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Exclusive: Microsoft considers bidding for Yahoo

MaN oF sAdNeSs — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:37:37 +0000

Microsoft Corp is considering a bid for Yahoo Inc, resurfacing as a potential buyer after a bitter and unsuccessful fight to take over the Internet company in 2008, sources close to the situation said on Wednesday.

Microsoft joins a host of other companies looking at Yahoo, which has a market value of about $20 billion and is readying financial pitch books for potential buyers, they said.

Those companies include buyout shops Providence Equity Partners, Hellman & Friedman and Silver Lake Partners, as well as Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and Russian technology investment firm DST Global, the sources said.

Yahoo shares jumped 10.1 percent on the news to close at $15.92 on Nasdaq, but fell back to $15.34 in after-hours trading. Microsoft shares ended 2.2 percent higher at $25.89.

Microsoft may seek a partner to go after Yahoo, one of the sources said, without identifying any parties.

No decision has been made and a bid may not materialize as there are internal divisions at the software company on whether it should pursue Yahoo again, a high-ranking Microsoft executive said.

One camp inside Microsoft is hot for the deal, believing that it would obliterate AOL Inc as a competitor and create a strong Web portal that can offer better products to audiences, advertisers and end users, the executive said.

However, another camp is against the deal, feeling that if Microsoft is going to invest billions of dollars in an acquisition it should be one that has more growth potential. Microsoft last tried buying Yahoo in 2008, offering to pay as much as $47.5 billion, or $33 per share.

“Yahoo’s value hasn’t grown in years, and some executives feel we should buy something that is more forward-looking,” said the executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Yahoo, Microsoft and the other potential buyers declined to comment.

Any auction process for Yahoo is still in the early stages, and the company’s financial advisers — Goldman Sachs and Allen & Co — are preparing to send financial information to potential bidders, sources have said previously.

BIG BITE

Shortly after ousting Carol Bartz as CEO in early September, Yahoo said it was exploring strategic alternatives after receiving “inbound interest” from a number of parties.

The once-dominant Internet pioneer is pursuing parallel tracks, sounding out deal options as well as engaging in a search for a new CEO.

Yahoo would be a big bite for any single private equity firm, especially at a time when financing markets for leveraged buyouts have dried up.

Industry sources said private equity firms could take over the U.S. operations and sell Yahoo’s Asian assets to a buyer such as Alibaba.

“There are many reasons why this thing probably makes sense,” said Sid Parakh, analyst at fund firm McAdams Wright Ragen. “If you strip out the variety of assets Yahoo owns, you are pretty much paying nothing for the core business.”

One Wall Street analyst recently valued Yahoo at just over $20 billion, with its core search and display advertising business worth $7.7 billion, its Asian assets worth $9.2 billion, plus $3.2 billion in cash.

Yahoo owns about 40 percent of Alibaba as well as about 35 percent of Yahoo Japan.

If Microsoft fully combined its Bing Internet search business with Yahoo’s, it would give it more than 30 percent of the U.S. search market and make it a credible competitor to Google, said Parakh.

Under a 10-year deal struck in 2009, Microsoft’s Bing already powers Yahoo search, but it cedes 88 percent of resulting advertising revenue back to Yahoo.

Microsoft, with a cash pile of $53 billion, could certainly afford a deal, but some doubted the world’s largest software company would actually pursue it, given its previously failed bid and the existing Yahoo agreement.

“I think it’s unlikely because they (Microsoft) have been down this path before,” said Ben Schachter, an analyst with Macquarie Research.

“In a lot of ways they’ve gotten what they want out of it already, with the (Yahoo) search deal. I could make a case for a lot of synergies. But it’s certainly not a strategic priority in any way.”

Silicon Valley sources said Jack Ma, the founder and CEO of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba — who last month expressed interest in buying Yahoo — could team up with private equity to make a deal.

Or it may make more sense for Ma to team up with Microsoft, said Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Herman Leung.

“If Microsoft gets involved, then you don’t need private equity,” said Leung. “The problem for Jack Ma is capital. Microsoft has $53 billion in cash. Why have to deal with bondholders and all this stuff when Microsoft can make that all happen for you?”

