Automobili Lamborghini announces the departure of Umberto Tossini, Chief People, Culture and Organization Officer, marking the end of a 19-year tenure that shaped the company’s modern growth.

End of an Era in Lamborghini’s Leadership

Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy – Automobili Lamborghini has announced that Umberto Tossini is stepping down from his position as Chief People, Culture and Organization Officer to pursue new professional opportunities.

Tossini joined the Italian supercar manufacturer in 2006 as Human Resources Director and played a pivotal role in shaping Lamborghini’s organizational and cultural evolution. Over nearly two decades, he contributed to some of the brand’s most significant milestones, including the localization and production launch of the Super SUV Urus at the Sant’Agata Bolognese facility — a project that became a benchmark for regional industrial investment.

He was also instrumental in the creation of DESI (Dual Education System Italy), the country’s first dual vocational training program, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025. More recently, Tossini worked closely with the HR team on renewing Lamborghini’s supplementary labor agreement, recognized as a model of innovation in labor relations and working time reorganization.

Under Tossini’s leadership, Lamborghini’s workforce grew from a few hundred employees to over 3,000, driven by a culture focused on human value, inclusion, and long-term sustainability. His people-centric approach contributed to Lamborghini receiving the Top Employer certification for twelve consecutive years.

The company expressed gratitude for Tossini’s contributions, noting his impact on aligning technological innovation with social progress across the brand’s operations.

The role of Chief People, Culture and Organization Officer will be temporarily overseen by Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, until a successor is officially appointed.

Pininfarina and JAS Motorsport are reimagining the 1990s Honda NSX with a carbon-fiber body, upgraded V6, and manual gearbox. A legend reborn for 2026.

The Japanese icon returns reimagined in Italy.
Pininfarina and JAS Motorsport have joined forces to resurrect one of the most celebrated Japanese supercars of all time: the first generation Honda NSX. This restomod project blends Italian craftsmanship with Japanese engineering purity, bringing the spirit of the 1990s into the modern era.

Recreating a Classic

The original Honda NSX, launched in 1990, was a revolution in its time the world’s first all-aluminum production supercar and a benchmark for driver-focused design. Now, more than three decades later, Pininfarina, the legendary Italian design house, and JAS Motorsport, Honda’s long-time racing partner, are reimagining it with a new purpose: to build the ultimate modern analogue supercar.

The new Honda NSX will be built using original NA1 chassis from the early 1990s, reconstructed and re-bodied with full carbon fiber panels. Inside, the cabin retains the minimalist cockpit layout of the original car but integrates premium materials, Alcantara, and a driver-centric setup inspired by modern GTs.

Old Soul, New Technology

This reborn Honda NSX keeps the naturally aspirated V6 engine, meticulously upgraded by JAS Motorsport for more power, torque, and responsiveness. The powertrain remains pure and mechanical, coupled to a six-speed manual transmission sending power to the rear wheels a deliberate rejection of digital overengineering.

Pininfarina’s design honors the iconic HP-X Concept it designed for Honda in 1984 the car that inspired the very first Honda NSX. Classic elements like pop-up headlights, the black canopy roof, and the signature hoop spoiler remain, but the stance is now wider and more muscular. New vents on the hood, expanded intakes, and swollen fenders give the car a sharper, more planted aesthetic while improving aerodynamics and cooling efficiency.

JAS Motorsport Precision

On the technical side, JAS Motorsport brings decades of Honda racing expertise from touring cars and GT programs. Every unit will be hand-built, with both left- and right-hand-drive options available. Chassis geometry, suspension setup, and braking systems are tuned to balance track performance and road comfort, maintaining the NSX’s original ethos “human-centered perfection.”

According to JAS Motorsport, the goal is to deliver “a modern reinterpretation of Grand Touring spirit high performance, balanced, safe, yet effortlessly usable on any road.”

