Italian sports car manufacturer Lamborghini plans to add an "everyday" model to its lineup, according to a report from Reuters quoting the firm’s CEO Stephan Winkelmann. The Lamborghini executive believes the luxury super sportscar market will return to the record levels seen in 2007 by 2013-2014. In 2007, some 35,000 super sports cars were sold, compared with around 26,000 in 2010.
And with demand from emerging markets such as China and Russia growing, Lamborghini wants to add a new model to its range to increase sales. "We are going to have a third model. It has to be an everyday car. We want to have a car which is able to be used on a daily basis," said Winkelmann, fueling rumors that a production version of the 2008 Lamborghini Estoque could be in the cards.
However, Winkelmann didn't mention anything about the type of vehicle, simply stating that Lamborghini hasn't reached a decision yet. He also said that once the decision is made, the company will need about four years to launch the car and added that the new model will be developed in-house, with help from the VW Group. “We will use synergies where possible within the (Volkswagen) group", noted Winkelmann.
Given that customers in China and other emerging markets such as Russia, India and Brazil, have a taste for four-door sports saloons, the possibility of Lamborghini producing the Estoque seems very likely.
Lamborghini's sales peaked in 2008 at 2,430 units, but in 2010 sales declined to 1,302 units, with the company expecting to sell around 1,500 cars this year, helped by the launch of its new Aventador LP 700-4 supercar.
By Dan Mihalascu
