The Lamborghini Reventon Roadster, a convertible version of the famed Italian marque's most coveted creation, has seen its price increase just a few weeks after it was unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Lamborghini announced that fewer than 20 and perhaps as little as 10 examples of the topless supercar (see video above) would be built, priced at €1.1 million or about $1.5 million. As with the original Reventon, however, it is thought that the limited edition Roadsters were quickly snapped up, and at least one early purchaser is already looking to turn a profit: a Reventon Roadster has now been listed for sale in Berlin via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for €1.45 million or $2.1 million. The car's 6.5 liter V12 engine pumps out 670 hp and can do 0 - 100 kph (62 mph) in just 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 205 mph.

How do you top the Lamborghini Reventon? The million-euro supercar – itself based on the already-extreme Murcielago – made its debut at the Frankfurt show two years ago, and almost immediately sold out its entire production run. This year Lamborghini returned with an even more enticing proposition: the Reventon Roadster.

The ultimate convertible Raging Bull upgrades on the Reventon coupe's fighter jet-inspired styling with an open-air body style, coupled to the same blueprinted 661hp 6.5-liter V12. Lamborghini will only make fewer than 20 examples, each carrying a $1.6 million price tag, so chances are these photos are the closest you'll ever get to seeing one.

Looks like it'll be an all-out supercar showdown next week at the Frankfurt Motor Show. In addition to the McLaren MP4-12C and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG – not to mention the Ferrari 458 Italia – Lamborghini will reportedly be showing off the roadster version of its million-plus dollar Reventón.

Sporting the same stealth fighter-inspired angular bodywork as the standard Reventón that was unveiled two years ago at the same auto show, the new topless Lambo will reportedly make use of its all-wheel drive system to help the run to 60 in just 3.4 seconds. Top speed is expected to be well over 200 miles per hour, as you'd expect from an Italian supercar with a mid-mounted 650-horsepower V12 powerplant.

Stay tuned for live shots and official details as the festivities in Frankfurt draw ever closer, but in the meantime, be sure to check out our gallery of images below. Thanks to everyone for the tips!



[Source: WCF]

The Lamborghini Murcielago is already one of the most extreme cars on the road. But Floridian tuning garage Heffner Performance doesn't seem to think it's enough. So they've bolted a couple of turbocharger to the Lambo's 570-horsepower V12 to give it a whopping 1,100 horsepower, all driving through the rear wheels, with the Murci's standard all-wheel-drive system removed. The result is sure to be one heck of a ride, with in-gear acceleration times reduced by nearly half. Better hold on for dear life.

Long before the Porsche Cayenne roamed the streets, long before Spyker ever dreamt of making what it calls a "Super Sport Utility Vehicle", and long before Veritas hatched plans for an aircraft-powered sport-ute, there was the Lamborghini LM002. Initially devised for the same sort of application as the original Hummer, the "Lambo Rambo", as it was known, was a pioneer in the exotic SUV market. It was powered by the same 450-horsepower V12 as the Lamborghini Countach – the poster child for exotic sportscars in the era of excess – and could climb rocks with the best of 'em.

The LM002 was made as a four-door pickup truck, but the Sultan of Brunei had a special wagon version built. He later sold it to one Bernd Pischetsrieder, the former chief executive of BMW and the Volkswagen group (which now owns Lamborghini). It had room for seven, and packed all the latest amenities you'd expect from a luxury sport-ute, from DVD players and televisions to burlwood veneer panels and sumptuous leather upholstery. It's now up for sale in Germany at an undisclosed price, but you can bet it'll cost a truckload.

The new 41 Super Leggera from Rhode Island's Outerlimits Powerboats can do 100 m.p.h., costs $650,000 and is the closest thing we've seen yet to an oceangoing Lamborghini. The company constructs the awesome 41-ft. powerboat using aerospace technology, materials and engineering, centered on a carbon fiber deck and epoxy e-glass hull. Super fast, strong and light, the design is based on a World Championship race boat, but with all the comforts you'd expect from a craft of this caliber. The cockpit features a dash made of hand stitched leather and suede, a GPS chart plotter, and side-by-side stand-up convertibe bolsters. The full cabin features a shower, a plush V-berth, and plenty of storage for your other toys.

