The Lamborghini Estoque would seem to be headed to production. After debuting the 4-door Lambo at the Paris Auto Show back in 2008, company CEO Stephan Winkelmann has now confirmed a third model for the exotic Italian brand.

“It has to be an everyday car,” he said speaking at the Reuters Global Luxury and Fashion Summit. “We want to have a car which is able to be used on a daily basis.”

Winkelmann did, however, add that no decision has been made on what segment the car could fit in. In the past Lamborghini did manufacture and sell an SUV, although that seems unlikely. Instead, a four-seater sedan would be the most obvious choice, especially with Ferrari having just introduced its new FF model.

Winkelmann did say Lamborghini will look to find “synergies” within the Volkswagen Group of companies (which includes Audi, Porsche and Bentley) in order to bring to bring the new model to market.

The decision to move ahead and expand the Lamborghini brand to three models comes in part due to increased demand for high-end models in China. Winkelmann says Lamborghini expects the super sports car market to return to the 2007 highs by 2013, selling around 35,000 units a year compared to just 26,000 last year.

GALLERY: Lamborghini Estoque

[Source: Reuters]

Lamborghini head Stephan Winkelmann said that China will overtake the United States as its largest market in the very near future. Winklemann said that the exact sales numbers would depend largely on the new Aventador, and how many units it could deliver to China.

Q1 2011 sales outstripped those of 2010, even though Lamborghini was only selling the Gallardo, while it sold the Murcielago alongside it in 2010. Lamborghini plans on expanding its sales network from 14 dealerships to 20 by year’s end. China’s Lamborghini customer tends to be younger and female, two demographics which tend to display greater brand loyalty, qualities that Winkelmann obviously wants in a customer.

Rolls-Royce announced earlier in the month that it expects China to become the third largest market for its cars, while Ferrari is also anticipating the country to become an extremely important market in the near future.

[Source: Reuters]

Short of revealing the new Aventador LP700-4 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Lamborghini revealed a new selection of details about it’s upcoming supercar, which company CEO Stephan Winkelmann says will be the trendsetter of the next decade.

At a private event the night before the Detroit Auto Show, company execs confirmed that the successor to the Murcielago will keep the current cars DNA, retaining scissor doors, AWD and the current models massive air intakes. All the rest, however, will be new.

Winkelmann confirmed that the car will get a carbon fiber chassis; and not just a tub like the McLaren F1, but a complete shell including the roof. Plus carbon fiber will be used for the rocket panels as well. As rumored, the LP700-4 will get a pushrod suspension setup, similar to those found on race cars. “This will be the first time such a suspension is used on a normal production car,” said Winkelmann.

Lamborghini has already announced details of the car’s new engine, which will displace 6.5-liters and have 12-cylinders. Power will be rated at roughly 690-hp. It will be 18 percent more powerful than the Murcielago, while also emitting 20 percent fewer emissions says Lamborghini R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani . As for the transmission, Lamborghini will make use of its new ISR 7-speed transmission – the first use of a 7-speed with a V12 in the industry. With five gear settings, (auto strada, auto sport, strada, sport and corsa) the innovative transmission will be able to deliver shift times of just 50 ms in Corsa – which is almost as quick as a Formula 1 car.

Reggiani says that in Auto Strada mode shifts will be close to 300 to 400 ms to allow for a more comfortable drive, with 150 ms in the manual shift modes. As for the decision to not use a dual-clutch setup, Reggiani says it is for two reasons. “We decided to use a single clutch because first we want the customer to feel the emotion in shifting. Second we want to reduce weight.” Further explaining himself, Reggiani says that a dual-clutch setup would be 20 kg heavier and also less efficient, as in order for a dual-clutch to deliver the ‘shift-shock’ feeling of changing gears, it needs to interrupt the delivery of power. Not so with the ISR.

As for the rest of the car it will be more ergonomic than even the Gallardo, with space for larger drivers. The dash will feature a new TFC instrument cluster, meaning that it won’t have traditional physical gauges, but that all instrumentation will be displayed on a screen.