A Tribute to Senna’s Legacy

The NSX was famously developed with input from Ayrton Senna, and this project honors that heritage. By preserving the tactile connection between car and driver, this new NSX restomod represents the last frontier of analogue driving in an increasingly digital world.

Launch Timeline

The yet-unnamed NSX restomod will make its global debut in the first half of 2026. Production numbers are expected to be extremely limited, and pricing will reflect its handcrafted nature and collector-grade exclusivity.

PistonKafalar Comment

This collaboration between Pininfarina and JAS Motorsport is far more than a nostalgic restomod it’s a statement. In an era where performance cars are defined by algorithms and driver aids, this manual, naturally aspirated, rear-wheel-drive machine reminds us of the art of driving. It’s a love letter to mechanical purity a bold reminder that passion and precision still matter.

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The Phantom Centenary Private Collection blends art, heritage, and engineering perfection in 25 exclusive cars.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Centenary Private Collection marks 100 years of timeless luxury. Limited to just 25 masterpieces, it redefines bespoke craftsmanship with golden artistry.

A Century of Greatness, Reimagined in Gold

Few names command as much reverence in automotive history as Rolls-Royce Phantom. For a century, it has symbolized power, prestige, and the silent authority of excellence.

Now, Rolls-Royce honors this legacy with the Phantom Centenary Private Collection — a creation so intricate, it took three years and more than 40,000 hours of work by the Bespoke Collective’s most skilled artisans.

Only 25 units will ever exist. Each one tells the story of Rolls-Royce Phantom’s 100-year journey — from 1925’s opulent debut to today’s modern pinnacle of automotive art.

Spirit of Ecstasy: A Golden Rebirth

Standing proudly atop the hood is the most iconic symbol in automotive history — the Spirit of Ecstasy, reborn in 18-carat solid gold and finished with 24-carat plating.
Stamped with a special “Phantom Centenary” hallmark in London’s Assay Office, the figurine radiates a warm brilliance that sets the tone for the entire car.

For the first time in Rolls-Royce history, every emblem — front, rear, and sides — is rendered in 24-carat gold and white enamel. Each wheel carries 25 delicate lines to honor the 25 cars in the collection, forming 100 lines in total — a subtle yet powerful tribute to a century of elegance.

Exterior: The Hollywood Glow of Arctic White and Champagne

The two-tone exterior, finished in Arctic White and Super Champagne Crystal, captures the aura of 1930s Phantom silhouettes. The shimmering paint contains microscopic champagne-tinted glass particles, producing a deep metallic brilliance that glows like liquid gold under sunlight.

This visual poetry recalls the glamour of Hollywood’s golden age — when Phantom ferried movie legends to premieres beneath flashbulbs and velvet ropes.

Inside: Where Luxury Becomes Literature

Step inside, and the cabin reveals an atmosphere closer to an art gallery than an automobile.
At its heart lies the Anthology Gallery — a stunning display of 50 vertically brushed aluminum “wings,” 3D-printed and arranged like the open pages of a book.

Each wing bears engraved quotes and media headlines celebrating Rolls-Royce Phantom’s century-long presence in culture and innovation. As light dances across their edges, the reflections create a hypnotic, firework-like effect — a visual metaphor for a hundred years of brilliance.

Every quote was carefully curated after 100 hours of archival research, transforming this gallery into a museum of motion.

The Golden Threads of Time

Phantom’s rear seats are upholstered in couture-grade woven fabric — developed in collaboration with a European fashion house over 12 months. The textile features high-resolution prints, gold-sand threads, and over 160,000 individual stitches. Each motif depicts landmarks in Phantom’s history, from London’s Conduit Street to Sir Henry Royce’s coastal retreats in the South of France.

The embroidery technique, described by the designers as “sketching with thread,” gives each pattern a hand-drawn depth. Every motif — from galloping horses to archival signatures — was redrawn digitally up to 24 times before approval.
It’s not simply upholstery; it’s storytelling through fiber and light.

