It may have taken Lamborghini almost 10 years to produce its 12,000th Gallardo, but the milestone for the exotic Italian automaker is one worth celebrating. Given its exclusivity, prestige, and price tag, it’s remarkable to think that 12,000 Gallardos are out there on the road today.

Just to compare, the Murcielago in its ten-year production run sold merely 4,099 cars – which is understandable considering how much more it costs than the smaller Gallardo. But nonetheless, we’ve seen some remarkable special edition models over the years including the Gallardo Trofeo Stradale, the LP550-2 Spyder, and the LP560-4 Bicolore.

The current-generation Gallardo first entered production back in 2003 and Lamborghini is expected to replace the model soon. The exotic Italian automaker even went so far as to hint at the car’s successor when they announced the 12,000th Gallardo, tweeting “Ready for what comes next?” Unfortunately that’s all they teased, but we really expect Lamborghini to break some news this year on the Gallardo successor.

GALLERY: Gallardo Trofeo Stradale

About two months ago we reported a collection of luxurious and exotic machines that were involved in a bizarre accident in Japan that claimed at least eight Ferraris, three Mercedes-Benzes, a Lamborghini, a Nissan Skyline and a Toyota Prius.

The exotic car crash occurred on the Chugoku Expressway out in the Yamaguchi Prefecture and fortunately only ten people were hospitalized with just minor injuries.

Now a video of the aftermath from that accident has surfaced and it appears that Japan is now home to at least two parking lots full of fine machines just sitting and rotting. This accident is now being dubbed “the world’s most expensive car pileup” with an estimated combined cost of $4-million in damage.

Take a closer look at the Italian carnage after the break.

[Source: Carscoop]

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Many of usl dream of owning an Italian exotic like the Ferrari 458 Italia or Lamborghini Gallardo, but sometimes desperation causes us to get our hands on whatever we can, in whatever form we can. That’s where this awesome wooden Lamborghini Gallardo comes into play.

This handmade wooden Lamborghini Gallardo replica is out in Latvia, but the sellers are willing to ship it worldwide and currently has a starting bid of around $2,400. The eBay auction listing states that it was made at the factory of Arbo Ltd. and is constructed out of a wooden material called DendroLight. A quick peek around the Arbo website shows that they specialize in wooden windows and doors – not car replicas, in case anyone was wondering.

We love the description though, which calls the Gallardo a wooden car in very good condition, constructed in the year 2011. There are no doors, so the windshield is a bit lifted up to make it easier to step into the car. It has front and rear lights, turn signals and a horn. The best part? It’s a two-human powered car, a la pedal boat style. Funniest of all is the bullet point for the description? “Chicks magnet.”  No doubt.

GALLERY: Wooden Lamborghini Gallardo

[Source: eBay]

All the rumors surrounding the inevitable introduction to the Lamborghini SUV should come to an end at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show where a concept version of the exotic SUV is currently set to debut in late April 2012.

An Italian publication, Quattroruote, recently leaked what appears to be a photo of the Lamborghini SUV that is clearly being built to compete with the SUV offering from Bentley and Maserati.

Based on the photo in the publication (and it could just be a real good render) the Italian automaker will be incorporating the design from its Aventador on their SUV, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The Aventador is by far one of the finest Lamborghini designs in a while and if executed properly, could make the SUV look proper instead of out of proportion. The SUV is expected to be powered by the same V10 in the Gallardo with 575-hp, but a possible hybrid drivetrain is being, you guessed it, rumored with 700-hp and could be seen in 2015.

It would also make sense for Lamborghini to debut the vehicle in Beijing, where the Chinese market would welcome a Lamborghini SUV with open arms. Possibly much more than Europeans would at the Geneva Motor Show.

GALLERY: Lamborghini SUV

[Source: In Auto News]

A long while back, Italian exotic automaker Lamborghini made a bold claim that it would have something new for every major auto show. And now reports are coming in that Lamborghini will not just have one, but two debuts at the upcoming 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

One of the reveals will most certainly be the production model for the Aventador Roadster, a rumor that we had reported back in December of last year. The convertible exotic undoubtedly features a 700-hp, V12 powerplant and would be more than enough for an auto show debut. But Lamborghini clearly wants to take the center spotlight at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, so it’s believed a second vehicle will also make its way to center stage.

There’s unfortunately no confirmation as to what the second vehicle will be (where’s the fun in that?) but rumor has it that it could be a production variant of the Sesto Elemento or Lamborghini could just release yet another special edition Gallardo model.

But better yet, what if Lamborghini has an entirely new model set to debut at this year’s show? Perhaps Lamborghini has kept the Gallardo’s replacement under wraps, or maybe even a sedan or crossover will make its presence known. Whatever it may be, you can bet AutoGuide.com will be there to cover it live as it happens.

