Ten things we learned this week: 8 January 2016 edition

Lamborghinis do enough to grab the attention of passers-by. They look all pointy and angry, they sound very snarly, and some of them have scissor doors. They are the epitome of silly supercar design. Wonderfully silly, might we add.

But what if that’s not enough? What if you can never have enough attention? Enter Print Tech, a German-based company that’s concocted this less than subtle wrap for your Huracan.

Perfect for proud Italians or Italophiles, it shouts particularly loudly about Lamborghini’s roots with the tricolore of Italy’s flag. It is also made of latex, and costs, um, £7,500.

Small change, though, when a standard Huracan weighs in at more than £180,000. Tempted?

Staying with everyone’s favourite Bolognese carmaker, and news that a film about the life of founder Ferruccio Lamborghini is in development.

His son Tonino is providing consultation for a film that will cover the launch of Lamborghini’s tractor business in the 1940s, its stint creating military vehicles for World War II and, of course, the birth of Lamborghini supercars courtesy of the marvellous Miura.

Ferruccio’s time with the company ended in 1970, and he passed away in 1993, six years before Audi took the reins.

Fans of docu-dramas about Italian supercar companies ought to be very excited: not only is a Lamborghini film on its way, we’re apparently getting a Ferrari film too…

Henrik Fisker had his hand in designing the Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage. So it’s therefore quite a shame that he’s currently embroiled in quite a big row with the British sports car maker.

Following last year’s shenanigans surrounding the Fisker Thunderbolt, the pair have fallen out again, this time over Fisker’s upcoming Force 1 supercar, which is scheduled to appear at next week’s Detroit motor show.

Aston has taken umbrage at its design, citing it is too similar to the DB10 that starred in Spectre. Fisker’s response? To sue them for ‘civil extortion’. For $100 million…

"This is a classic case of David vs. Goliath," Fisker said. "Aston Martin is trying to intimidate me to prop up their own flailing company and to mask their financial and product deficiencies. I refuse to be intimidated and that is the reason for today's filing."

Fisker’s rendering of the Force 1 above. Whose side are you on?

It’s a brand new year for Ten Things, but one thing that hasn’t changed is our love of Russian dash-cam videos.

This latest video is quite something. Filmed at a petrol station in Surgut, a lady appears to use a lighter inches away from her open fuel filler cap seconds before the rear end of her car bursts into flames. Judging by her reaction, it wasn’t deliberate.

We’re not sure what she was trying to do – perhaps melt some snow or light a cigarette sheltered from a breeze – but TG advises that all fire-related activities should be performed away from the pump.

Even the dash-cammer makes a hasty exit...

In other Russian motoring shenanigan news, footage has surfaced of a Brabus G63 AMG 6x6 which has rolled onto its side on a road in Moscow.

It's not clear how it ended up in that position, although clearly the owner discovered the one instance when six wheels aren’t enough to keep their 700bhp monster planted on the asphalt.

We think Mercedes should take a leaf out of Robot Wars’ Tornado, and produce a model where wheels work inverted as well as upright. That should do the trick.

It’s the only rational explanation after a drove of pigs (no pun intended, that’s the actual collective noun) escaped from a field adjacent to the London-bound carriage of the A21, forcing officials to close the road twice in four days.

Between 30 and 40 pigs – reportedly of the Kunekune breed native to New Zealand – launched their first suspected bid to take over the world the day before New Year’s Eve, with a second breakout thwarted just days later.

Traffic was diverted as the authorities forced the assailants to retreat, and the pigs’ owner is now thought to be constructing a “secure enclosure” according to Inspector Nick Wheelhouse.

No wonder the Home Secretary is stepping up boar-der controls.

Picture credit: Kier Highways & TFL Traffic News

The taxi-app service may court controversy across the globe, but last week the company announced that it had completed its one billionth ride since being founded in California in 2009.

Journey No. 1,000,000,000 took place in London on Christmas Eve in a blue Honda Insight Hybrid, with the lucky passenger receiving £10,000 of free Uber rides having spent just five quid on the original journey.

Meanwhile the driver has been told he can take a holiday in any city where Uber operates, and a donation is being made to a local charity where the milestone was reached.

Picture credit: Uber

With heavy snowfall in Quebec reducing traffic to a minimum, you’d think existence as a roadside camera would be fairly uneventful. Not so.

One camera at the intersection between Autoroute 40 and the Boulevard des Sources in Montreal caught brilliant footage of a passing owl last Sunday, quickly gaining traction on social media after stills from the clip were released by the region’s transport minister Robert Poëti yesterday.

It is not known if the owl was fined for speeding.

Picture credit: Robert Poëti

Alfa Romeo has not one, but two crossovers on the way. And this could just be our first look at one of them.

As first looks go, we’re afraid it’s a not-very-good one. That’s because it’s a slightly obtuse picture from the Instagram feed of Ralph Gilles, head of design at Fiat-Chrysler.

Its subject is Lorenzo Ramaciotti, designer of the new Giulia as well as all manner of lovely stuff including the Ferrari 456 and Maserati GranTurismo.

But it’s not Ramaciotti that got everyone talking, it’s the boot he’s emerging from. The presence of a hatchback and tall windows as well as a dashboard similar to the new Giulia’s has the internet world speculating this is our first glimpse of Alfa’s debut crossover.

What insightful analysis can we pass on to you, dear reader? That is has a funny shaped bootlid. And, er, that’s it. Sorry.

In a manner of speaking. The British carmaker has announced that its coach-building division Mulliner will start adding slate and quartzite ‘stone veneers’ to cockpits in a bid to reach “the next level” of automotive luxury.

Using rock sourced from quarries in India, the finished product will be just 0.1mm thick to overcome the rather obvious question of ‘Won’t that add 1000 tonnes to the kerb weight?’

As innovations go, Bentley couldn’t have been any boulder...