Pengeluar motosikal Itali, Ducati telah mengambil langkah proaktif dengan menutup sementara kilang mereka susulan kebimbangan penularan wabak Covid-19.
Langkah itu menyaksikan Ducati mengikut jejak pengeluar motosikal lain antaranya Aprilia, Moto Guzzi dan MV Augusta dan terkini Moto Morini dalam melaksanakan penutupan sementara bagi membendung Covid-19.
Sementara itu, langkah sama turut diambil pengeluar kereta premium mewah, Ferrari dan Lamborghini.
Ferrari dalam kenyataan pada Sabtu mengesahkan bahawa kilang di Maranello dan Modena akan dititup sehingga 27 Mac ini.
Ini merupakan kali pertama Ferrari berdepan situasi diperingkat pengeluaran.
Lamborghini turut membuat keputusan sama dengan menutup kilang di Sant’Agata Bolognese buat sementara waktu sehingga 25 Mac 2020.
“Langkah ini bertujuan menyambut usaha kerajaan dalam menangani masalah Covid-19,” jelas Pengerusi dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Automobili Lamborghini, Stefano Domenicali.
Pengeluar kaliper brek terkenal dunia, Brembo juga terkesan dengan impak Covid-19 di Itali yang kini telah meragut 368 nyawa dengan 24,747 kes direkodkan setakat ini.
Dalam perkembangan sama, pengeluar motosikal Austria, KTM turut menutup sementara kilang mereka dengan setiap pekerja diarahkan untuk bekerja di rumah.
Penutupan kilang KTM turut memberi kesan terhadap Husqvarna dan GASGAS.
Setakat ini segala perancangan Lamborghini sedang berjalan dengan baik terutamanya selepas memperkenalkan model Urus yang berjaya menggandakan penjualan bagi separuh pertama 2019.
Bagaimanapun, masa depan pengeluar kereta berpangkalan di Sant’Agata, Itali masih terumbang ambing dengan Automobile melaporkn Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif VW, Herbert Diess masih tidak berpuas hati dengan prestasi kewangan semasa mereka.
Teka-teki masa depan Lamborghini kini diteruskan apabila dilaporkan pengganti baharu bagi model Aventador ditangguh sehingga 2024.
Menurut laporan, Audi – syarikat pemilik Lamborghini di bawah VW Group – enggan membelanjakan wang untuk mengemaskini enjin V12 Aventador mengikut piawaian ’emission’ Eropah.
Sebaliknya, pengeluar kereta Jerman itu mahu melabur dalam enjin V8 hibrid sekaligus ‘supercar’ Lamborghini selepas ini mungkin perlu melupakan enjin V12.
Ketika ini, Porsche, Ferrari dan McLaren telah pun mengalihkan tumpuan ke arah kereta elektrik kecuali Lamborghini.
Awal tahun ini, wujud laporan bahawa Lamborghini mungkin akan menghasilkan Aventador dengan tiga motor elektrik yang mampu menjana 1,100 hp.
A client in Germany commission this Boss Hoss Lamborghini.
It combines a Boss Hoss motorcycle and Lamborghini Aventador.
The engine is probably the 6200cc, V-8 LS 445 for the Corvette.
So, you’ve got a whole shed-load of bikes and sportscars sitting idle in the garage, including a Boss Hoss V-8 cruiser and Lamborghini Aventador. What do you do? Yeah, what do you do?
Turn it into a bike/Lambo trike! Yikes!
That’s what might have happened when the customer commissioned this build. Although the first thing that springs to mind might’ve been the American Boss Hoss who built it, that’s actually half right because it was actually put together by their branch in Germany.
The heart of this monster is the 6200cc (not a typo!), V-8, 445 hp, 445 lb. ft. LS 445 Corvette engine. The powerplant is the weapon of choice since the founder Monte Warne created the first Boss Hoss in 1990.
While we’re not so much of car fans, we do feel a twinge of sadness seeing a bike and car were sacrificed this way. But that’s his money, probably too much of it in this case!
Lamborghini had wanted to diversify their portfolio during that time.
One such bike was put up for auction in England recently.
Just the name itself – Lamborghini – will surely elicit images of sharp, shark-like cars that are powered by over-the-top engines and prices that most of us wouldn’t even dare to dream about. The Italian marque’s products stirred the emotions in the owners and plebeians alike, all driven by that famous Italian passion which was concerned about building beautiful things, first and foremost.
Granted, they are in good hands now since going under the Audi brand, which also owns Ducati. They have so far introduced car after car that sold well by credit of not only their looks and performance but also an understanding of what customers want, including the just-launched Urus SUV.
It wasn’t always so rosy when Lamborghini struggled with bankruptcy.
The Lamborghini brand was owned by Volkswagen in the 80’s and business was so bad that even the founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini – the namesake of his cars – was forced out.
Lamborghini was then sold to the Mimran Brothers. In the bid to return the brand to the black, they went on to build massive V-12 engines for offshore powerboat racing. Ferrucio did equip his Riva Aquarama with a 4-litre V-12 in 1969, after all.
Lamborghini came up with a 7974cc V-12 which produced 720bhp. Racing boats fitted two of these engines for a total of 1440 bhp. A 9336cc, 630 bhp version was also made for pleasure boating.
Apart from that, Lamborghini had also built an SUV called the LM002, powered by a Countach V-12 engine, no less.
That still not being enough, Patrick Mimran decided that Lamborghini should also build motorcycles. The project was outsourced to the French boutique motorcycle maker, Boxer (now known as Boxer Design), and christened “Design 90.” Boxer was tasked with both designing and assembling the bike.
They sourced an 1000cc inline-Four engine and fettled it to produce 130 bhp. Additionally, the bike was given an aluminium alloy frame, lightweight wheels, top-end brakes, suspension, exhaust, and electrical components. Mind you, those were the cutting-edge technologies of GP bikes in 1986!
Both parties planned for an ultra-limited production of 25 examples, but only 6 were ever built. Almost no one knew about the bike and the astronomical price of USD 13,500 killed the project. But we think it’s because it’s so ugly not even its mother could love it.
Fast forward to 2018, a Lamborghini Design 90 stamped on the frame as BOXERL002 was put up for auction at the National Motorcycle Museum in England recently, where it was expected to fetch between USD 117,700 to 124,600. Bidding started at USD 58,800. Unfortunately, the bike couldn’t meet its reserve price and went unsold.
Who knows; maybe it would’ve been snapped up if Lamborghini and Boxer found a way to stuff in a V-12.
The European association of motorcycles manufacturers or ACEM recently welcomed its newest member, French carmaker Renault. But there’s a catch; the French carmaker has no intentions of producing two-wheeled products anytime soon. Strange move? Maybe not. (more…)
