Supercars were everywhere yesterday when a convoy of classic and modern Ferraris, Mercedes-Benz and a Lamborghini had probably the most expensive shunt in motoring history.
The accident happened at just after 10am on the Chugoku Expressway in Yamaguchi Prefecture at the western tip of Japan’s main island of Honshu. According to witnesses the conditions were wet.
It is thought that the lead Ferrari of the convoy hit the central reservation which the caused the 14 car pile-up. Eight Ferraris including 355, 360 and Testarossa models, three Mercedes-Benz and a Lamborghini were damaged in the crash.
“The accident occurred when the driver of a red Ferrari was switching from the right lane to the left and skidded,” said Mitsuyoshi Isejima, executive officer for Yamaguchi Prefecture’s Expressway Traffic Police unit.
“It was a gathering of narcissists.” The drivers were aged between 37 and 60 years old, he said.
Several drivers and passengers were treated for minor injuries. The person suspected of causing the accident may face up to three months in jail or a fine of as much as 100,000 yen ($1,280).
The incident, which happened in the southern prefecture of Yamaguchi, wiped out 14 cars, including eight Ferraris, three Mercedes and a Lamborghini.
According to police, the crash started when one of the Ferrari drivers lost control of their car while changing lanes and ploughed into the central reservation.
“A group of cars was doing 140-160km (85-100 miles) per hour,” an unidentified eyewitness told Japanese broadcaster TBS. “One of them spun and they all ended up in this great mess.”
The road was closed for six hours while authorities cleared up the damage, which included several Ferrari 360s, F355s and a Testarossa, many of which look likely to have been written off. Although none of the drivers or passengers was seriously injured, it’s been reported that 10 people were treated for bruises and minor injuries. And no doubt some seriously bruised wallets.
So if you happen to need some spare parts for your Ferrari, we suspect there might be a glut of them in Japan in the not-so-distant future..
The new Lamborghini Aventador LP-700-4 flew into Brazil with customers meeting the new arrival at a private afield.
The new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 was showcased during an event held for media and Lamborghini customers in a hangar at the Campo de Marte private airport in San Paolo. Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini attended the debut in South America.
Mr. Winkelmann commented, “For Lamborghini, Brazil is a young market, a market we believe in. We predict that our sales in this country will have doubled by the end of this year compared with 2010. Seven Aventadors have been sold in Brazil so far, and the first will be delivered by the end of this month”.
Since October 2009, San Paolo – one of the most modern and most exclusive cities in South America – has hosted the official Lamborghini showroom, offices and sales staff on the celebrated Avenida Europa. Founded in 1996 with a registered office in San Paolo, the Via Itália Group is one of the most exclusive dealers in the luxury car sector. It imports and distributes super sports cars and GT race cars throughout Brazil and provides after sales service.
The Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 is now available at more than 120 dealerships in 45 countries around the world.
The Absolute Radio Christian O’Connell Breakfast show team experienced the commute of a lifetime this morning as Top Gear Live provided the presenters with a fleet of Supercar taxis to ferry them to work.
The all-action car show, which will be at London ExCel this week (24 – 27th November), gave the team a taste of the some of the most prestigious vehicles in the world, which will be in attendance at the motoring extravaganza.
DJ Christian O’Connell arrived ahead of schedule in his £350,000 Lamborghini Murcielago, while co-host Richie Firth enjoyed the luxury of Audi’s £111,995 R8 V8 Coupe.
On arriving at the studio O’Connell commented, “Well that certainly was a commute that I won’t be forgetting in a hurry, it was a fantastic experience and to think that the car is only one of five in the world, it amazes me they are even allowed out on the road!”
Travel presenter, Maggie Doyle, had the most exhilarating journey, as she experienced the raw nature of the open-topped, 520bhp-per-tonne Caterham Superlight R500, one of the few cars to beat the Bugatti Veyron around the Top Gear track and one of the high-performance cars that will be piloted by The Stig around the purpose-built indoor racetrack that makes its debut at Top Gear Live this year.
Meanwhile, newsreader Andrew Bailey was transported in style by the super-sleek, gull-winged Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster.
