Lambo-green-i

by Stuart Milne

We're used to Lamborghini building cars in outrageous colours – but its greenest model is yet to come.

The Italian supercar maestro is planning to limit the amount of noxious gases emanating from its models' exhausts with a raft of clever technology.

It reckons it can cut its cars' CO2 emissions by 35 per cent, meaning the 202mph Gallardo will create 'just' 210g/km – the same as a 2-litre Volkswagen Beetle.

Even its least green model, the Murcielago LP640 will have its 495g/km emissions slashed to 322g/km; identical to a V8 Volvo XC90.

Bosses at Lamborghini say they'll cut the CO2 from the Sant'Agata factory by almost a third by 2010, and achieve the 35 per cent cut from its vehicles by 2015.

It has begun to cover its factory in solar panels, and is improving its heating and lighting efficiency.

But the biggest changes are reserved for its sexy supercars. It says it reached its first milestone with the Gallardo LP560-4, which marked a reduction of 18 per cent. It is pushing forward with green technologies, which will see its cars shedding weight, hopefully increasing performance and sharpening handling further.

It will also develop start-stop systems and improving the efficiency of its conventional engines. It says there's still plenty to gain by using renewable biofuels and investigating hybrid technology.

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