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Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar, Luxury

Jaguar XKR-S

Jaguar XKR-S – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve heard rumblings of a more-powerful XKR. We saw spy shots of the rumored two-door as it blew through the English countryside wearing a dash of camouflage. And now it’s official: Jaguar is bringing a more powerful XKR to the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, and goes by the name XKR-S.

We can only assume Jaguar is sticking with the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 as a motivational tool because the full details won’t be unvieled until next week’s shindig in Switzerland. However, we have been given a few numbers: 550 horsepower, 502 pound-feet of torque, a top-speed of 186 miles per hour and the ability to run from zero-to-60 miles per hour in just 4.2 seconds.

If you weren’t excited enough about Geneva, Jaguar just gave you 550 reasons to start drooling. Get the full details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Jaguar XKR-S

[Source: Jaguar]

Continue reading Jaguar bringing 550 hp XKR-S super coupe to Geneva

Jaguar bringing 550 hp XKR-S super coupe to Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Lamborghini, Rumormill

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni – Click above for high-res image gallery

Following in the footsteps of its parent’s at Audi, Lamborghini has made all-wheel drive something of a battle cry. What was introduced as an option on the Diablo VT has now proliferated across every model Lamborghini has made since its introduction. Well… until the Balboni edition came along.

To honor the career of the company’s long-serving test driver Valentino Balboni, Lamborghini rolled out a purist’s version of the Gallardo that did away with the all-wheel drive system in favor of rear-drive only, dropped 10 horsepower and was available with a classic gated manual in the place of the e-gear sequential gearbox.

The Balboni edition – carrying the LP 550-2 designation to mark its metric horsepower output and traction configuration – was set to be the only rear-drive Gallardo available, until Lamborghini announced the Bicolore edition just the other day. Although sold overseas with all-wheel drive, the American version was announced as the first rear-drive LP 550-2 to follow the Balboni.

According to reports coming in from Italy, Lamborghini is now preparing to offer the LP 550-2 as a sort of “entry-level” Gallardo, undercutting the price of other versions while offering the more direct drivetrain set-up. Apparently Lamborghini already sold a number of these LP 550-2s to Asian customers who missed out on the Balboni’s limited production run, and will now offer the bare-bones Gallardo as a regular member of the family.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni

balbonilp5502fd_01 balbonilp5502fd_02 balbonilp5502fd_03 balbonilp5502fd_04 balbonilp5502fd_05

[Source: OmniAuto.it – translated]

Lamborghini to position rear-drive LP 550-2 as “entry-level” Gallardo? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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