CULTURE CLASH

Some also have expressed concerns about cultural fit and Microsoft’s ability to manage such a large deal.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has had an antagonistic relationship with Yahoo, and the company has never successfully integrated a large acquisition.

Microsoft’s 2007 deal to buy online ad firm aQuantive for $6 billion was a flat-out failure. Its $8.5 billion deal to buy Internet phone service Skype has not yet been completed, so integration efforts have not yet begun.

Microsoft is making slow progress in combating Google’s dominance in search advertising. According to the latest figures from research firm comScore, Google has 64.8 percent of the U.S. search market, Yahoo has 16.3 pct and Microsoft 14.7 percent.

But even with traffic from Yahoo, Microsoft still has not attracted enough advertising dollars and profitability in search is a long way off.

Last quarter, Microsoft’s online services unit — which includes Bing and the MSN web portal — lost $728 million. It has lost almost $6.5 billion over last three fiscal years.

Oil nears $78 amid hopes of Europe financial fix

MaN oF sAdNeSs — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:41:54 +0000

BANGKOK — Oil rose to near $78 a barrel Wednesday in Asia amid hopes that Europe will contain the debt crisis that has engulfed Greece and threatens to destabilize other countries that use the euro.

Benchmark crude for November delivery was up $2.08 to $77.79 a barrel at midafternoon Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell $1.94 to close Tuesday at $75.67 a barrel in New York.

Oil prices have fallen from $100 in late July as the financial crisis swirled around Greece. The country, which is on the brink of bankruptcy, will not receive its next installment of a rescue loan without meeting strict austerity measures imposed by international lenders.

But sentiment recovered on Tuesday following reports that Europe was taking steps to bolster its banking sector, which is thought to be heavily exposed to Greek debt and could face crushing losses if the country defaults. Wall Street ended higher after a day of wild gains and losses. The Dow gained 1.4 percent, while the Standard and Poor’s 500 rose 2.2 percent and the Nasdaq composite rose 3 percent.

“The rebound in stocks managed to pull the energy complex off the bottom from what had been a steep late-session sell-off,” energy trader and consultant The Schork Group said in a report. “Which way the equities go today will determine much of where oil will go.”

In London, Brent crude rose $1.88 to $101.67 per barrel on the ICE Futures Exchange. Brent lost $1.92 to finish at $99.79 per barrel on Tuesday, the first time it ended lower than $100 since February.

In other energy trading, heating oil rose 4 cents to $2.76 per gallon and gasoline futures fell 3 cents to $2.51 per gallon. Natural gas rose 2 cents to $3.66 per 1,000 cubic feet.

By PAMELA SAMPSON,AP Business Writer

Apple stumble seen opening door for rivals

MaN oF sAdNeSs — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 23:48:45 +0000

TAIPEI/HELSINKI (Reuters) – Rival smartphone makers could exploit a rare letdown by Apple in the launch of its new iPhone 4S model, which failed to wow fans, and grab a bigger share of the most lucrative part of the phone market.

However, analysts also noted that Apple’s decision to keep older iPhone models and slash their prices, would help the U.S. firm to reach the bigger, mass market, where it will be in more direct competition with phones using Google’s Android software.

The iPhone, introduced in 2007 with the touchscreen template since adopted by rivals, has proved to be the gold standard in the booming smartphone market, and its surging sales have hit the ambitious plans of many competitors.

But shares in Apple’s closest rivals, Samsung Electronics, HTC and Nokia, gained on Wednesday after Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S overnight at its headquarters in Cupertino, California.

The new iPhone 4S is identical in form to the previous model, disappointing fans who had hoped for a thinner, bigger-screened design of a product that had not been updated for more than a year.

“Apple no longer has a leading edge; its cloud service is even behind Android; it can only sell on brand loyalty now,” said Gartner analyst C.K. Lu in Taipei.

“Users may wait to buy the next iPhone; if they can’t wait, they may shift to brands with more advanced specs.”

In Europe shares in Nokia and Ericsson, half-owner of the Sony Ericsson smartphone venture, were both more than 3 percent higher by 1115 GMT on Wednesday.

