If you are thinking of getting your hands on the wheel of a supercar, keep in mind that there will always be things that you don’t know about these powerful vehicles until you own or drive one. But let’s change that. Let’s take a look at some of the things they don’t tell you about owning a supercar:

Supercars are hard to drive

Unlike regular cars, supercars are rarely used to just get you from point A to B, like running errands, for instance. You might use them to stop somewhere and continue your schedule quickly, but most of the time, supercars are used as a toy you can play with. You take it for a drive from point A to Point A. Especially since you cannot transport more than one person in it.

Enjoying the ride is a challenge

Another sad fact is that you will never be able to drive a supercar as you wish to. Speed limits and bumpy roads are constant roadblocks that will never let you enjoy your supercar to the fullest.

There are some streets, in Germany, for example, where you can push the supercar to the maximum speed. However, it is prohibited to use these cars at their best capacities in most countries since you have to respect speed limits on highways. So before you commit to buying a beast, know that you will primarily use it to show it off and drive it carefully.

Car maintenance is expensive

This is not quite a secret. As you might already know owning a supercar comes with high maintenance costs. But what you may not know is that the maintenance is not just high, but extremely expensive.

So don’t be surprised if you leave a service department spending thousands of dollars in one go. It can get costly to upkeep the car because of the difficulty of replacing the parts, let alone fixing them.

Manufacturers try to keep this part “hidden” when you buy a supercar. However, as with all expensive things that you buy, maintaining them will also be expensive.

Limited space

While all supercars might look super comfortable and spacious in the photos, the reality is quite different.

The majority of supercars have limited headspace (or height space) and legs pace. We’re looking at you, Lamborghini.

Jokes aside, limited space does not mean tall people cannot drive supercars. However, if you are tall, you will feel the lack of space even more, and the driving experience will not be as relaxing.

If it makes you feel better, keep in mind that all supercar owners have this challenge — some more than others. But one problem is consistent: you cannot enter into a supercar as gracefully as you might wish.

Supercars draw a lot of attention

We bet you already know this. We also bet this fact is one of the main reasons why you are deciding to buy a supercar in the first place.

However, if you are the type of person who does not want to attract a lot of attention, driving a supercar will make that goal almost impossible. Moreover, with lots of attention comes higher risk.

As a supercar owner, you will have to pay extra attention to people trying to steal your car or steal any parts from it.

If you plan to buy a supercar, don’t let these facts or things stop you from fulfilling this dream. Every dream or goal has its own challenges. The important thing is to know about these challenges as soon as possible so that you are aware and make an informed decision.

These are just some of the things they do not tell you about owning a supercar. Do you know any other things or “hidden” facts about owning this type of car? Share with us know in the comments below. Let’s talk!

The post What are the things they don’t tell you about owning a supercar?  appeared first on Altered Steel.

Then come the full EVs. Everyone who has ever been in such a vehicle would tell you how surprisingly powerful they are. The electric motor accelerates in a different way, which always leaves people with thoughts of sheer power.

Recently, Lamborghini decided to prove that there is no need for a contrast in marketing between hybrids and full EVs. On top of that, the supercar company did not only come up with an amazing hybrid – they made it their most powerful car to date.  Let us see what makes Lamborghini Sian so special and why the car manufacturer even decided to make it a hybrid!

What you need to know about Lamborghini Sian

The Sian is an exclusive car with only 63 units planned for production. It is meant to commemorate Lamborghini’s founding in 1963. Why now though? I will answer that in a second. First, we need to learn a thing or two about this new beast.

The staple Lamborghini aesthetic has always been a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing. It is aggressive, sharp, and polarizing. Naturally, the Sian model follows the same trend, and I would say that it even steps it up a notch. This is the most futuristic design the company has ever made, looking like it will cut you to pieces just by staring at it.

People have compared it to its Aventador brother (on which the Sian is based). But come on – that one is a happy little kitty, compared to the new vehicle. I guess the translation of the name is quite fitting – flash, or lightning.

That being said, we all know that an aggressive design does not mean a fast car. We should then take a look at the specs to see what monster hides underneath the mean looks. Here are some of them:

• Staple V12 Lamborghini engine – This is nothing new for the company, although they have bumped up the horsepower to 785 bhp. That is still impressive, even if it is not new tech.
• Supercapacitor instead of a lithium-ion battery pack – This may not tell you much, but all you need to know is that a supercapacitor delivers more power at less weight. It powers a 48-volt motor that gives an additional 34 hp. However, the electric motor only ever works alone when parking. The rest of the time it serves to keep constant power to the wheels even when switching gears.
• Top speed of 220mph – This is a speed that only a few people in the world will experience, but the interesting thing is that it is actually an arbitrary limit. It is possible that with some mods the Sian will be able to exceed it.
• Supercar-worthy acceleration of 2.8s to 60mph – Obviously, this acceleration is nothing to scoff at, though it does not break the barrier to enter the top 10 fastest cars ever made.

