Lamborghini Sees Demand Flattening For Ultra-Luxury Cars, SUV Not A Done Deal

by Derek Kreindler

Published: November 14th, 2012

lamborghini sees demand flattening for ultra luxury cars suv not a done deal

Amid flat growth for the ultra-luxury segment, Lamborghini may kill their luxury SUV project to save money.

The Urus, widely panned by the automotive media, debuted earlier this year, but may die on the vine due to the potential downsides of such an ambitious project. Speaking to Reuters, Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann said

“It’s meaning to double the size of the company in every sense in a difficult economic environment, so we have to think twice if the project is valuable,”

While sales are up for 2012, Winkelmann is expecting 2013 to be flat, despite a long waiting list for the Aventador and the introduction of a new roadster variant. The implosion of Europe’s economy has impeded Lamborghini’s quest to bring sales back to their pre-recession highs. If the Urus, a vehicle sure to be snatched up in SUV-hungry markets like China and Russia, can’t get off the ground, then we’re looking at an indicator of uncertain times.

#ExoticCar #ItalianCar #Lamborghini #LamborghiniUrus #Supercar

Derek Kreindler

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15 comments

SCE to AUX on Nov 14, 2012

The Urus (needs a better name) could be for Lamborghini what the Cayenne has been for Porsche. That's a sweet-looking ride.

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- Sitting@home on Nov 14, 2012
  
  If you mean a brand defiling monstrosity that moves focus away from core values and will eventually lead the brand to become just yet another status symbol between Audi and Bentley for rich divorcees, then I agree.
  
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- John Rosevear on Nov 14, 2012
  
  @sitting@home The difference between this and the Cayenne -- and it's a huge one -- is that Lamborghini has built SUVs before. The LM002 didn't do any harm to Lamborghini's "core values", whatever those are.
  
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- BigMeats on Nov 14, 2012
  
  "That’s a sweet-looking ride." Yeah it is, even though it violates every principle I have. Like a hit of mescaline for a teetotaler. The Alienware motif applied to a car.
  
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- SCE to AUX on Nov 14, 2012
  
  @sitting: Please don't be one of those who thinks the only true Porsche is air-cooled and rear-engined.
  
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- FuzzyPlushroom on Nov 14, 2012
  
  @BigMeats To my eyes, it's somewhere between the ZDX (ugh) and a lifted Panamera (interesting). If they're going to flog a pointless SUV, they could do a lot worse than this one.
  
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- Sitting@home on Nov 14, 2012
  
  @sitting@home gslippy: I don't, but I think a Porsche (and a Lamborghini) has to be aspirational. Once it becomes mainstream then it can no longer command a premium price. The Urus is apparently based on the same platform as the Touareg, Q7 and Cayenne, so brings nothing new to the table ... it's just a trim level, badge engineered car a lot like a Lincoln.
  
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- BigMeats on Nov 14, 2012
  
  @FuzzyPlushroom: Yeah.... I could see it in Paula Broadwell's garage if things had gone better for her.
  
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- Nostrathomas on Nov 14, 2012
  
  @sitting@home "The difference between this and the Cayenne — and it’s a huge one — is that Lamborghini has built SUVs before. The LM002 didn’t do any harm to Lamborghini’s “core values”, whatever those are." 2 mistakes don't make a right. It was a mistake back then too, and nobody looks back on it with fond memories.
  
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- Corntrollio on Nov 15, 2012
  
  Urus sounds like a type of discharge from the urethral region, the measurement of which this car is designed for.
  
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- Stuki on Nov 15, 2012
  
  @John Rosevear And didn't Lamborghini start out as a tractor manufacturer? Full circle, I suppose. And either way, Lambo has never really marketed themselves as any form of understated elegance for the cognoscenti marque; the way some others have. Those guys did Bling before most Blingers were even born. One thing Lambo really needs to focus on, is being, by a wide margin, THE fastest and most over the top SUV out there, which is tough, given the number of 500+hp chariots out there. A twin turboed version of the Aventador engine, if that's what it would take to lift the fronts off the ground during acceleration, would be a good start.
  
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Kyree on Nov 14, 2012

I wonder about the Bentley SUV. All of those Range Rover customers will need something to aspire to...

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- -Cole- on Nov 14, 2012
  
  I bet the Bentley SUV will happen
  
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Bigtruckseriesreview @ Youtube on Nov 14, 2012

these cars are hopelessly impractical. All they need to do is put together a Lamborghini with roughly the same interior space as a CTS-V coupe and they'd have a hit.

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Ellomdian on Nov 15, 2012

I don't see how you can compare the values compromise that is the Urus to the LM002. The LM002 was a 'Real' Lamborghini - it was not built to expand their market share, it was not designed to broaden their model line up. It was built because it was batshite insane.

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