Previewing most everything but the shape of the actual car, unfortunately Lamborghini won’t be making the big reveal in Detroit. Instead, look for the car at the Geneva Auto Show in March.

Audi is reportedly planning to develop a new A9 model that would sit atop its current A8 flagship in the German luxury brand’s lineup. The coupe-styled luxury sedan would target the Porsche Panamera, as well as high-end coupes like the Mercedes CL.

An inside source at Audi, speaking to AutoCar, commented that, “The project isn’t officially confirmed for production, but work is progressing on the business case, both at an accountancy and engineering level.”

Developed off of the current A8′s platform, the modified chassis could then serve as the basis for a Lamborghini 4-door based off of the Estoque concept. Like with the product sharing between the Audi R8 and Lamborghini Gallardo, engineering similarities will be used to cut costs, but each vehicle would get its own unique engine.

Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann in speaking with AutoCar, made it clear that development of such a model would only be possible through shared resources with another VW Group brand.

[Source: AutoCar]

It’s not everyday that you’re made Grand Officer in the Order of Merit of The Italian Republic. But as of November 29, Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, can add that prestigious title to his resume.

Conferred this past Monday during a ceremony at Palazzo Chigi, the event was presided over by Gianni Letta, the Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. Along with the award, Winkelmann also received the following statement signed by Giorgio Napolitano, the President of Italy, and countersigned by Silvio Berlusconi, the President of the Council of Ministers: “The President of the Republic – the Chief of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic – in consideration of special merits, upon proposal of the President of the Council of Ministers, and upon deliberation by the Council of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, with a decree dated 27 December 2009 has conferred the decoration of Grand Officer on Stephan Winkelmann, with the right to wear the relative insignia.”

The award follows Winkelmann’s efforts of relaunching the Italian luxury brand since he became the CEO in 2005. In his time as CEO, the growth of the company has been distinguished by one of the most highly esteemed turn-around programs in the automotive and luxury sectors.

On receiving the award, Winkelmann said, “It is with great satisfaction that I receive this prestigious decoration, which I would like to share with everyone at Lamborghini, whose devotion and hard work have helped turn this company into a model of Italian and international excellence in the super sports car sector.”

News that Lamborghini would send its Sesto Elemento concept into production surfaced several weeks ago, but new information indicates that even if Lambo does reproduce the car, we may never see it on the street.

Why you ask? Well, according to Lambo CEO Stephan Winkelmann, the car might be a track-only special, along the lines of the Ferrari 599XX.

“We are testing the Sesto Elemento at the moment and if it all goes well then we could look at a limited production run,” Winkelmann told AutoCar. “But it would not be homologated because there are complications with things like airbags. It would be for track use only.

Commenting that Lamborghini has no intention of just producing cars as museum pieces (obviously forgetting the recent Estoque sedan and Miura concept), Winkelmann hinted that were the car to get the official green light it would likely be even more rare than the Reventon, of which just 20 were produced.

GALLERY: Lamborghini Sesto Elemento

[Source: AutoCar]

Lamborghini is embarking on a pragmatic approach to supercar building with its Murcielago successor, known as the Jota. Rather than focus on top speed, the Jota will emphasize weight reduction, handling and acceleration prowess over brute force.

Lamborghini released a teaser today, showing what appear to be velocity stack openings for a possibly V10 engine. While the Murcielago had a V12, the downsize in power could be part of Lamborghini’s rhetoric discussing the importance of power-to-weight ratios and the incoming use of carbon fiber in their cars.

“From the middle of the Eighties, the average weight of our cars has increased by 500 kg because of active and passive safety, comfort and emissions reduction issues, and this is something that we have to change,” the release stated, in a refreshingly honest critique of modern supercars.

The Jota is expected to debut at this years Paris Auto Show, and Autoguide will be on hand to cover the launch.

