague. Bump it up to Corsa mode, and shifts are crushingly hard for most situations outside the track. The middle Sport mode proves best for street operation, whether we’re stuck in Miami traffic or romping it wherever possible.

Giorgio Sanna, Lamborghini’s chief test driver and sports-car racer, insists that the seamless shift feel of, say, Porsche’s PDK transmission isn’t right for Lamborghini drivers – who still, apparently, like a buck in the back to remind them they’re driving one of Lamborghini’s famed fighting bulls.

“We want our customers to perceive an emotion,” Sanna says.

No such problem with the brakes: The Aventador’s massive Italian meats, including 20-inch alloy wheels in front and 21-inch beauties out back, are gripped by standard carbon composite brakes with good pedal feel.

While the Aventador comes alive on open roads, our return to South Beach brings us rudely back to reality: As the Aventador crawls down dull, congested Florida roads – a caged, impatient fighting bull – other drivers seem to have more fun than I do, rolling down windows to flash thumbs-up and cell phone cameras alike.

And that’s the odd thing about owning such a spectacularly over-the-top machine in a place like this. Winkelmann affirms that outside of the Los Angeles area, South Florida and Texas are the American hot beds for Lambo buyers.

South Beach owners, apparently, don’t need to go 217 mph to have fun in a Lamborghini. In fact, trolling Collins Avenue at 21.7 mph works much better for see-and-be-seen status – an impression that’s only aided by the open-roofed version of the Aventador.

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Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder gets a facelift for 2013

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder gets a facelift for 2013

For 2013, changes to the Aventador's little brother are skin deep. What enthusiasts really want is an all-new Gallardo that can take on Ferrari and McLaren.

By Stephen Edelstein - DigitalTrends.com - October 17, 2012
 
These days, even beautiful people go under the knife for some aesthetic augmentation, and the same is true of beautiful automobiles. Lamborghini’s Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder has been on sale since 2008, so the company decided it was time for a refresh.

Most of the changes are skin deep, and are shared with the restyled Gallardo LP 560-4 coupe shown at last month’s Paris Motor Show. At the front, the intake is segmented by delicate-looking struts, making the car look like it either has redneck teeth or has been in a crash. There’s also a more pronounced vent in front of the wheels.

Nineteen-inch “Apollo” polished alloy wheels are also new for 2013.

At the back, the angular theme continues with a big piece of trapezoidal mesh, and taillights molded to fit. Overall, it looks like Lamborghini was trying to incorporate cues from its Sesto Elemento concept and Aventador flagship, but they don’t seem to jibe with the rest of the Gallardo’s styling.

Buyers who want a new Gallardo, but don’t like the way this one looks, needn’t fret. The LP 560-4 is actually the middle of three Gallardo trim levels. The less expensive LP 550-2 (available only as a coupe) and high performance LP 570-4 Superleggera and Spyder Performante are unchanged visually.

Aside from the styling changes, the LP 560-4 Spyder remains pretty much the same. Its 5.2-liter V10 still produces 552 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels through Lamborghini’s “e-gear” six-speed automated manual transmission.

The LP 550-2 continues with rear-wheel drive and the option of a six-speed manual. The Superleggera and Spyder Performante still have 570 hp, and are now offered with an Edizione Tecnica package that includes a big rear spoiler, carbon ceramic brakes, and exclusive two-tone paint.

With the fresh and fierce Ferrari 458 Italia and McLaren MP4-12C nipping at its heels, what Lamborghini really needs is an all-new Gallardo. Sant Agata has been steadily updating its car over the years, but the basic chassis hasn’t been changed since the original Gallardo debuted in 2003.

Lamborghini isn’t talking about when that new Gallardo will appear, but there are rumors of a 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show debut, with a launch sometime in 2014.