All of the cars will be at this year’s Top Gear Live show at ExCel, where Clarkson, Hammond and May will once again be recreating their unique approach to car appreciation and will be delighting the crowds with their madcap games and ideas.
Top Gear Live opens at ExCel this Thursday 27th for four days.
Automobili Lamborghini officially opened the Lamborghini Lugano, the company’s new dealership in Switzerland. Attending the ceremony was Stephan Winkelmann, the President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.
The showroom, located in Cadenazzo, near Lugano, is run by the dealer Tarcisio Pasta SA, founded in 1968 and boasting more than 40 years’ experience in the automotive sector.
At the new Raging Bull dealership fans can admire the V10 and V12 product lines: the Gallardo models and the new Aventador LP 700-4 that was introduced last March. With its carbon fiber monocoque, completely new 700 HP V12 engine, pushrod suspension based on Formula 1 racing technology, newly designed gearbox and superstar performance (0-100 Km/h in 2.9 seconds and maximum speed of 350 Km/h), the Aventador is the new benchmark for the entire super sports car market segment.
During the press conference at the grand opening, Stephan Winkelmann said: “Opening Lamborghini Lugano is yet another step in our plan for strengthening the Lamborghini sales network in Switzerland and around the world. For us Switzerland is a strategic market as it is within our ten most important worldwide. We know Tarcisio Pasta SA will represent the excellence and prestige of the Raging Bull brand in Lugano”.
With the new Lamborghini Lugano showroom, there are now five Lamborghini sales and service locations in Switzerland. Lamborghini is also present in Geneva, Zurich, St. Gallen and Porrentruy. Around the world, over 120 Lamborghini dealerships have been established in 45 countries.
It just isn’t fair! The world rugby superstar Jonah Lomu, who started out with the All Blacks in 1994 and became the top try scorer in the 1999 World Cup, visited the home of the world’s top supersports cars at Sant’Agata Bolognese to see the new Lamborghini Aventador.
World rugby legend Jonah Lomu visits Lamborghini to see the new Aventador
During his visit to the assembly lines and new facilities, where the carbon fibre monocoque of the new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 is made, Mr. Lomu was struck by the efficiency and craftsmanship that set the company apart.
The Aventador follows the traditional low rear engine layout of previous Lamborghini models but with the latest build techniques and materials. This new bull offers fantastic performance from the V12 engine and four wheel drive coupled with an almost ‘every day drive’ subtlety that recent Lamborghini models may not have been known for.
After admiring the fine collection of models in the museum that have made Lamborghini history, the physically imposing rugby legend (who is 196 cm tall and weighs 125 kg) had the chance to try out the Gallardo Superleggera on the road and get behind the wheel of the new Aventador.
In his words: “The feeling you get in a Lamborghini and the adrenaline rush at every bend are unbelievable! It’s an extreme but comfortable car!”.
We would like the chance to agree with Jonah and test the Aventador on the fantastic roads down here in the south west if Lamborghini are listening!
Jonah Lomu shows there is pleanty of room in the new Lamborghin Aventador
Jonah Lomu is in Italy to promote the “Friends for Japan” appeal, the proceeds of which will go towards rebuilding the areas hit by the tragic tsunami of 11th March. The appeal events will climax in a rugby match between Italy and Japan on 13th August in Cesena.
If you take not one but two new Lamborghini Aventador supercars, some of Italy’s most beautiful winding mountain roads and then film it – you have something that just needs to be watched!
Theses two new ‘bulls’ show just what this new four wheel drive Lamborghini is capable of as this video shows how they carve up the Italian mountain side.
The music is a little loud over the Lamborghinis V12 soundtrack but the Aventador engines and exhausts do their best to show you what this Murcielago replacement is capable of.
The team at Autocar have been trying out the new Lamborghini Aventador on the road and track but this time they have taken their camera too!
Lamborghini expect to start customer deliveries of the Aventador later this year. Along wiht a new Aventador website Lamborghini have been promoting their own videos as well as allowing the motoring press to get behind the wheel.
This Autocar video Aventador review certainly lets you see and hear what all the fuss is about with this new Lamborghin and it also shows just how good this huge supercar is on the road and a soaking race circuit.
