Lamborghini will not be building a four-door exotic – at least not any time soon. Maurizio Reggiani, the head of R&D for the Italian exotic car manufacturer told U.K. publication AutoCar that the Estoque project would be shelved.
The controversial sedan was unveiled by Lamborghini at least year’s Paris Auto Show and was scheduled to be an all-wheel drive four-seater along the lines of the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide. Planning was still in the early stages, however, and so pulling the plug on the Estoque isn’t going to cost Lamborghini much.
When the exotic sedan did break cover in Paris there was no word on a powerplant, although Lamborghini did suggest that the engine could be anything from the LP560′s V10, to a turbocharged V8, to even a diesel or hybird powertrain.
This was seen as a progressive move by Lamborghini, by finally showing some interest in alternatives to the internal combustion engine. (We should note, however, that Lambo’s switch to direct injection in the LP560 made for a huge increase in fuel-economy).
With a world economic crisis and wait times for the standard Lambo models getting shorter and shorter, Reggiani commented that now was simply not the right time to launch such an ambitious project. Yup, the recession strikes down another vehicle, although we’re not so sure its a bad thing in this case.
GALLERY: Lamborghini Estoque Concept
[Source: AutoCar]
