After Lamborghini’s endless string of frustrating teaser shots, here, finally, are the full pictures of the Aston Rapide-rivalling four-seat Lamborghini supersaloon, the Estoque.
The Lamborghini Estoque? Named after a bull, perhaps?
No, it’s actually the name of a bullfighter’s sword, as was Espada, the company’s front-engined GT of 40 years ago.
So why a four-door saloon?
Haven’t you heard, they’re all the rage… Porsche, Aston and Rolls all have high-price, high-prestige saloons on the way, cars that have stronger appeal to the luxury-conscious new markets like Russia and far east.
And with the economies of Europe and the US looking distinctly shaky now that credit has crunched and crumbled, that’s where the smart companies like Lamborghini are looking for sales.
What’s under the bonnet of the Estoque?
The concept sports a V8, but Lamborghini is incredibly open-minded about possible powertrains. The Gallardo’s V10 will be offered but engineering boss Maurizio Reggiani told CAR that a powerful turbodiesel or possibly a hybrid petrol electric drivetrain would probably also be offered.
‘We will do everything we can to cut the CO2 emissions of this car,’ said Reggiani, revealing that Lamborghini has set a target of 300g/km, a chunky 25g/km lower than the lighter, sleeker Gallardo currently manages. So the one engine the production Estoque won’t have is the Murcielago’s V12, but it will have a dual-clutch sequential manual transmission.
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Click here to read the latest Lamborghini Estoque report from the Paris motor show and watch the video of the unveiling
Hybrid! Turbodiesel! This isn’t your usual 200mph Lamborghini then!
No it’s not. The new Lamborghini Estoque saloon is very clearly aimed at a different audience, one which wants practicality and luxury as much as it demands performance. And in fact it won’t actually do 200mph. Boss Stephan Winkleman tells us that a top speed of 170mph will be perfectly adequate for the Estoque. That’s not enormous in Lamborghini terms – but the Estoque should still sprint to 60mph in comfortably under 5.0sec.
And it looks suitably in your face. How big is the Estoque?
B-I-G. It’s 5m long and the wheelbase is over 3m. Lamborghini promises that the rear passenger space will be genuinely comfortable for execs who prefer to be chauffeured than driven. And despite the small rear overhang, the boot will be big enough for a couple of golf bags. But at just 1.35m tall, the Estoque is back-bendingly low, as befits a super-saloon from Sant’Agata.
How big are those wheels?
Enormous, aren’t they? You’ve got 22s on the front and 23s on the back. Usual concept car jewellery, you’re probably thinking. In fact, Lamborghini’s engineers says the 22s are already totally feasible and they’re confident that they’ll be able to have the 23s sorted by the time the car makes it to production.
So the Lambo Estoque is showroom bound?
Lamborghini’s CEO Stephen Winkleman claims that no decision has yet been made over the Estoque’s future. In fact the car is likely to be in showrooms in 2011 when Lamborghini hopes it will attract around 2500-3000 customers each year. When you consider that Lamborghini only currently shifts 2400 cars annually, you get an idea of just how important this car could be.
How much do I need to save then?
Probably not as much as you think. Some magazines have speculated on a price of over £200k, but in fact Lamborghini suggests that the Estoque would cost nearer to £130k.
You can read CAR’s full inside story on the new Lamborghini Estoque in the next issue of CAR, the December 2008 issue on sale 29 October 2008
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Click here to read the latest Lamborghini Estoque report from the Paris motor show and watch the video of the unveiling