“Nokia should benefit from the fact that Apple chose not to play the design card this time around and that unlike some rumors, there will not be anything new aimed at the key mid-range market,” analysts from Nordea said in a note.

Nordea said the lack of more significant upgrade to the iPhone would also help Microsoft to gain ground with its Windows Phone platform, which so far controls just 2-3 percent of the market.

Earlier this year Nokia decided to switch to use Microsoft software in its smartphones, and it will introduce its first models using the software later this quarter.

GOING FOR BIGGER MARKETS

While the new iPhone’s high-tech wizardry such as voice commands — for sending messages, searching for stock prices and other applications — caught the attention of many analysts, it might not be enough to make it a must-have for consumers.

“Apple’s decision not to launch new hardware offers rivals Samsung and HTC a window of opportunity to narrow the gap with their high-end devices before the iPhone 5 arrives,” said Ben Wood, head of research at mobile industry consultancy CCS Insight.

“That said, the dramatic price cuts for 3GS and 4G gives Apple a new competitive edge in the mid-tier segment, particularly in the U.S. market,” Wood said.

Apple revealed on Tuesday that it was cutting the price of the previous iPhone 4 model to $99 on a network service contract, and said the even older 3GS model will be available for free on contract. This allows Apple to hit the low-end smartphone market it had once eschewed.

Even before the low-cost phone, Apple was set to exponentially grow its China business as it stitches deals with operators in the world’s largest mobile phone market, home to more than 900 million subscribers.

TOP SELLING SMARTPHONE

Phones based on Google’s Android, which is available for free to handset vendors such as Samsung, HTC, LG and Motorola, have a greater combined market share than Apple’s iPhone, which is still the world’s biggest-selling smartphone.

“There are still many consumers who don’t have the iPhone experience, and Apple still has a lot of markets and carriers to enter, so when there’s a new model with better specs, it helps to lift shipments,” said Ming-chi Kuo, analyst at Concord Securities in Taipei.

“The iPhone 4S targets users who are expiring on their two-year 3GS contract.”

Apple sold a record 20.3 million iPhones in the April-June quarter, with analysts estimating Samsung smartphone sales at 19 million handsets, well ahead of Nokia’s 16.7 million.

On Wednesday Samsung also said it would file for a sales ban on the new iPhone with courts in France and Italy, alleging that the phone infringed its mobile technology patents, widening an already extensive legal battle with its arch rival.

The lukewarm reception given for the new phone also hit shares in Apple’s suppliers.

Taiwan’s Hon Hai, Apple’s biggest supplier, was down 1.9 percent, while casing company Foxconn Technology fell 6.9 percent. Camera module maker Largan Precision shed 6.6 percent.

“The casing companies should be the most hit, correcting from the previous rise, because the market has expected a metal case for the new iPhone,” said Mike Fang, a fund manager of Paradigm Asset Management.

(Additional reporting by Miyoung Kim in Seoul, Argin Chang in Taipei and Devidutta Tripathy in New Delhi; Writing by Anshuman Daga; Editing by Alex Richardson, Greg Mahlich and Will Waterman)

By Clare Jim and Tarmo Virki, Reuters

Highway crash caught on camera

MaN oF sAdNeSs — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 23:50:56 +0000

Check out the heart-stopping CCTV footage of a car smashing into two vehicles stopped in the fast lane on a highway in the Argentina capital Buenos Aires.

By Yahoo! Maktoob

Rugby Union’s top international scorers ever

MaN oF sAdNeSs — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 23:10:38 +0000

Dan Carter (New Zealand) ,

Ronan O’Gara (Ireland) and Andrew Mehrtens (New Zealand)

Brad Pitt to produce Glee creator’s script

MaN oF sAdNeSs — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 23:01:31 +0000

Brad Pitt’s production company will produce Glee creator’s new script.

Brad’s company Plan B Entertainment has signed on to produce Ryan Murphy’s screenplay The Normal Heart. Ryan created television shows Nip/Tuck and Glee and also directed 2010 film starring Julia Roberts Eat, Pray, Love. He will direct and serve as producer for The Normal Heart.

