Tag Archives: Lamborghini

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Maserati MCXtrema Joins One of the World’s Most Exclusive Car Collections

At Maserati’s storied Viale Ciro Menotti plant in Modena, the past and future of the Trident collided in a moment that could only be described as theatrical. The factory, home to Maserati for nearly 90 years, served as the backdrop for the handover of one of the most extreme cars the brand has ever produced: the Maserati MCXtrema.

The recipient? Jacques Sicotte, a French nuclear engineer and entrepreneur with an enviable garage of more than 60 rare collector cars, including the legendary Maserati MC12. For a man whose taste runs toward Italian thoroughbreds with both beauty and bite, the MCXtrema wasn’t just another acquisition—it was an inevitability.

A Successor to a Legend

Dubbed “The Beast of the Trident,” the MCXtrema is the spiritual successor to the MC12, a car that cemented Maserati’s dominance in GT racing two decades ago. Developed as a track-only machine, production is capped at just 62 units worldwide. With its 3.0-liter twin-turbo Nettuno V6 tuned to a ferocious 740 horsepower, it represents the sharpest edge of Maserati performance.

Sicotte’s car, unveiled to him for the first time at the Modena factory, was far from a standard spec. Working hand-in-hand with Maserati Centro Stile through the MCXlusiva personalization program, he crafted a car that nods reverently to his beloved MC12 Stradale while still pushing forward.

The exterior wears a striking two-tone matte blue and pearl white finish, capped with an oversized Trident painted proudly on the bonnet. On the doors, Sicotte’s personal lucky number “77” adds a final flourish of individuality. Step inside, and the cockpit is drenched in deep navy, accented by bespoke track-focused options such as a passenger seat kit, telemetrics package, and rearview camera. It’s less interior and more cockpit—a darkened command center for attacking curbing at speed.

A Ceremony of Pedigree

The delivery itself was steeped in heritage. Andrea Bertolini, Maserati’s chief test driver and a four-time GT World Champion with the MC12, personally handed over the keys. Bertolini has been involved in the MCXtrema program from day one, from simulator development to track validation—a fitting link between past glory and Maserati’s next chapter in motorsport engineering.

“This is more than a car,” Sicotte remarked. “It’s a work of art, but one that demands to be driven at the limit.”

Engineering the Ultimate Maserati

Building the MCXtrema wasn’t a matter of tradition—it was a triumph of technology. Maserati’s Virtual Analysis team logged more than 1,000 hours of simulations and 200 hours in the dynamic simulator before the first prototype even touched asphalt. Aerodynamic efficiency was sculpted hand-in-glove with Centro Stile’s design language, resulting in a machine that looks every bit as vicious as it performs.

Powertrain calibration specialists wrung every last drop of performance from the Nettuno V6, an engine already lauded in the Maserati MC20 supercar but here elevated into a purebred racing heart. The result is a car that redefines the meaning of a Maserati track machine: no compromises, no apologies, just raw velocity fused with Italian craftsmanship.

The MCXperience

Owning an MCXtrema isn’t about parking it in a climate-controlled garage—it’s about living it. Maserati has built an exclusive ecosystem around the car, called MCXperience, offering private track days, coaching from Maserati Corse professionals, and concierge-level support. Each delivery includes a full racing kit co-developed with Sparco, ensuring that owners are not just spectators but active participants in the brand’s racing universe.

For Sicotte, whose collection already speaks volumes about his passion for driving rather than collecting dust, the MCXtrema represents both continuity and evolution. Where the MC12 once ruled the track, the MCXtrema now prowls, ready to unleash its 740-hp fury.

If the MC12 was Maserati’s ticket back to the winner’s circle, the MCXtrema is its battle cry for the future. Brutal yet beautiful, it is equal parts engineering showcase and design manifesto. And for Jacques Sicotte, it’s the only logical way to honor the Maserati legacy in his collection—by adding the beast that carries the Trident’s spirit into tomorrow.

Source: Maserati

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Lamborghini Polo Storico Marks a Decade by Spotlighting Icons at Italian Concours

Automobili Lamborghini’s Polo Storico, the factory department charged with safeguarding Sant’Agata’s heritage, just wrapped up a weekend that perfectly showcased its mission: celebrating the past while keeping it alive for the present. The team rolled into two of Italy’s most prestigious classic car gatherings—the Concorso d’Eleganza Varignana 1705 near Bologna and the Festival Car in Revigliasco outside Turin—armed with nothing less than the final Diablo ever built.

For Lamborghini, that car isn’t just another poster child from the bedroom-wall era. It’s a time capsule, the very last example of a model that turns 35 this year, representing the twilight of analog V12 madness before the digital age fully set in. Preserved in the company’s own collection, the car doubled as both centerpiece and statement: Lamborghini intends for Polo Storico, now in its 10th year, to be the gold standard in historic preservation.