These specs look impressive on paper, but I noticed something that made me question the whole Sian marketing. It is being touted as the most powerful Lambo ever, yet it is not even the fastest. What gives? I will try to unravel that mystery!

Understanding the hybrid supercar

We have already started seeing the trend of electrified sports cars. Porsche Taycan, for example, stormed the scene with grand promises of unparalleled performance. Other manufacturers are also looking for ways to beat the king – Tesla Roadster. Obviously, the move towards sports EVs has already began.

However, all of those new concept vehicles focus strictly on full electric motors. So why did Lamborghini decide to come out with a hybrid on a limited run of 63 cars? And why do they claim it is the most powerful car in their lineup if it is not the fastest? After all, their own 2017 Huracan Performante achieves 60 mph in 2.3 seconds, beating the Sian by a good margin.

Strictly speaking, the Sian deserves the claim – the engine has combined horsepower of up to 819 bhp. When you actually think about it though, you realize how meaningless such figures become.

Sure, it is technically the most powerful, but good luck reaching those 220 mph during regular driving. Acceleration is more important in real world scenarios and the Sian gets nowhere near Tesla Roadster’s 1.9s for 0-60 mph. Could it be that the Sian’s idea is actually a bit different?

What is the goal of Lamborghini Sian?

One may think we are splitting hairs when talking about the outrageous power outputs of supercars. Who will ever notice half a second of difference? While I understand this remark, it actually misses the point. Indeed, nobody would care, if it was not for Lamborghini’s own claims of power.

The limited-edition Sian run was sold out even before the car was officially presented. Obviously, the buyers do not concern themselves with many technical details. On the other hand, Lamborghini understand that their time to come up with a competitive model is running out – hence the Sian.

This car’s idea is not to prove it is the fastest. Nor are Lamborghini trying to make it a best-seller. In my opinion, Sian’s whole purpose is to serve as a worthy placeholder and buy the automaker some time. With it, the company shows us that it’s definitely paying attention, embracing the EV future one step at a time. Only it is not quite there yet.

In all likelihood, we are going to see the Sian’s engine tech in the next Aventador. While Lamborghini have stated that no other model will follow the visual design of the Sian, its technology will be put to good use. I suppose that the company’s engineers will try to perfect the hybrid engine even further, using it to transition to an EV-filled lineup. Or will they?

Lamborghini’s plans about electric vehicles

It may be a bit soon to tell whether Lamborghini has any serious plans in adopting the EV as a whole. However, the automobile maker is under the Volkswagen AG umbrella. Do you know who else is there? Audi and Porsche, which are both working on future EV design and tech.

In fact, in recent news, we have heard that the first Lamborghini EV will be based on Porsche Taycan. That means two things – firstly, Lamborghini is probably not working on its own EV platform right now; secondly, its first EV will likely not be a stab at Tesla at all.

We know that the Taycan will not be able to beat the competition when it comes to acceleration. Porsche’s main focus is developing a platform that can charge much more quickly and still deliver good performance. To be honest though, Porsche makes sports cars, not supercars like its Lamborghini cousin. What may work as a good addition to the former, may be an underwhelming one for the latter.

This is where the Sian comes back into the picture. With its supercapacitor technology, we can actually expect Lamborghini to put its own spin on any future EV platform. So not only is the company showing us it is actively working on proper hybrids, but it is also hinting at future surprises.

The reason I believe I am right is because of certain things Lambo representatives have said. One such thing is their claim that no EV will come out of the company if it cannot at least match the performance of their current models. And since the news for adopting the Taycan platform came shortly after their Sian presentation, I think everything lines up quite well.

What do you think of Lamborghini Sian?

I usually like sharp designs, but even for me the Sian is a bit over the top. Honestly, the Aventador aesthetic, paired with some Sian tech, sounds like the dream to me. I think it will have the potential to be one of the company’s most successful vehicles to date.

What is your opinion though? Do you think Lamborghini is using Sian as a way to wink at us for its upcoming EVs? Or is it just a last-minute attempt to save face when every other company is coming up with an electric vehicle? To be fair, it will not be a surprise if both are true!

The post Lamborghini Sian: The most powerful hybrid supercar appeared first on Altered Steel.

We can even say that Lambos are a bit ahead of the competition with the younger generation focusing almost exclusively on them. Younger millionaires are more often found with a Lamborghini rather than something else. But here comes the question – do you have to be a millionaire to buy one? Perhaps not!

What makes Lamborghini special?