The film is an adaptation of a semi-autobiographical play written by Larry Kramer. The play follows an activist in the 1980s who struggles to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS. Actors Ellin Barkin and Joe Mantello starred during the show’s stretch on Broadway this year. Mark Ruffalo is in talks to take on a role in the film adaptation.

Ryan recently produced Glee: The 3D Concert movie. Mark has starred in 2010’s comedy-drama The Kids Are All Right. Brad’s company Plan B has three major feature film releases upcoming in 2012 including Cogan’s Trade, World War Z and Cobra: the Space Pirate.

Libyan forces plan ‘final’ attack on Sirte

MaN oF sAdNeSs — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:54:53 +0000

SIRTE, Libya – Bullet-ridden cars carrying terrified, ill and hungry civilians crawled out of Muammar Qadhafis home town on Tuesday as anti-Qadhafi fighters said they were planning a final attack.

Government forces who had for three weeks been pinned down by artillery and rocket fire on the eastern edges of Sirte were able to advance several kilometers into the city on Monday, capturing the southern district of Bouhadi.

Commanders of forces loyal to the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) are now talking of a ‘final’ huge push to take the town as, backed by NATO warplanes, they continue their bombardment of pro-Qadhafi positions inside.

Aid agencies say they are concerned about the welfare of civilians inside Sirte, one of the last pro-Qadhafi bastions left in the country, who are trapped by the fighting and running out of food, water, fuel and medicine.

Concerns about the humanitarian crisis have focused on the Ibn Sina hospital. Medical workers who fled Sirte said patients were dying on the operating table because there was no oxygen and no fuel for the hospitals generators.

‘Its a disaster,’ a doctor who gave her name as Nada told Reuters as she fled the city on Tuesday. ‘They are hitting the hospital. Two kids have died there. There is random shooting at the hospital from both sides.’

On the east of the city on Tuesday, NTC fighters said they were trying to clear a corridor to the hospital but that they were being hampered by pro-Qadhafi snipers.

Qadhafis spokesman, and some civilians leaving Sirte, have blamed NATO bombing and NTC shelling for killing civilians and destroying buildings in the town.

NATO and the NTC say it is pro-Qadhafi fighters who are the biggest threat to civilians, saying loyalist forces have been executing those they believe to be NTC sympathizers and forcing others to fight.

Red Cross workers have managed to deliver supplies to Ibn Sina in recent days and a spokesman for the organization in Geneva confirmed that they had seen damage.

A Red Cross convoy delivered oxygen and other urgently needed medical supplies to the hospital on Monday after an earlier attempt was aborted because of heavy fighting.

‘The situation on the ground was very tense with ongoing fighting,’ Red Cross delegate Hichem Khadraoui said.

‘Under such conditions, we had to limit ourselves – after obtaining clearances from all the parties concerned – to bringing in the most urgently needed humanitarian aid.’

Civilians driving out of the town on Tuesday looked in poorer condition than people had in previous days, Reuters journalists on the east and west of Sirte said.

Several people said that they were ill and one man showed how he now needed string to hold up his trousers because he had not had enough to eat in the last three weeks.

Ali Durgham, leaving the city with several relatives, told Reuters that his father had been killed by a shell when he went to the mosque on Monday and that his uncle was seriously injured.

‘My father died in my arms,’ he said, weeping heavily, as his mother watched. ‘I buried him yesterday.’

Medical staff outside Sirte who had treated wounded civilians fleeing the fighting said they had been told the corridors of Ibn Sina were full of patients and that treatment was being given only to pro-Qadhafi fighters or members of his tribe.

A military spokesman for the interim government, the National Transitional Council, told a television channel that Qadhafis son Mutassim was hiding in the hospital.

‘Our revolutionaries (in Sirte) are fighting those who are accomplices of the tyrant in crimes against the Libyan people,’ Ahmed Bani told Doha-based Libya TV.

‘They are a group of killers and mercenaries led by Mutassim Qadhafi who is now in the Ibn Sina hospital in Sirte to avoid being hit, according to newly received information.’

