Educated Guesstimation: Lamborghini bringing four-door super sedan to Paris
by Damon Lavrinc on Sep 17th 2008 at 2:59PM 
Lamborghini's lofty "new world" teaser has set the Internet on fire with rumors and innuendo, but after some coaxing from InsideLine, an unnamed Lambo exec has denied several speculations and brought about the most obvious conclusion.
Lamborghini's surprise for the Paris Motor Show won't be a retro exercise like the 2006 Muira concept, nor will it be a successor to the LM002. Forget about more Versace editions or Superleggera variants. No. It's most likely a sedan, following the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide into the uncharted waters of four-door supercars.
The project, which began less than five months ago and was given the go-ahead by Lamborghini bosses (independent of Ingolstadt), could share the Audi A8's architecture with a front-mounted V10 or V12 engine aft of the strut towers for a front-midship arrangement. A V6 isn't likely, but a next-generation V8 could be equipped on entry-level models. There's no indication about how power will be delivered to the wheels, but all-wheel-drive seems plausible considering Lamborghini's recent offerings.
IL's source at Lamborghini was insistent that the Panamera's underpinnings wouldn't be used, going on to say that, "Lamborghini is at a point where we can set off in new and plausible directions with the entire brand image. In a sense, we need to be able to tell customers what they ought to like about our brand. We're the experts." Since no one has claimed the title of "expert" super-sedan manufacturer, we'd say that Lamborghini has a good chance of owning it.
UPDATE
According to our direct source at Lamborghini, the information was not sourced from a Lamborghini executive and is simply educated speculation.
[Source: InsideLine]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
rsfourever 3:24PM (9/17/2008)
that's because people who are buying lambos are generally immune from market fluctuations. yes, they may lose a few million here or there, but it definitely doesn't hurt their disposable income...
nastinupe 3:08PM (9/17/2008)
I wonder if Ferrari is Jealous. I wonder if Porsche is anxious. I wonder if Aston Martin is upset. I wonder in Maserati... well never mind, that's basically Ferrari. I wonder if Bently is concerned. I wonder if Maybach is going to drop out of the game. I wonder if RR is reconsidering the Baby RR now.
Sounds cool. Probably going to cost over $200k. I hope it doesn't look like a Gallo 4-Door.
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why not the LS2LS7? 3:57PM (9/17/2008)
Maser had the Quattroporte before the rest of the crowd jumped in.
Red 4:30PM (9/17/2008)
Dayum that car is nice too. If I had three nuts, I'd give one for a Quattroporte.
But I dig the idea of a Lambo super sedan. Somehow I think the design language would work very well and would stand out against the swoopy curves of...well...everybody else.
Elise SC 3:11PM (9/17/2008)
Yes! I just put down my deposit.
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hankfidel 12:13AM (9/18/2008)
Wow...wooow...
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MONTE 3:12PM (9/17/2008)
Lambo has a supercar two weeks away from being released and nobody even knows about it. That pretty well shows that all of the other "leaks" are nothing more than marketing. I can't wait to see what it is.
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TJ 3:19PM (9/17/2008)
Yeah, GM... If lambo can hide a vehicle it is only going to make ~500/yr of, why can't you hide your 300,000/year vehicle from the spy photogs. really, get with the game GM!
Monte, please tell me you were joking.
MONTE 4:12PM (9/17/2008)
TJ, I'm not quite sure that production figures have to do with anything, but here goes. Here are the possible scenarios...
GM tests their cars so they get spied in public.
Lamboghini doesn't test their cars so they are not
spied in public.
So in the end you are paying $200k for a car that was never tested? Obviously this isn't the case so my original statement is correct in that "spy" shots are nothing more than marketing. Let me know if this was over your head again and I will try one last time to dumb it down for you.
ronzo 3:21PM (9/17/2008)
I hope it doesn't stink like the Pana-flop-fail does.
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hashiryu 3:30PM (9/17/2008)
Isn't a 4 door super car sort of an oxymoron?
Hear me out. What the heck is the point of 4 doors? Super cars are not about practicality. They are about excess. The Rapide won't be a supercar, nor will the panamera. Just like Bentlys arent super cars per say. Luxury exotics maybe. Super sports sedans, ok.
This is about as pointless as the coined misnomer "4 door coupe"
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Big Rocket 3:42PM (9/17/2008)
Why pick up just one supermodel when you can pick up three at the same time?
Brandon 4:27PM (9/17/2008)
Because doing 150+ with three other people is more fun than doing it alone?
wonkydonkydotnet 5:01PM (9/17/2008)
Though probably not orig. conceived as one and at the top of one category scraping to be near the very bottom of supercar territory; but by sheer history and Bruce alone, the answer to your question is: E39 M5.
++ -and for those times you're hauling ass through Paris after shooting up 6 crooked arms dealers & trying to ditch the coppers, you need something Bad like a chipped & boosted S8.
besides if Sean Bean's gotta puke, you don't want him doing it on the seats of a DBS; -bad form.
Adam Marcello 3:35PM (9/17/2008)
This bums me out. I was really hoping for a small stripped out lambo like an elise. Espada 4 door here we come.
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DJ 3:41PM (9/17/2008)
At first I thought that the folks at Porsche (which for all practical purposes now owns Audi, VW and a big chunk of Lambo) might be concerned. But, the customer for a Lambo 4-door, Porsche Panamera, or AM Rapide are very, very different and would be reluctant to cross shop those brands. Plus, the market is probably just large enough to support all three.
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Alex 3:53PM (9/17/2008)
suicide scissor doors?
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benzaholic 4:15PM (9/17/2008)
+1
Now THAT's thinking about how Lambo should do a four door. ;-)
GJC 6:07PM (9/17/2008)
Perhaps something like the Chrysler/Lamborghini Portofino Concept Car from 1987?
http://www.lamborghiniregistry.com/Portofino/index.html
I have been waiting for over 20 years for this to be produced...have seen it in person, looks great...would be even better in their current, non-Chrysler, design language...
Torrent 4:21PM (9/17/2008)
Now super sedans are the new thing....
First the Rapide, then the Panamera *barfs*, then the Continental Flying Spur Speed (longest title ever) then the CTS-V and now this. I like it.
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