[Source: Lamborghini]

Hit the jump to see the official press release

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With sales of its models slumping so far this year Lamborghini is reconsidering expanding its range of models, which could mean the Estoque concept is back on the drawing board. While no green light has yet been given to the project, Lambo CEO Stephan Winkelmann recently commented in an interview with Bloomberg that, “A third model would fit Lamborghini very well,” and that in an effort to expand the Italian automaker’s lineup, “A four-door car would be a very feasible approach.”

Seemingly a segment that’s too niche, four-door sports cars are becoming increasingly popular with the Maserati Quattroporte, Aston Martin Rapide and the successful Porsche Panamera – which has already sold 25,000 units.

Winkelmann commented that in order to make a third model feasible it would need to be a higher volume model with a “real leap” in sales. Based on numbers from Porsche, a four-door Lambo would seem like a definite cash cow, possibly doubling the automaker’s overall sales.

So far this year, Lamborghini has managed to move 674 units, down 18 percent from the year before. Interestingly, the brand is increasing sales in growth-markets like China where it saw dramatic growth. That just so happens to be a market where large luxury sedans (like a 4-door Lamborghini) sell well.

Plans to build the Estoque concept into a production model were reportedly shelved when the economy dropped off, but with a recovery in sight, Lambo may look to put the 4-door project back on track. Recently, rumors of an entry-level V8 model and even an SUV have also surfaced. Winkelman did not comment on either of those models.

GALLERY: Lamborghini Estoque

[Source: Bloomberg]

Like many high-end automakers displaying at this year’s Beijing Auto Show, Lamborghini has decided to unveil a special edition model exclusively for the Chinese market. Lambo chose its flagship model, the Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce, dubbing it the “China Limited Edition” and has delivered it with a stunning new paint scheme and interior trim changes. Just 10 LP670-4 SV China Limited Edition models will be offered to a growing number of Lambo enthusiasts in the world’s most populous country.

Like the other 350 LP670-4 SV models, the Chinese Edition gets a massive 6.5-liter V12 engine with 670-hp and 487 ft-lbs of torque enabling a 0-62 mph sprint of just 3.2 seconds. It also gets the same lighter body, weighing 220 lbs less than the standard LP640.

Special “Chinese Edition” trim items include the orange stripe down the length of the gray-painted car, which Lambo says symbolizes an erupting volcano. In addition, every vehicle will get a numbered plaque with the badge of the owner engraved on it.

Lamborghini has already had considerable success in the Chinese marketplace and with limited edition models like this it is showing an increased enthusiasm for the future. “Last year, Automobili Lamborghini achieved 11 percent growth in China,” said CEO Stephan Winkelmann at a press conference for the debut of the LP670-4 SV Chinese Edition at the Beijing Auto Show. “At the beginning of this week on 20th of April, we have launched our seventh Automobili Lamborghini China dealership in Shenzhen. The inauguration of our eighth showroom in Xiamen will come soon. It is our pleasure that we can share our passion for Lamborghini with China’s super sports car drivers, collectors and fans.”

And in a nod to a bright future, Winkelman also commented on Automobili Lamborghini’s, “unwavering commitment to China and the development of a super sports car culture here.”

GALLERY: Lamborghini Murcélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce China Limited Edition

Official release after the jump:

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Times might be tough in the world of exotic sports car sales, but Lamborghini continues to grow as an automaker announcing that the 4,000th Murciélago model has just rolled off the production line, destined for a customer in China.

Introduced back in 2001, the Murciélago has been a much larger success than its predecessor, the Diabo, which totaled 2,900 units over its 11 year production run. “The enthusiasm our products incite makes us proud and confirms that the company’s product strategy and model range are a winning combination, producing exceptionally desirable super sportscars,” said company President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann.

The 4,000th Murcie is no standard model either, but rather an ultra high performance LP670-4 SuperVeloce with 670-hp and significant weight reduction. Lamborghini claims a 0-62 mph time of 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 212 mph.

With 4,000 units now sold at a base price of at least $300,000 (most models costing much more than that), the company has moved at least $1.2 Billion worth of Murciélagos. Lambo’s more populist model, the Gallardo has been an even larger success with almost 10,000 units sold since 2003.

Official release after the jump:

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