Front Cabin: Where Art Meets Engineering

The front seats feature laser-etched leather panels — a first in Rolls-Royce history.
Etched into the surface are symbolic designs referencing Phantom’s legendary codenames:

• “Roger Rabbit” (2003 Phantom relaunch project)
• “Seagull” (1923 Phantom I prototype)
• “Bluebird” (Sir Malcolm Campbell’s record-breaking Phantom II)

Each motif is delicately applied through variable-intensity laser engraving to achieve tonal harmony between the ink-black outlines and the creamy white hides.

The Art of Wood: Mapping a Century

The door panels are nothing short of sculpture. Using black-stained wood veneers, artisans created intricate scenes that map Phantom’s most symbolic journeys — from Goodwood to Le Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer. Each element combines 3D marquetry, laser engraving, and 24-carat gold leaf, with certain routes marked by golden lines only 0.1 micrometers thick.

Even Sir Henry Royce’s personal homes — Villa Mimosa and Elmstead — are pinpointed by a single speck of gold leaf, just 2.76 mm wide. In total, each set of doors requires 50 individual veneer components and takes four weeks to complete.

Under a Starlit Sky

Above the passengers glows perhaps the most poetic feature: the Starlight Headliner, crafted with 440,000 stitches forming a celestial tapestry. The design was inspired by a 1920s photograph of Sir Henry Royce and his colleagues under a mulberry tree in West Wittering. Look closely, and you’ll see the trees of Goodwood, golden bees representing the marque’s hives, and even the Phantom Rose, a flower bred exclusively for Rolls-Royce.

One star cluster pays tribute to Sir Malcolm Campbell’s “Bluebird,” forever linking Phantom’s spirit to the pursuit of speed and perfection.

Power, Gilded

Beneath the Arctic White bonnet rests the legendary 6.75-liter V12, framed by gold-accented covers.
It’s not just a mechanical masterpiece; it’s the heart of a century-old dream, built on the same obsession for refinement that defined Sir Henry Royce’s philosophy:

“Strive for perfection in everything you do.”

The Designer’s Voice

Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, described the project with reverence:

“This car reflects the same spirit that inspired the very first Phantom — the relentless pursuit of excellence.
It is not simply built; it is composed, like a symphony in gold.”

Legacy in Motion

Each Phantom Centenary bears a commemorative plate engraved “Phantom – 100 Years – Since 1925”. Even the dust cover carries gold embroidery matching the car’s interior stitching.

Owning one of these 25 masterpieces means possessing a tangible fragment of automotive eternity — where history, craftsmanship, and art converge.

Piston Kafalar Comment

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Centenary Private Collection transcends the idea of transportation.
It’s a golden manuscript written in wood, leather, and light — proof that in the age of technology, true luxury is still handmade.

The Yangwang U9 Xtreme sets a stunning Nürburgring Nordschleife record of 6:59.157, beating the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra to become the fastest production electric sports car ever.

A New Reign in the Electric Speed Era

The hierarchy of high-performance EVs has shifted again. Chinese manufacturer Yangwang has rewritten Nürburgring history with its flagship model, the U9 Xtreme, clocking a breathtaking lap time of 6 minutes 59.157 seconds on the legendary Nordschleife.

This achievement dethrones the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, which previously held the title at 7 minutes 04.957 seconds — a full five-second margin on one of the most demanding 20.8 km tracks in the world. It marks a milestone moment in the rapidly evolving rivalry among China’s new-generation performance brands.

300 mph Ambition: The Electric Rocket

The Nürburgring run was not just a demonstration of brute speed but also a showcase of Yangwang’s engineering ambition. On the track’s punishing mix of corners and elevation changes, the U9 Xtreme maintained extraordinary average pace while staying composed.

According to the company, the car has the potential to reach a staggering 308 mph (≈ 495 km/h) — placing it among the fastest electric vehicles ever conceived.