Libyans ended Qadhafis 42-year rule in August when rebel fighters stormed the capital. Qadhafi and several of his sons are still at large and his supporters hold Sirte and the town of Bani Walid, south of Tripoli.

De facto Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said on Monday the NTC would set in motion the process of democratic elections once Sirte was captured, instead of waiting until the whole country is under their control.

Jibril told a news conference in the city of Benghazi: ‘Bani Walid would be dealt with as a renegade region.’

A city of about 75,000 people, Sirte holds symbolic importance. Qadhafi transformed his birthplace from a sleepy fishing town into Libyas second capital.

Sony Ericsson: “Should have taken iPhone seriously”

MaN oF sAdNeSs — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:40:56 +0000

Handset maker Sony Ericsson has said that they probably should have taken Apple’s iPhone more seriously when it was first released in 2007. The comments from CEO Bert Nordberg come just a day before Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 5 or a cheaper version of their current iPhone 4.

Apples iPhone 4 (image: Apple)

‘It’s safe to say that Sony Ericsson should have taken the iPhone more seriously when it arrived in 2007,’ Nordberg told The Wall Street Journal. But even though he feels strongly about the iPhone, he added that he is extremely happy with their Android platform.

‘Our Android strategy has been successful and the best choice we could have made. I wouldn’t feel comfortable investing in a platform that isn’t as good as the one that we currently use.’

Apple’s iPhone 5 has been in the rumour mill for some time, and this has been the longest period between new models in the iPhone’s history.

The cheaper version of the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S has also been rumoured, but many punters believe the announcement today will be regarding the iPhone 5.

Charlie Fripp – Consumer Tech editor

Dell introduces new Vostro laptop

MaN oF sAdNeSs — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:37:18 +0000

Dell has launched a new Vostro, the thin and sleek Vostro V131, to its award-winning Vostro laptop line.

Dells thin and sleek Vostro V131 (image: Dell)

As one of the lightest and thinnest products in the Vostro portfolio, the Vostro V131 is designed specifically for highly mobile business customers. An ultrathin, ultra-stylish chassis houses the Intel Core i5 processor, making the Vostro V131 a portable powerhouse engineered to maximise business productivity.

‘We designed the Vostro V131 to deliver fast, uninterrupted multitasking for today’s business challenges,’ said Dion Visagie, Dell South Africa channel manager.

‘The result is a feature-rich laptop for mobile professionals who want full performance to support their technology demands without sacrificing design and portability. In addition, the V131 offers services and software solutions that improve productivity and data security.’

Understanding the challenge of connectivity for on-the-go small businesses, the Vostro V131 offers a wide variety of options including WWAN, WLAN and Bluetooth 3.0 andthe standard fingerprint reader to provide exceptional security for anywhere, anytime peace of mind.

The Vostro V131 is perfect for everyday office operations like document editing, presentations and email, and also provides stellar collaboration options including a full HD camera, SRS Premium Voice Pro, digital array mics and built-in Skype. In addition, the laptop offers two USB 3.0 ports, a chiclet keyboard with a backlit option, and quick launch keys.

Staff writer

Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4: Separates the men from the boys!

MaN oF sAdNeSs — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:27:13 +0000

Lamborghini’s sales numbers were never very high in the Middle East and North Africa.

With the Murcielago and the Gallardo the situation started to change slightly, and the Lamborghini brand started to catch up a little bit with the other competitors from Italy and Germany.

Now a new contender from Lamborghini is entering this very exclusive segment, the new Aventador LP 700-4.

So, will the new Aventador become the new reference among the super sports cars and will Automobili Lamborghini be able to gain a bigger market share through it?

With the Aventador LP 700-4, Automobili Lamborghini aims at redefining the very pinnacle of the world super sports car market – brutal power, outstanding lightweight engineering and phenomenal handling precision are combined with peerless design and the very finest equipment to deliver an unparalleled driving experience.

With the Aventador, Lamborghini is taking a big step into the future – and building on the glorious history of the brand with the next automotive legend.

The first customers will take delivery of the new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 in late summer 2011.

