arning: your Murciélago

may catch fire if you drive it

aggressively. That’s the alarm bell currently coming from Lamborghini. Sant’Agata is recalling all Murciélagos built between May 2006 and April 2008 following fears that a faulty fuel system could end up in the car catching fire.

The problem is with a fuel pump inside the gas tank, which can detach itself and cause a leak because of

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A FAULT IN THE MURCIÉLAGO’S FUEL SYSTEM COULD LEAD TO THE CAR CATCHING FIRE

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poor welding that holds up the pump. And it’s more likely to happen if you drive vigorously. The company filed a report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US (where the problem has been discovered), saying that ‘stress generated by the back and forth movement of gasoline inside the fuel tank during lateral and longitudinal accelerations, accompanied by vertical vibration’ could cause a spot weld to fail. The company discovered the flaw during testing, and so far

no accidents or fires have been reported.

Since every Murciélago is built at the Bolognese plant in Italy, the recall affects cars in the Middle East as well as the rest of the world. Right now, dealers around the region are contacting all known owners to bring the cars to Lamborghini’s service department for the fuel tank to be replaced free of charge. Anyone who owns a Murciélago or Murciélago Roadster is asked to contact their local dealer.

Although defects in cars have been dramatically brought to the public’s attention recently by Toyota’s recall issues, it’s worth baring in mind that they are in fact nothing new. Faults are discovered on a weekly basis. Simply because Lamborghini is considered a specialist manufacturer, selling a relatively small number of cars when compared to Toyota doesn’t mean it’s not suseptible to faults.

Lamborghini’s last recall was in 2006, when the Gallardo experienced suspension problems. Before that in 2002/03, the Murcielago had issues with its steering system, and going further back, the Diablo had various problems between 1992 and ’98, one of which included a recall for structural issues in the car’s pillars.

Sticking accelerator pedals, ‘sudden fuel expulsions’ and electronic stability control failures aren’t rare, either. They’re just some of the issues included in a long table we found in the NHTSA’s latest report – a three-page document that spans just a single month.

most powerful hybrid in the world, with 478bhp.

The hybrid 7-Series has a 20bhp electric motor with a 436bhp V8, so it’s more powerful and more frugal than the 750Li. On the average cycle, it consumes 9.4L/100km. Both cars also feature stop/start technology, where the engine switches off when the car comes to a standstill. Both cars are now on sale.

BMW Middle East is pressing on with its green agenda by introducing the X6 and

7-Series ActiveHybrids in the GCC region.

The former uses a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8, supported by two electric motors. Below 60kph it can be driven on electric power alone, and above that the combustion engine cuts in, adding more power. Despite weighing more than the xDrive50i X6 it’s based on (thank the heavy battery cells for that), it still manages an impressive 0-100kph time of 5.6sec and drinks 9.9L/100km – a reduction of 20 per cent in fuel consumption. And for now, it’s the

MORE POWERFUL, MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT X6 AND 7-SERIES ON SALE IN THE REGION

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