You may dream of buying a Lamborghini Aventador, but have you ever wondered why? Sure, it is a luxury car, which makes it inherently awesome. And yet, if you look at the facts, it does not seem that special. It is owned by Volkswagen Group and is operated by its Audi division. Can we truly say it is even Italian?

Here is the thing – all these details do not matter. Lamborghinis are desired because the company did their job well. They marketed the vehicle like crazy while maintaining scarcity. So all of a sudden rich people took it as a challenge to own a Lambo. From then things snowballed.

While that is the gist of it, we should also mention another major point. Lamborghinis are all about self-expression. A lot of their components are hand-made. You can pick any color you want, and you can even give them an interior design of your choice. Hardly do other companies give you such freedom. Even if it comes at a steep price. But that being said…

How much money do you need to make to buy a Lamborghini?

While this is an obvious question, it does not have an obvious answer. Because, honestly, there are many buying routes you can take. Which model do you want? Is it okay for you to buy used? Perhaps you want it all customized? These things can crank up (or lower) the price.

The current Lamborghini lineup is not very diverse. It consists of only a few models, one of which is a bit of an oddball. And quick research shows that you do not technically need to be a millionaire in order to buy one. However, there are some caveats.

The cheapest new Lamborghini – not what you think it is

Lamborghini is currently going the Porsche route. The German sports car manufacturer broke its long-standing tradition in 2002 by developing an SUV. It was quite the shake for fans at the time. But it has proven to be a very smart move. The funny thing here? Porsche is also owned by VW Group.

So perhaps it was a matter of time for us to see Lamborghini diversifying their lineup as well. Because they have done exactly that. They unveiled their new SUV, named Urus, in December 2017. However, this is not the first non-sports car in the company’s history. There are the Lamborghini LM002 and a few prototypes before that. But still, an SUV in 2018 is a big departure from decades of supercar-only production.

The intriguing part is that it will be available for purchase at the starting rate of $200,000. So… affordable, right? Well, all jokes aside, that may indeed become the cheapest Lamborghini. But something rubs me wrong here. After all, people who want a Lambo as a status symbol (or even just for fun), want the supercar, not an SUV. So this leads us to…

The most affordable new Lamborghini sports car

If an off-road vehicle is not what you want in a Lamborghini, I get you. That is how a lot of people feel. But the good news is that there is a Lambo sports car that may not be that far off the same price range.

I am talking about the new Lamborghini Huracan. It is a model from 2014, which is still in production to this date. There are several modifications to it, but it remains the cheapest one on the list. By cheap, I mean $200,000 cheap. Which, apparently, is half the cost of the famous Aventador.

Now, if the Huracan has the same price point as the SUV above, why did I not just mention it? Because the said 200 grand will not get you much. If you do not want the bare-bones model, you may end up with a bill of $300,000 and upwards. Steep.

But maybe we have all this wrong. Maybe it is true that you need an income in the upper six-figure range to be comfortable buying a new Lambo. In other words – you do have to be rich. Unless we approach the issue differently, that is.

How to buy a Lamborghini without being rich?

So high six figures are not what you would call a “reasonable” income. We are getting a bit into the wishful thinking territory here. However, I have found a way to get a Lamborghini without actually making so much money. It is not magic, and it is not illegal either. Just a tad outside general Lamborghini-buying practices.

It turns out you can get quite a deal on such vehicles if you check the used car market. The only problem is that you should not be very particular about the kind of Lambo you want. Because the only model that is somewhat affordably priced is the Gallardo. And that is the 2004-2005 production, not newer 2014 ones. Anyway, let’s get to the actual numbers.

A used Gallardo in a fairly good condition may be found for anywhere between $75,000-85,000. Granted, this is not a small price. You can buy 3 fairly good new cars for that much. But they will not be Lamborghinis, right? A supercar at that price is more than a bargain.

Plus, you do not need to be buying a Lamborghini for cash either. If you have good credit, you can manage to get a 72- or 84-month lease. At that point, you will be paying less than $1,000 a month for driving a supercar. This is even less if you consider that you will still be able to sell it for quite the sum after the end of the credit period.

This all seems very reasonable. It is not far-fetched to expect at least a 50% return on that $80,000. Maybe more, if you keep the car in good condition. So it is definitely possible to buy such a vehicle without being rich. If you do not have many expenses and earn above the median income, you have quite the chance of pulling it off.

Actually buying the car

It is one thing to talk about getting a Lamborghini, but a completely different thing to actually doing it. Because the used car market is a bit tricky. If you want the best deal, you will have to look for vehicles all over the States.

Have you bought your Lamborghini without being a millionaire? We’d love to hear your story!

The post How to buy a Lamborghini… without being a millionaire appeared first on Altered Steel.