Lamborghini’s wild V-12 send-offs, a Ferrari takes a fall, Rivian trims workforce

Lamborghini sends off its V-12 in style

Intake: Series production of Lamborghini’s normally aspirated V-12 ended when the last Aventador rolled off the line, but the Raging Bull isn’t quite done with its marvelous motor. There’s a final Sant’Agata send-off in the form of two unique cars called Invencible and Auténtica. Think of them as the Aventador’s greatest hits double album as the duo present a variety of design features from previous special editions. The huge rear wing is inspired by the Sesto Elemento while the Reventon and Veneno influence aggressive angles, and the ground-snorting stance and hood are a reference to the Essenza SCV12. Invencible is a coupe and Auténtica is a roadster, but aside from that the two cars are essentially the same, using the carbon tub and running gear from the Aventador. There’s all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering, with a seven-speed transmission, but the undisputed star is the naturally-aspirated 6.5-liter V-12 engine, installed for the very last time without the aid of forced induction or hybrid assistance. In final specification, it produces 780 horsepower to go out with quite a bang.

Exhaust: In truth, it’s not the end of this engine, more of a new beginning as it will reappear very soon with added electrification. In the same announcement, the company confirmed there are “just a few weeks to go before Lamborghini’s first hybrid super sports car makes its debut.” We don’t yet know whether it will use a Sián-style supercapacitor or a more conventional battery pack, but we do expect the car to feature a near-silent fully-electric mode as well as the ability to use the extra power for even more explosive performance. — Nik Berg

Consumer Reports reveals its list of the 10 most satisfying vehicles

Intake: According to Consumer Reports, the Chevrolet Corvette C8 is the most satisfying vehicle to own, based on a study of reader responses asking whether they would buy or lease the cars again. The Corvette is followed by, in order, the Porsche 911, Rivian R1T, Ford Maverick Hybrid, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Polestar 2, Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ twins, Toyota RAV 4 Prime, Mazda Miata, and the Dodge Challenger.

Exhaust: Half the vehicles are enthusiast models, the rest are good hard-working vehicles. Hard to argue with anything on the list, but the relatively new Polestar 2 is a surprise. — Steven Cole Smith

Ferrari left hanging in an elevator shaft

Intake: A Ferrari Roma, the $243,000 2+2 mid-engine coupe, was stuck in an elevator last week when there was a problem at Ferrari of Palm Beach in West Palm Beach, Florida. According to the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue’s account: “A car elevator malfunction caused a car to hang in the elevator shaft. Crews had to first mitigate a fuel leak. This involved setting up portable standpipes and cutting the power to the business. Once the leak was mitigated, Special Operations worked with Kauff’s Towing and their new rotator wrecker to remove the car from the elevator.  Kauff’s 45-foot boom and multiple 50,000 pound winches were the right tool for the job.”

Exhaust: Hats off to Kauff’s Transportation Systems, who are clearly the people to call when your Italian exotic gets stuck in an elevator. The good news: There were no injuries, except for the silver Roma. The bad news: That’s unlikely to buff right out. This will be a good test of how comprehensive the dealership’s insurance coverage is. — SCS

Rivian lays off 6 percent of workforce amid tightening EV landscape

Intake: Rivian announced last week that it will lay off six percent of its workforce to curb costs, according to Reuters. Rivian has already had to grapple with falling cash reserves, a weakening economy, and supply chain difficulty, all of which have led to the need to trim down costs. CEO R.J. Scaringe notified Rivian employees via email. In the note, he said that the company would be focusing its resources on ramping up production of the R1T and R1S vehicles, and on reaching profitability.

Exhaust: Rivian has been hurting for a while now. The stock is down 90 percent from its peak in November of 2021, and the company has been hemorrhaging cash as it attempts to navigate the complicated path from start-up to full-fledged automaker. Let’s hope Rivian can forge ahead quickly; its products are some of the more impressive ones to come from the new wave of automakers hoping to get in on the EV action. — Nathan Petroelje

“Do not drive” directive for some older Honda and Acura models

Intake: Tens of millions of vehicles with Takata airbags are under recall, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Long-term exposure to high heat and humidity can cause these airbags to explode when deployed. Such explosions have caused injuries and deaths. With that in mind, NHTSA has issued a “Do not drive” directive to owners of certain older model Honda and Acura models that haven’t been returned to the dealer for the recall.  “If you have a vehicle with a recalled Takata Alpha airbag, you must get it repaired now—for free. These inflators are two decades old now, and they pose a 50 percent chance of rupturing in even a minor crash. Don’t gamble with your life or the life of someone you love—schedule your free repair today before it’s too late,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson. The vehicles in the “do not drive” directive are the  2001–2002 Honda Civic and Accord; the 2002 Honda CR-V and Odyssey; the 2003 Honda Pilot and Acura 3.2 CL, and the 2002–2003 Acura 3.2 TL.

Exhaust: A 50 percent chance of rupturing? We won’t take those odds. Acura/Honda Customer Service can be reached at 888-234-2138 or by visiting their Takata website. —SCS