[Source: Teamspeed]

Nothing probably irks us more than a bunch of people driving recklessly on the highway, but seeing a fleet of Lamborghinis doing it really makes us shake our heads. From the moment the video starts rolling, we’re anticipating disaster and of course it doesn’t fail to deliver.

It appears that this high speed freeway run took place out in Taiwan, and we don’t feel sorry one bit for the owner considering how many people these drivers also put at risk. Nonetheless, the Gallardo loses control and wrecks on the freeway causing quite a bit of damage to its front end and possibly more. Hopefully no one was hurt in the making of this video.

Watch the video after the break.

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Reiter Engineering ushered in the New Year by showing off their 2012 GT3 race package for Lamborghini‘s Gallardo LP600+. The 2012 update consists of some major upgrades as Hans Reiter confirmed that endurance racing will be their next step in development.

Reiter Engineering’s goal for 2012 is to have a safe and reliable car for long distance races. In short, they hope to have a winning 24-hour race car. So upgrades to their 2012 GT3 package include a new 2012 Holinger gearbox that is lighter and consists of less parts that can break. On the outside, the LP600+ now has a larger splitter and double dive plates on the front bumper corners for additional downforce.

Currently still under development is the suspension, being retuned for more mechanical grip while reducing tire scrub. For braking, a new AP Racing brake kit will be used, equipped with six-piston calipers and reworked brake cooling in the front to improve braking performance on long races.

Power will remain unchanged from the 5.2L V10 with 592-hp. No pricing has been announced for the 2012 edition GT3, but last year’s rendition ran around $373,400 not including taxes.

Reiter Engineering promises that the development of their endurance parts will be ready for the 24 Hours of Dubai and Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi races.

GALLERY: Reiter Engineering 2012 Lamborghini LP600+ GT3

[Source: Jon Sibal]

The #40 of 40 Special Edition Lamborghini Diablo 6.0L VTs ever built will be going up for sale at the upcoming Scottsdale, Arizona Barrett-Jackson auction. Sporting only 12-miles on the odometer, this limited edition Diablo (the last of the final edition Diablos) is practically new.

The 6.0L VT SE Diablos featured a V12 powerplant with 550-hp, all-wheel-drive and a six-speed automatic transmission. It’s the last SE ever built and still has the original plastic covers on the seats. Since it was first bought, it has sat in a large climate-controlled collection on the West Coast. This particular Diablo’s exterior is Marrone Eklipsis with a Cocoa/Cream interior.

No reserve is set on this rare exotic.

GALLERY: 2001 Lamborghini Diablo Coupe

[Source: Barrett-Jackson]

What some people aren’t aware of with contests and sweepstakes is that when you win a car, often you end up having to pay taxes and other fees. While this sure beats having to pay for the car itself, sometimes the taxes and fees are more than someone can handle. This was possibly the case with David Dopp, winner of this lime-green Lamborghini Murcielago.

David Dopp, a truck driver for Frito-Lay in Santaquin, Utah won a $350,000 Lamborghini Murcielago in Maverik’s “Joe Schmo to Lamborghini” contest. Shortly after receiving the vehicle, he posted on his Facebook page that he was already stopped by the cops. Ok, no surprise – the man just won a Lamborghini and drives a chips truck for a living.

But then six hours later, Dopp wrecks his Murcielago, spinning out on an icy road after going 40-50 mph in a 35-mph road. He went right back on Facebook to let all his friends know him and his passenger were safe, no one was hurt (except for the car) and that he has insurance. So that’s where it gets interesting. If the vehicle is totaled, Dopp will get a nice payday from insurance. If it isn’t totaled, well, he just screwed himself and will be stuck with a wrecked and repaired Murcielago with the same amount of taxes to pay.

Now we have to give Dopp the benefit of the doubt and believe he wouldn’t wreck a Lamborghini on purpose – and honestly if he was going to, he should have done a lot more damage. But hey maybe he wanted to play it safe and make sure no one was injured in the process, but we honestly believe he had every intention of keeping it nice and clean so that he could sell it. The accident is probably a result of getting his hands on the steering wheel of a real car.

Check out the quick clip after the break showing off the winner of the Lambo, pre-cash.

[Source: Jalopnik]

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Rumor has it that Lamborghini has the Roadster variant for its new LP700-4 Aventador ready for production. When it actually makes it to the market will depend on Lamborghini, but a respected source notes that it’ll make a debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show – something that doesn’t really come as a surprise.

As with most rumors, not many details were supplied other than the fact that the model is confirmed. One great detail that was also included was the fact that the Aventador Roadster should feature a retractable roof solution much better than the one seen in the Murcielago Roadster. Needless to say, we reckon the Aventador Roadster will be absolutely gorgeous, and with a 700-hp V12 powerplant, it will definitely be one of the best Lambos to date.

GALLERY: Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4

[Source: Teamspeed]