2008 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder Convertible 2-door 5.0l Lambo on 2040-cars

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Rare early Lamborghini Countach sells for record $1.2 million

Lamborghini may have made headlines with the highly exclusive, $4.5-million Veneno and the even more expensive Veneno Roadster that followed, but when it comes to classics sold at auction, their prices seldom approach the kind of figures attained by rare classics made by arch-rival Ferrari. Early 350 GTs and rare Miuras (like the SV prototype Gooding sold a few years ago for a record $1.7 million) have been known to breach the seven-figure mark, but now the Countach is making its way into the big leagues as well.
Pictured here is a rather exceptional early example sold by Bonhams in Connecticut last week. This 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 "Periscopica" - so dubbed for the unique rearview mirror fitted to the first 150 examples made - has just over 10,000 miles on the odometer. With flawlessly retouched Blu Tahiti (read: French racing blue) paint and an immaculate deep tan leather interior, the Periscopica was the subject of feverish bidding before selling for $1.2 million to a buyer present at the auction, beating out a dozen or so telephone bidders.
The record price for a Countach trumps the previous record, also set by Bonhams at the Quail Lodge last August, where another '75 Periscopica sold for $836,000. The rising prices surely reflect the coming of age for the Countach, now nearly 40 years since its introduction - particularly for the generation that grew up idolizing it as the prototypical supercar. Scope it out in the artful gallery of 76 high-resolution images above and the details of the auction below.

Santa upgrades to Lamborghini Gallardo, spreads joy in LA

We understand. It's hard to slow down and really take in the holiday season, so it often comes and goes in a blur. That's especially so in Los Angeles, where almost everything moves fast and you feel like a face in the crowd. Determined to keep up with the fast pace and be noticed, one Santa Clause and his "elf" assistant decided to upgrade their "sleigh" - to a Lamborghini Gallardo (no reindeer needed).
We commend Santa's choice in the beloved Lamborghini and think Los Angelenos did notice him (though we're not sure he wanted to be approached by Freddy Krueger up there). Head below to watch Santa and his helper spread holiday joy with V10-powered goodness.

Twin-turbo Lamborghini ignites at 250 mph

Yesterday we covered a crash at the Unlimited 500+ drag race in Moscow, featuring a Nissan GT-R, but today brings better news: a Lamborghini Gallardo making 2,005 horsepower successfully went 250 miles per hour on the one-mile strip in 23.9 seconds without crashing. That's the good part. The bad part is the single-serving supercar burst into flames immediately after it crossed the finish line. Fortunately the driver was able to quickly bring the Lamborghini to a stop and get out of the car, but we have a feeling it will need some engine work before it sees any more action. That and perhaps a new paint job.
Underground Racing tuned the Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera's V10 to such an astronomical power output with the help of what sounds like twin-turbochargers (which is typical of UR builds). But despite the very impressive mile time, it's still hard not to feel sorry for the poor engine, which just couldn't take the pressure. Watch the 2,005-hp Gallardo reach 250 mph - then catch fire - in the video below.