Since July 2024, Yangwang has been conducting development sessions at the ’Ring, feeding telemetry into its intelligent control system to fine-tune power distribution and thermal management. The goal was never just to beat Xiaomi — it was to redefine what an electric supercar can achieve on the world’s toughest circuit.

Behind the Wheel: Moritz Kranz

At the controls for the record attempt was seasoned German racer Moritz Kranz, a driver with over 60 victories across GT4, GT3 and LMP3 categories.

The car he piloted remained fundamentally a production U9 Xtreme, though it received minor track-oriented upgrades:

• Next-generation liquid-cooling system preventing heat-induced power drop,
• Titanium-alloy carbon-ceramic brakes for extreme stopping performance,
• Semi-slick tires optimized for peak grip through high-speed corners.

Yangwang emphasized that the car complied fully with production specifications, making this lap officially valid for the “fastest production EV” title.

Quad-Motor Power: 2,959 hp and 1,200-Volt Architecture

At the heart of the U9 Xtreme lies a four-motor powertrain producing a combined 2,959 hp (2,205 kW). Each motor spins up to 30,000 rpm and is independently controlled via a 1,200-volt ultra-high-voltage platform.

This configuration allows micro-second torque vectoring — each wheel receiving the exact power it needs in real time, maximizing traction, balance and cornering stability.

The result is instant acceleration and razor-sharp agility that blurs the line between digital precision and mechanical control.

Design: Aggression Meets Refinement

Visually, the U9 Xtreme looks more like a spacecraft than a traditional supercar. Its low aerodynamic nose, oversized air intakes and carbon-fiber surfacing communicate unfiltered performance intent.

As the luxury sub-brand of BYD, Yangwang describes this design language as “the fusion of technology and beauty.” It’s a philosophy that extends beyond styling — a statement that performance and aesthetics can coexist in perfect equilibrium.

Thanks to meticulous aerodynamics, the U9 remains remarkably stable at high speed, proving that form and function truly align in the electric age.

BYD’s Official Statement

Stella Li, Vice President of BYD, praised the team’s accomplishment:

“The limited-production U9 Xtreme proves it’s not only among the world’s fastest cars in a straight line but also capable of record-breaking balance and agility on one of the world’s most complex tracks. This achievement demonstrates how far electric performance has come.”

The brand also confirmed that the name “Xtreme” is a stylized interpretation of the English word “Extreme” — a fitting badge for such an audacious machine.

The Electric Throne Battle: Xiaomi vs. Yangwang

Behind the record lies an ongoing duel between China’s two rising giants. Xiaomi’s SU7 Ultra had previously dominated with a 7:04.957 lap, while a prototype version once posted a blistering 6:22 — but that run didn’t qualify as a production record.

Now, Yangwang’s 6:59.157 lap gives it official supremacy. With production limited to just 30 units, the U9 Xtreme will soon become one of the most collectible and technically significant electric supercars of its era.

This battle is more than a rivalry; it’s a reflection of China’s growing confidence in competing head-to-head with traditional European performance brands on their home turf.

Nürburgring: The Symbol of the Electric Era

The Nürburgring Nordschleife has long been regarded as the ultimate test of automotive engineering — a proving ground that separates hype from hardware.

By breaking the seven-minute barrier, the U9 Xtreme proves that electric vehicles are no longer chasing combustion engines — they’re surpassing them. The age of quiet speed is over; this is the era of electrified dominance.

Piston Kafalar Comment

Yangwang’s success is more than a headline — it’s a declaration that the electric performance war has truly begun. The U9 Xtreme demonstrates that precision engineering, high-voltage architecture and fearless design can deliver both numbers and emotion.

While European brands defined Nürburgring supremacy for decades, it’s now clear that China’s innovators have joined the conversation — and they’re speaking in lap records.

The 6:59 benchmark may soon fall again, but for now, the crown belongs to Yangwang.

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