But the Diablo wasn’t alone. Polo Storico curated a lineup that painted a broad sweep of the brand’s history. A 1965 350 GT stood in as the foundation stone of Lamborghini’s road car legacy—the moment Ferruccio moved from tractors to grand tourers. A 1987 Countach 5000 QV represented the outrageous excess of the Eighties, all strakes and spoilers, a car that cemented Lamborghini’s image as the rebel of the supercar world. And then there was the Miura P400—the car that effectively invented the term “supercar.” Certified by Polo Storico and restored to exacting standards, that very Miura walked away with first place in the Supercar class at Varignana.

“From day one, our team has worked with the same passion that has driven Lamborghini for more than sixty years,” said Alessandro Farmeschi, the company’s After Sales Director. “Being present with the last Diablo produced, in its anniversary year, allowed us to showcase our identity in contexts that highlight Italian history, style, and culture. And the Miura’s class victory confirms that authenticity is valued every bit as much as beauty.”

That sentiment goes to the heart of Polo Storico’s mission. In just a decade, it has evolved into an international touchstone for collectors seeking not only spare parts and restorations but also authenticity certification—a seal of approval that can mean the difference between a nice car and an award-winning legend.

The results speak for themselves. The Miura’s win at Varignana wasn’t just another trophy—it was recognition that Lamborghini’s factory preservation arm has the credibility to satisfy owners, judges, and purists alike. And as the last Diablo glistened under the Italian sun, it was hard not to see the through line: from the elegant 350 GT, to the groundbreaking Miura, to the outrageous Countach, and finally to the fire-breathing Diablo. Together, they tell the story of a brand that has never done subtlety—and of a heritage department determined to make sure that story is never forgotten.

Source: Lamborghini

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Lamborghini’s Next Chapter: Hybrids, High-Riders, and a Hint of Madness

Once upon a time, Lamborghini was chaos in sheet metal. The Countach years were loud, wild, and unforgettable—but they were also a financial disaster. By the late 1970s, the Raging Bull was flat on its back, bankrupt and changing owners more often than it built new models. Stability only arrived in the late ’90s, when Volkswagen Group stepped in, put Audi in charge, and gave Sant’Agata the resources to match its ambitions.

Fast-forward to 2024: Lamborghini just set another sales record, delivering 10,687 cars. Business has never been better, and that financial cushion is allowing the company to do something very on-brand—get weird again.

When “Crazy” Is a Business Plan

Federico Foschini, Lamborghini’s head of sales and marketing, recently told Autocar that the brand isn’t slowing down when it comes to niche models. The Huracán Sterrato proved that buyers are hungry for high-riding, dirt-spraying exotics, and a follow-up based on the new Temerario seems inevitable. Foschini hinted at more “crazy” derivatives across the lineup, with the flagship Revuelto a prime candidate. Don’t rule out an off-road Revuelto in the mold of the Sterrato, or stripped-back, rear-drive versions of the mid-engine cars. As he put it: “We are always looking for crazy things in all dimensions.”

The Urus SUV, Lamborghini’s cash-printing machine, looks like the most logical platform for another off-road special. A hardcore ST-X concept has already been shown, though it never reached production. Considering the popularity of adventure-spec SUVs, Lamborghini might finally greenlight something rugged for its best-seller.

The Hybrid Middle Ground

What Lamborghini isn’t ready to do, at least not yet, is go fully electric. The second-generation Urus will stick with a combustion engine paired with a plug-in hybrid system, shelving earlier rumors of an all-electric future. Even the Lanzador—a 2+2 grand tourer originally previewed as a pure EV—will likely land in 2029 as a hybrid, and a year later than initially promised.

For Lamborghini, hybrids aren’t a compromise—they’re survival. Low-volume automakers can’t afford to pump out compliance EVs the way mainstream brands can. Hybridization is the bridge that keeps V-12s and V-10s alive while still passing ever-tighter regulations. And if anyone can make a hybrid sound, feel, and drive like an event, it’s Lamborghini.

The Sky Is the Limit

The Revuelto already has the hardcore Fenomeno, Lamborghini’s most powerful production car to date. The Temerario could spawn both dirt-hungry specials and rear-drive purist editions. The Urus might finally become a true rally-inspired SUV. And the Lanzador, once envisioned as a sterile EV, may arrive with a little more fire in its belly.

Audi might have tamed Lamborghini’s finances, but the Italian wild streak is alive and well. If Foschini’s hints are anything to go by, the next decade will be about more than survival in the hybrid era—it’ll be about proving that “crazy” still sells.

Source: Autocar