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New deadly quake shakes northern Italy

New deadly quake shakes northern Italy [Yahoo News link with links to images on bottom]

Stephen Jewkes - Reuters - May 29, 2012

CAVEZZO, Emilia-Romagna (Reuters) - An earthquake killed 16 people and injured about 350 in northern Italy on Tuesday, spreading fear among thousands of residents living in tents after a similarly strong tremor in the same region flattened their homes nine days ago.

Rescuers were searching through the rubble of houses and warehouses in the Emilia-Romagna region, where several building sites had just reopened after the previous quake on May 20.

Officials said 16 people were confirmed dead, more than twice the number killed in the May 20 quake that, like Tuesday's, had its epicenter near the city of Modena. The number of those forced to leave their homes doubled to 14,000.

Many residents ran out of buildings when they felt the 5.8-magnitude tremor, which hit shortly after 3 a.m. EDT just as operations to rebuild the quake-struck region were under way.

"As we were coming down the stairs, we heard the sound of crumbling houses around us. There was a big cloud of dust," said 72-year-old Giulio in Cavezzo, a badly damaged village about 30 km (20 miles) from Modena where three died.

Rescuers searched tirelessly for survivors despite initial operations being hampered by disruption to the mobile phone network and to the railway network around Bologna.

A woman was pulled alive from the debris of her house in Cavezzo after 12 hours searching, according to Sky Italia.

The quake was the most deadly to strike Italy since 2009 when a tremor partially destroyed the central city of L'Aquila, killing about 300 people and leaving thousands homeless.

With its streets deserted, Cavezzo looked like a ghost town. A shop in the centre still had fruit displayed on stalls outside in the street.

In a nearby empty coffee shop a half-eaten croissant was left on a plate on the bar and an apron lay on the floor.

"It's a disaster, I've never seen anything like it. An endless series of very strong tremors after those of May 20, which had already pulled everything to its knees," said a very shaken Stefano Draghetti, mayor of Cavezzo.

"We need a lot of help to restart, from those who can - the state, the European community."

Italian media showed buildings and shopping malls shaking and collapsing under the force of the quake and ambulances racing across towns. Churches and factories were badly damaged.

In Medolla, also near the epicenter, an electromedical equipment plant collapsed, killing a worker. Rescuers were frantically searching for three other workers still believed to be under the rubble, a Reuters witness said.

"The situation is one of great fear and uncertainty," said Salvatore Iannizzotto, provincial head for the Modena police.

"The population was becoming more relaxed and slowly moving back into their homes. They have now left their homes again."

The civil protection service was setting up new emergency campsites to provide residents with shelter for the night.

QUAKE WOUNDS ITALY

The quake hit one of the most productive regions in a country struggling with a deep economic recession.

Farmers estimated the damage of the previous quake to agriculture in one of Italy's most fertile areas at more than 200 million euros ($250 million).

Sports car maker Ferrari and motorcycle firm Ducati closed their plants in the region for safety reasons. The world's top pasta-maker Barilla, based in Parma, evacuated a plant for 15 minutes but said production had not stopped. Italian bank BPER closed around 20 branches for safety reasons while medical products company Sorin said its plant in Mirabella had been damaged.

The quake was felt across northern and central Italy, including in the most populous northern city Milan. The area was hit by several large aftershocks, one of 5.6 magnitude

Schools and buildings were evacuated as far south as Florence. A soccer match between Italy and Luxembourg in Parma scheduled later on Tuesday was called off.

Emilia-Romagna, famed for its cured ham and mature Parmesan cheese, is in the middle of the Po plain, traditionally considered safer than other areas of seismic Italy.

Several historic buildings, some hit by the previous quake, suffered further damage.

In the town of San Felice sul Panaro whose imposing 14th-century Estense Castle was badly damaged in the quake just over a week ago, three workers were killed by a crumbling warehouse.

"The situation is very serious, some people are stuck under the rubble," Alberto Silvestri, the town's mayor, told Italian television.

Italian media also reported serious damage to the Baroque cathedral of Carpi and the Te Palace in Mantua, an architectural masterpiece from the Renaissance.