The technology package of the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 is utterly unique. It is based on an innovative monocoque made from carbon-fiber that combines exceptional lightweight engineering with the highest levels of stiffness and safety.

The new twelve-cylinder with 6.5 liters’ displacement and 515 kW / 700 hp brings together the ultimate in high-revving pleasure with astonishing low-end torque.
Than ks to a dry weight of only 1,575 kilograms (3,472 lb), which is extremely low for this class of vehicle, the weight-to-power ratio stands at only 2.25 kilograms per hp (4.96 lb/hp).

Even the fantastic 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration figure of just 2.9 seconds and the top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph) do not fully describe the Aventador’s extreme performance.

And yet, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are down by around 20 percent compared with its predecessor, despite the considerable increase in power (+8%).

The ISR transmission is unique among road-going vehicles, guaranteeing the fastest shifting time (only 50 milliseconds) and a highly emotional shift feel, while the lightweight chassis with pushrod suspension delivers absolute handling precision and competition-level performance.

The expressively-designed interior offers hi-tech features ranging from the TFT cockpit display with Drive Select Mode system.

The Aventador will be built to the very highest quality standards in an all-new production facility in Sant’Agata Bolognese.

“With the Aventador LP 700-4, the future of the super sports car is now part of the present. Its exceptional package of innovative technologies is unique, its performance simply overwhelming,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini.

“The Aventador is a jump of two generations in terms of design and technology, it’s the result of an entirely new project, but at the same time it’s a direct and consistent continuation of Lamborghini’s brand values. It is extreme in its design and its performance, uncompromising in its standards and technology, and unmistakably Italian in its style and perfection. Overall, the dynamics and technical excellence of the Aventador LP 700-4 makes it unrivalled in the worldwide super sports car arena.”

Aventador – the name of one of the most courageous of all bulls:

According to its tradition, Lamborghini’s new flagship bears the name of a bull – naturally, a particularly courageous specimen from the world of the Spanish Corrida.

Aventador was the name of a bull that entered into battle in October 1993 at the Saragossa Arena, earning the “Trofeo de la Pe?a La Madro?era” for its outstanding courage.

A sculpture of extreme dynamics:

For Lamborghini, design is always the beauty of aggressive power, the elegance of breathtaking dynamics.

From the very first glance, the new Aventador is unmistakably a Lamborghini, clothed in the brand’s characteristic and distinctive design language – with its extremely powerful proportions, its exact lines and precise surfaces, and with taut muscularity in every one of its details.

The designers in the Centro Stile

Lamborghini have carefully developed this design language to give the Aventador a significant new edge.

It is an avantgarde work of art, an incredibly dynamic sculpture, from the sharply honed front end through the extremely low roofline to the distinctive rear diffuser.

Every line has a clear function, every form is dictated by its need for speed, yet the overall look is nothing less than spectacular and breathtaking.

The doors open upward – of course:

Truly impressive proportions come from an overall length of 4,78 meters (188.19 in.) matched with an impressive width of 2,26 meters (88.98 in.) including the exterior mirrors, and further accentuated by an extremely low height of just 1.136 mm (44.72 in.).

It goes without saying that both doors of the carbon-fiber monocoque open upward – a feature that was first introduced in the now legendary Countach and then used for subsequent V12 models such as Diablo and Murciélago.

However, the Aventador also evokes its immediate predecessor the Murciélago – electronically managed air intakes open depending on the outdoor temperature and the need for cooling air,ensuring maximum aerodynamic efficiency.

And for those whishing to flaunt the heart of their Lamborghini, the optional transparent engine bonnet exhibits the twelve-cylinder engine like a technical work of art in a display case.

Exclusive and high-tech interior:

The Aventador’s spacious interior combines the fine exclusivity of premium materials and perfect Italian craftsmanship with state-of-the-art technology and generous equipment.
The red switch cover on the broad center tunnel encloses the start button used to awaken the twelve-cylinder.

The interior is dominated by a next-generation dashboard – as in a modern airplane, the instruments are presented on a TFT-LCD screen using innovative display concepts.

A second screen is dedicated to the standard-fit multimedia and navigation system.