[via JamesList]

A couple weeks back we wrote about a chromed-out Audi R8 supercar spotted in the UK which sparked a heated debate on automotive aesthetics. Now a chrome Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster (above) has been seen prowling around London where it's been turning heads to say the least as you can see. The Lamborghini is already eye-popping enough in normal livery for most folk, so the chromed-out version seems designed to scream "Look at me!" And maybe traffic-choked London is simply the wrong setting for this thing - perhaps it could be quite beautiful out on the Bonneville Salt Flats or something - but it seems to me we're straying into Prince of Brothels territory here. What do you think?

On August 13th - 15th Russo & Steele will stage their Monterey Sports & Muscle sale in California, offering some incredible deals on classic Ferraris and more. We've written plenty about the multimillion-dollar auctions taking place but the R&S sale looks like a great place to grab a bargain. On the high end is this 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, with an estimate of $1 million – $1.1 million. As we noted earlier this year, this model is widely considered to be one of the world's most beautiful Ferraris. Formerly in the collection of racing legend Skip Barber, the car has not only been impeccably restored but tuned up for maximum driving pleasure.

Somewhat less expensive but no less appealing is a 1960 Ferrari 250GT Series II Cabriolet finished in a deep maroon over tan hides and a black cloth convertible top. It was imported when new by Vilem B. Haan, one of the pioneers of the American sports car aftermarket and known to readers of period automotive magazines for his catchy advertising and unique offerings. The car remains in show-quality condition, most recently on display just this past fall at the Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance. It's estimated at only $550,000 - $650,000.

For a real steal, how about the 1970 Ferrari 365 GT2+2? Estimated at only $125,000 - $150,000, it sports a fresh full-leather interior and contains all the period correct items including the vintage Blaupunkt radio, owner's manual with pouch and warranty card and a completely-correct and authentic tool kit. It even has period-correct Michelin XWX tires on the gorgeous Borrani wire wheels. The car has won several Ferrari Club of American Concours Class Awards. Read on for more great cars after the jump.

Rumors that Lamborghini will come out with a roadster version of its ultra-rare, €1 million carbon fiber Reventon supercar have been bruited about for a while. Now some more concrete reports have surfaced indicating a Reventon Spyder (rendering above) could be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Limited to only 20 examples, the Reventon quickly sold out following its original announcement. It's said that the Reventon Spyder, based on the Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce with a 670 hp V12 engine, will be even more exclusive, with a production run limited to only 9 examples. The price? A cool $1.6 million.

Owners of exotic supercars around the world are finding it increasingly frustrating to drive their high-performance machinery on public roads. There's only so much of their potential that you can safely, responsibly and legally use on city streets and rural highways. So many are beginning to turn to the race track to get their thrills. But if you're already heading to a closed circuit, then who says your car has to be street legal? Might as well make it a proper racing car, like the one you see here. German racing firm Reiter Engineering has taken the already amazing Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 and turned it into a track-focused racing machine the likes of which the factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese has only dreamed. To bring the Gallardo up to GT3 level specifications. Reiter has taken out all the excess weight they could, retuned the 560-horsepower V10 engine, dropped the suspension, tweaked the aerodynamics with giant wings fore and aft, fitted new brakes and transmission and mounted the whole thing on slick racing tires. No wonder Reiter-prepared Lamborghinis have won, and continue to win trophies in racing classes around the world. Of course all the racing equipment on top of the price of a stock Lambo doesn't come cheap: 265,000 euros in this case. But the flexible platform means that the GT3-spec Gallardo can be converted to the even more extreme GT2 formula for another 30,000 euros. So if the gentleman racer feels like stepping it up another notch, he won't need to start again from scratch.

David Kaiser, a friend of our sister site Autoblog, offers up these stunning pictures from Lamborghini's launch of the Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni in Zürich, Switzerland. According to Kaiser, this was the third stop of the car's initial European tour following appearances in Paris and Lyon in France. Next, the Italian crew will pack up and take their show on to various locations in the United Kingdom.

This new Lamborghini was named in honor of the automaker's longtime test driver. Featuring a 550-horsepower version of the Gallardo's familiar V10 engine and a comparatively low 3,042-pound curb weight, the rear-drive LP550-2 is reportedly capable of scurrying to 60 in just 3.9 seconds and up to a top speed of 199 mph. Check out the photo gallery below and pay special attention to the unique black-and-white racing stripe, Scorpious wheels hiding bright yellow brake calipers and transparent engine cover. Thanks, David!



