Is there a hotter rivalry in the premium car arena than Ferrari v Lamborghini? Buckle up, it’s only going to get hotter as this decade unfolds. Hot on the trail of its Purosangue, Ferrari unveiled the new Roma Spider. This stunning soft-top will replace the Portofino M in the line. Meanwhile, Lamborghini has unveiled the chassis and powertrain for its upcoming 1,000-horsepower hyper hybrid and confirmed plans for two more hybrids and then two battery EVs. Never a dull moment with these two Italian supercar superpowers.
Would you recognize this car as a Lamborghini? It’s the Islero, and it’s rare with just 225 made for 1968-1969. Named for the bull that killed one of Spain’s most famous bullfighters, the Islero packed the punch of a six-carburetor V-12 that could take it to 150 mph. The Islero’s modernistic look presaged the angular style would define exotic car design in the Seventies. Gooding & Company will offer this restored black 1968 Lamborghini Islero at its Amelia Island auction, where it is estimated to sell for up to $500,000.
The 2023 collector car auction season got off to a roaring start in January. The Bonhams Scottsdale auction reached $30M in sales, and RM Sotheby’s reported $44M. The big surprise came from Bonhams, where a 1912 Simplex brought $4.8M, a record for a pre-WWI car. Supercars were still supreme, though, with a Ferrari LaFerrari getting $4.075M at RM Sotheby’s and, earlier in the month, a Ferrari F40 topping the Mecum sale in Kissimmee, Florida at $3.135M.
On the heels of Porsche’s introduction of the 911 Dakar, Lamborghini has announced its plan to launch its own supercar that’s modified to play in the dirt, the Huracán Sterrato. Using the same 5.2-liter V-10 engine as the Huracán Evo, Lamborghini’s new off road-ready SUV can do 0-60 in around 3.2 seconds, has rally lights mounted on the Sterrato’s nose, and includes a built-in camera to record your adventures. Production of 1,499 Sterratos will begin in February of 2023, and U.S. pricing has not been announced.