Prime Minister Mario Monti, whose cabinet is due to approve fresh emergency measures on Wednesday, tried to reassure the population in an impromptu news conference.

"I want to assure everyone that the state will do all that it must do, all that is possible to do, as fast as it can to guarantee the return to normality in a region so special, so important, so productive for Italy," he said.

French President Francois Hollande's office said France stood ready to provide Italy with any experts or logistical aid it might need. Greece was among the first nations to offer help.

A 3.8 magnitude quake was also felt in western Bulgaria on Tuesday, causing no casualties or serious damage, the National Geophysical Institute said. It had its epicenter near Pernik.

(Writing by Lisa Jucca; Additional reporting by Antonella Cinelli and Steve Scherer in Rome, Svetlana Kovalyova, Antonella Ciancio and Lisa Jucca in Milan; Editing by Pravin Char)

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Ferrari rides wave of green super-cars

[Above: BEIJING, CHINA - APRIL 27: A model stands beside a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta car during the 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition at China International Exhibition Center on April 27, 2012 in Beijing, China. More than 2,000 automotive enterprises from 14 countries and regions participated in the 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition from April 23 to May 2. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images; Photo: Feng Li / Getty Images]

Spotlight on Technology (Market date provided by Bloomberg News)

Ferrari hybrid surpassing Enzo as costliest car

Tommaso Ebhardt (tebhardt@bloomberg.net) - Bloomberg News - May 17, 2012

Ferrari will turn to fuel-saving hybrid technology to create its most powerful and expensive model, showing that even elite performance cars are under pressure to get greener.

The Italian automaker's first hybrid, called the F70 in trade press and blogs, will probably surpass the $850,000 price of the limited-edition Enzo, said a person familiar with the plan.

Using technology developed for Formula One racing, the model will combine two electric motors with a 12-cylinder gasoline engine to produce more horsepower than any previous Ferrari, while cutting fuel consumption 40 percent.

"Dedicated Ferrari drivers look first at power and technology," said Fabio Barone, chairman of the Passione Rossa owners club, who has two Ferraris. "The new Enzo will satisfy their appetite."

The model is part of a wave of green super-cars as high-end automakers step up efforts to make their models environmentally palatable, while still maintaining or boosting performance. As more models become available and emission rules tighten, sales of hybrid super-cars may surge from less than 100 this year to more than 2,100 in 2015, according to IHS Automotive.

Top-of-the-line Porsche

Porsche, which now sells hybrid versions of the Cayenne sport utility vehicle and Panamera four-door coupe, plans to start deliveries next year of the 918 Spyder, which will cost around $845,000. The top-of-the-line Porsche sports car will combine a 500-horsepower engine with 218-horsepower electric motors to hit a top speed of more than 199 mph.

BMW will roll out the i8 plug-in hybrid in 2014. The BMW super-car will be able to drive up to 21 miles on electric power and accelerate to 62 mph in less than 5 seconds.

"If you want to sell a vehicle in the U.S. and Europe, you must show you want to make the difference in terms of lower emissions, even if you sell" a $125,000 car, said Ian Fletcher, an analyst at IHS Automotive in London. "Even a super-car becomes more usable for city driving if it carries a hybrid engine."

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus, which has led the way among luxury-car makers in introducing the technology, offers five hybrid models, ranging from the $29,120 CT to the $112,750 LS. Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz sells the $91,850 S-Class hybrid and introduced a diesel-electric version of the E-Class in Germany this year. Volkswagen AG's ultra-luxury Bentley brand is considering a plug-in hybrid version of a planned SUV.

U.S. seen as big market

The Ferrari hybrid will go on sale starting next year, with the United States likely to be the model's biggest market, the person said, declining to be identified because the plans have not yet been made public. Ferrari will produce a limited number of the model, with the final price yet to be decided, the person said.

Ferrari, in Maranello in northern Italy, will show the heir to the Enzo this year, Chairman Luca Cordero Di Montezemolo said in a statement. Ferrari declined to comment on the vehicle beyond the statement.

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