[Source: DavidKaiser.ch]

Lamborghinis are about as hard-core as sportscars can get, but hard as it may be to believe, even this exotic Italian automaker has been making concessions towards drivability and ease-of-use. All in the interest of faster lap times, of course, but some desire a more direct, bare-bones approach. And now Lamborghini has delivered just that with the limited-edition Valentino Balboni edition Gallardo.

Named after the company's legendary test driver, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni does away with the all-wheel-drive system and e-gear clutchless transmission and replaces them with a classic rear-drive set-up and open-gate six-speed shifter. The removal of the heavy drivetrain saves significant weight off the car, delivering a more hard-core driving experience for the skilled enthusiast. The Balboni edition is visually distinguished by the white-and-gold stripe running up the hood, echoed inside with the white-trimmed interior, and the multi-spoke Scorpious wheels. Only 250 examples will be made, each individually signed and numbered, available in eight different colors and with a host of optional equipment. With prices starting below $220,000, it's actually less expensive than the $280k all-wheel-drive LP560-4, though we doubt that'll be the defining element for prospective buyers.

Occasionally whiz-kid designers beat the pros at their own game when it comes to concept cars. At the very least they open up a world of possibilities that the car companies themselves may be too timid to explore. (See our earlier reports on the Audi Shark and the Chanel-mobile, for example). The latest entry comes to us from Iran, where despite all the unrest creativity still flourishes. The razor sharp new Lamborghini concept by Iranian designer Emil Baddal is an angular evolution of the Gallardo. It's bound to please some purists and offend others with sharper angles and lines and an edgier ethos all around, as these things go, but we think the Lambo by Baddal is badass.

If you had looked into getting a Lamborghini last year it would have been 12 long months of waiting before your new car would have arrived. Happily, the recent recession has halved wait times to just six months which means you can show off your wealth in a $200,000 hot Italian ride sooner than you thought. Since sales have decreased by 30 percent Lamborghini has slowed its production to stay just behind demand with the hope that sales will return to pre-downturn levels by 2012. Sadly, the largest dealer in the U.S. based out of Orange County closed its doors last fall so you can't just pick up your shiny new ride while visiting the California coast but that shouldn't keep you from striking while the iron is hot...or at least not delayed.

Rapper, producer, designer, and tastemaker Kanye West could obviously have any watch in the world. The one he chose is a customized all-black Rolex Submariner by Swiss firm Black-Out Concept (above), on a black nylon NATO spec strap. Kanye made a decision a while back that Rolex would be his signature watch brand, but he wanted to add his own twist; Black-Out's version was perfect. "It looks hard, it looks really cool," he explained in naming the watch one of his 10 style essentials. "It's a new take on a classic watch." He also likes the fact that they take a Rolex and literally "paint it black" (coat it, actually).

Black-Out Concept was founded in 2007 by Fabrice Letellier in Geneva. An avid watch collector, racecar driver and all-round exotic car enthusiast with the means to indulge his passions, the idea was born when Letellier had some of his supercar collection given a matte black treatment, i.e. blacked-out. Next he decided to do the same with his Rolex, and soon some of his fellow car and watch aficionados followed suit. Obviously there was a market for it. Letellier contracted with one of Geneva's best watchmakers to perfect the black out process for timepieces, which is done using two low-friction, scratch-proof finishes used by the military, PVD and DLC (diamond-like carbon).

Black-Out also creates customized blacked-out cars, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley and Aston Martin; the Black-Out package on the latter (see the gallery) costs about $40,000. They do customized matte black motorcycles as well built on a Harley-Davidson base, blacked-out Vertu Ascent cell phones - basically anything you can think of that would look better in all black. In addition to the Submariner they also black out several other Rolex models, including the GMT II, Daytona, Milgaus, and Deepsea, as well as other brands like Panerai, Bell & Ross and Audemars Piguet. Letellier has his own high-end watch brand in the works as well.



Of course, Black-Out aren't the only ones to offer blacked-out Rolexes; we've written before about Bamford & Sons' $30,000 PVD Daytona and other models, as well as Jacques Picard's $18,000 DLC Deepsea. (No, we don't know who thought of it first.) Black-Out doesn't actually sell watches, however, they customize yours at a cost of €5,000, or about $7,000, which includes Fed-Ex'ing to and from Geneva, and a set of three different straps including the NATO. So you can in fact get the look of the far more expensive models for much less - if you pick up a used Submariner in the $5,000 range - yet still have a watch that's every bit as exclusive, not to mention Kanye-approved. You can contact Black-Out's U.S. representative Christian Ginet at blackoutconcept@mac.com for more info.