Lamborghini has promised to reveal an all-new limited-edition model in Geneva, celebrating 100 years since the birth of founder Ferrucio Lamborghini.

The new nameplate will not simply be a lightly modified Aventador or Huracan, nor a one-off design study, but rather an entirely new car. Only 20 examples will roll off the assembly line, matching the production numbers for the Sesto Elemento.

“You are familiar with our one-offs – it will be something like this, a coupe bodystyle,” CEO Stephan Winkelmann told Auto Express in an interview. “The car we will show will be a completely different design from both Huracán and Aventador.”

The company recently submitted trademark filings for the Egoista, a wild one-seater concept, however an unnamed insider suggests the new model, expected to be called the Centenario, will be surprisingly tame.

Unveiled last year in Paris, the Asterion concept (pictured) meshes with the claims of toned-down styling. It was presented as a grand tourer with flowing contours, however Winkelmann flatly rejected production plans for the gasoline-electric hybrid.

Whatever form the body takes, the Centanario is presumed to be powered by the Aventador’s 6.5-liter V12 engine. Horsepower could be bumped up slightly, potentially exceeding the Superveloce‘s 750-pony tune.

Images by Ronan Glon.

US legislators have proposed a five-year highway funding bill that includes several reform provisions for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If the legislation passes as written (full PDF), it will increase potential penalties for recall-related violations to $105 million. The figure appears to be a compromise between the current cap and the $300 million limit favored by the Obama administration.

Companies currently face a maximum fine of just $35 million for failing to comply with certain guidelines, representing just a few days of profits for many major automakers.

The bill attempts to modernize and improve recall notices, allowing companies to send notification via e-mail. A trial program would also test the feasibility of alerting new or existing owners of unfixed defects during initial vehicle registration or renewals, while rental car companies would be prohibited from offering unfixed vehicles to clients.

Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, pushed to include funding for vehicle-to-infrastructure technology.

“V2I technologies are undoubtedly the future of automotive safety, as evidenced by the automotive industry’s rapid development and incorporation of such safety features,” she said in a statement. “This final bill provides states with the adequate, consistent funding they need to not only improve, but modernize our nation’s highway system.”

The bill must pass votes in both the House and Senate before heading to President Barack Obama’s desk for a final signature.

Volkswagen is reportedly preparing to halt production at its Wolfsburg factory for several weeks, though members of the company’s controlling family have promised to avoid cutting jobs.

Sales in the US market were down by nearly 25 percent in November, while market share at home in Germany slid by 2.3 percent, according to Bloomberg. TDI sales accounted for approximately 23 percent of US sales in August, before the diesel scandal came to light. Many models are currently sitting in inventory until VW implements its refit program to bring the vehicles back into compliance.

To prevent inventory from building up, workers at the Wolfsburg plant will be sent home for more than three weeks from mid-December to early in January. The facility is one of the largest automotive production plants in the world, with annual production capacity in excess of 800,000 units.

“I am of the rock-solid conviction that Volkswagen can weather the situation and emerge even stronger from the crisis,” said Wolfgang Porsche, chairman of the Porsche SE holding company that owns a majority stake in VW shares, in a speech to Wolfsburg employees. “No one here is giving into panic.”

The company has already announced a seemingly simple fix for its Euro-spec vehicles with 1.6- and 2.0-liter TDI engines, which will receive a new ‘flow transformer’ in the air intake to improve measuring accuracy of the air mass flow sensor.

A resolution for US-market vehicles has not been detailed. In any case, the repair program is expected to begin early in 2016 and continue through the year.

Tesla Motors has reportedly ramped up its lobbying efforts in Michigan, one of several states that still bars the company from selling directly to customers.

The company has been successful in gaining the right to sell cars in other states, most of which have some form of dealer franchise laws. Most existing regulations aim to prevent an automaker from competing with its franchisees, however Tesla has argued for an exemption since it does not have a franchise network and consequently does not violate the spirit of the laws.

The debate has been mostly shrugged off by legislators in Michigan, the home state of the Big Three automakers that may view the California-based startup as a potential threat. GM has spoken out against direct sales, arguing that all automakers should operate under “the same rules,” while Ford has called for a “level playing field.”

“There doesn’t seem to be much interest from not only the dealers, but manufacturers like GM that want to continue to shut us out of the market entirely,” said Tesla’s VP of regulatory affairs, Jim Chen, in an interview with The Detroit News. “We’re an American company that is building cars in the United States that is using over 55 Michigan suppliers — that is spending over $120 million in parts and components from Michigan suppliers to build American-made cars. Why shouldn’t we be allowed to sell in Michigan?”

Even the Federal Trade Commission has criticized such restrictions, pointing out that Michigan legislators recently moved to grant a direct-sales exemption for three-wheel vehicles.

“Automobile manufacturers have an economic incentive to respond to consumer preferences by choosing the most effective distribution method for their vehicle brands,” FTC officials wrote in a letter to Michigan State Senator Darwin Booher.

Tesla representatives and lobbyists will be meeting with legislators, offering test drives and arguing their position ahead of next year’s legislative session in Michigan.

Mercedes-Benz finally reported its U.S. November sales Wednesday, announcing a total volume of 30,043 units for the core brand, an additional 2,770 for its commercial vans and 662 for smart.

November’s numbers bring Mercedes-Benz’s 2015 YTD total to 308,885, or nearly 3,000 units behind than BMW for the year, setting up a tight race for the year-end sales crown in the volume luxury segment.

Currently, BMW leads in the segment with 311,398 units sold YTD. Mercedes-Benz is close behind with 308,885 and Lexus brings up the rear with 303,221.

BMW is known for strong retail sales late in the year, but with just ~8,000 units separating first and third place, it would be premature to go all-in on the Bavarian powerhouse.

Photo by Brian Williams.