The Lamborghini Estoque was shown as a concept car during the 2008 edition of the Paris Motor Show, and it’s safe to say it drew a lot of attention, this is just the kind of car that is missing in the line-up at this time, If money is no object you buy a Murciélago, either closed or open, but there is also the stunning Gallardo LP560-4 closed coupé and the still very good looking Gallardo Spyder if you like getting a tan while driving. Both cars are great fun … for two people maximum, do what happens when you’ve got a family ?
You could drive the Raging Bull while the rest of the family rides shotgun in a sedan or SUV, but wouldn’t it be fun to drive a high power Lamborghini and still have the entire family with you inside the same car ? That’s where the Estoque could come into the picture, this massive four door, four-seater super exotic can be driven like a Gallardo but still offer all the luxury and space of a regular high end four door.
However, the decision to put the Estoque into production isn’t made by Automobili Lamborghini SpA on it’s own, being owned by Audi AG, their board of directors will have to judge if the market for such a high price, super exotic luxury four seater is large enough to get a decent ROI (Return Of Investment) once it’s available on the market with a price tag that would only be a little over the current Gallardo pricing. Expensive perhaps, but there is little else on the market that could touch an Estoque with a Gallardo derived V10 engine, apart from the Audi derivative with the same V10 engine.
To make this price policy fit into the business plan we can imagine Lamborghini will be forced to use several parts from the Audi bin, which shouldn’t be a problem as the Audi S8 already has this V10 engine mounted, fitting a different bodywork over these underpinnings shouldn’t be too much of a problem for either of these companies. With different setting for suspension, brakes, gearbox and modified engine tuning you could end up with two totally different cars, so the Estoque would be a stunning alternative for cars like the Quattroporte, the Audi S8, the Mercedes AMG S-series, the upcoming Porsche Panamera or even the Aston Martin Rapide.
I would certainly not mind if they put the Estoque into production, it is a great looking car, both inside and outside, and judging by the reactions, both in Paris and at the local dealership (from possible buyers) I’m sure it would easily sell as well as the Gallardo today.