Carbon-fiber monocoque:

The new Lamborghini flagship has a full monocoque. The entire occupant cell, with tub and roof, is one single physical component.

This ensures extreme rigidity and thus outstanding driving precision, as well as an extremely high level of passive safety for the driver and his passenger. The entire monocoque weighs only 147.5 kilograms (325.18 lb).

The monocoque, together with the front and rear Aluminium frames, features an impressive combination of extreme torsional stiffness of 35,000 Newton meters per degree and weighs only 229.5 kilograms (505.9 lb).

Maximum revs, amazing sound:

For the Aventador LP 700-4, the engineers in Lamborghini’s R&D Department have developed a completely new high-performance power unit – an extremely powerful and high-revving, but very compact power unit.

At 235 kilograms (518 lb), it is also extremely lightweight. A V12 with 515 kW (700 hp) at 8,250 rpm sets a whole new benchmark, even in the world of super sports cars. The maximum torque output is 690 Newton meters (509 lb-ft) at 5,500 rpm.
The extremely well-rounded torque curve, the bull-like pulling power in every situation, the spontaneous responsiveness and, last but not least, the finely modulated but always highly emotional acoustics are what make this engine a stunning power plant of the very highest order.

Innovative transmission for maximum performance:

Engineers at Lamborghini have created the perfect mate for the new twelve-cylinder engine with the highly innovative ISR (Independent Shifting Rods) transmission.
The development objective was clearly formulated – to build not only the fastest robotized gearbox, but also to create the world’s most emotional gear shift.

Compared with a dual-clutch transmission, not only is the ISR gearbox much lighter, it also has smaller dimensions than a conventional manual unit – both key elements in the field of lightweight engineering for super sports cars.

Refined and safe with all-wheel drive:

This kind of extreme power must be delivered reliably to the road. The driver of the Aventador LP 700-4 can depend fully on its permanent all-wheel drive – indicated by the 4 in the model designation.

In the driveline, an electronically controlled Haldex coupling distributes the forces between front and rear. In a matter of milliseconds, this coupling adapts the force distribution to match the dynamic situation.
A self-blocking rear differential together with a front differential electronically controlled by ESP make for even more dynamic handling.

The Drive Select Mode System enables the driver to choose vehicle characteristics (engine, transmission, differential, steering and dynamic control) from three settings – Strada (road), Sport and Corsa (track) – to suit his individual preferences.

Pushrod suspension:

Lamborghini has equipped its new V12 super sports car with an innovative and highly sophisticated suspension concept.

The pushrod spring and damper concept was inspired by Formula 1 and tuned perfectly to meet the needs of a high-performance road-going vehicle.

Together with aluminum double wishbone suspension and a carbon-fiber ceramic brake system, this lightweight chassis represents a further aspect of the new flagship’s unique technology concept.

Extensive assistance and safety systems:

In the hands of its driver, the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 is a high-precision machine – spontaneous, direct and always reliable.

The driver is also assisted by the latest electronic systems such as the incredibly sporty, adjustable ESP system.

When it comes to passive safety, front, head-thorax and knee airbags play their part alongside the extremely stiff carbon-fiber cell.

A rich and wide-ranging individualization program:

A Lamborghini should always fit perfectly with the style and preferences of its owner. To this end, the range of individualization options is virtually inexhaustible.

There is a selection of 13 production paint colors to choose from, three of which are highly sophisticated matt tones.

A choice of two-tone interiors are offered with the “Sportivo” and “Elegante” versions, while a premium audio system and reversing camera are among the many technology options.

And of course, the “Ad Personam” individualization program knows no limits when it comes to colors and materials.

The price of the Lamborghini Aventador and market delivery are the following:

UK: GBP 201.900,00 (suggested retail price taxes excluded)

Europe: € 255.000 (suggested retail price taxes excluded)

USA: 379.700 USD (suggested retail price – GGT included)

China: RMB 6.270.000,00 (suggested retail price taxes included)

Japan: YEN 39.690.000,00 (suggested retail price taxes included)

Unfortunately the prices for the Middle East and North Africa have not been announced yet,

The first customers will take delivery of the new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 in late summer 2011.