Lamborghinis Invade China In Record Numbers
Where would the automotive world be without China. From Daimler to Volkswagen, all send daily prayers east, in the general direction of the Middle Kingdom. (No much aiming precision is needed. It’s a big country.) Even Lamborghini has high expectations. This year, they will sell record numbers of Lambos to China.
About 100 of them, says Gasgoo, citing “a source from Italian luxury sports-car maker Lamborghini.”
Lamborghini is to Audi what Bugatti is to Volkswagen: Expensive toys and ego-boosters, not necessarily what they would call volume models. In 2009, they sold a breathtaking 80 units to Chinese buyers, each at a price of $400,000. At the Beijing auto show, Lamborghini’s CEO Stephan Winkelmann predicted that China will become one of Lamborghini’s top five markets “very soon,” possibly as early as 2011.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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There's an odd obsession with white Lambos in Shanghai. Same in Beijing, or do you get "normal" colors?
I've seen a lot of Lambos, Ferraris, and Porsches in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou. Not sure where they actually drive them other than to be valet parked in front of restaurants, clubs and hotels. Chinese drivers, roads and traffic rules (or lack thereof) make driving a challenge. Exotic cars stuck in downtown Hong Kong traffic going 5 kph make me laugh. Give me an S-Class Benz and driver any day. Twotone
It probably does not make any difference as u can buy one these lambo, ferrari replica from Kit car mags and drop a little lawn mower engine in it couple with a 5000 watts stereo to emit V12 sound, as one can only able to crawl at Glacial pace kind of speed in HK, Beijing, Shanghai city streets. They do have some Autobahn dont they? Not so sure if the owner do possess the necessary skills to pilot them to real moving speed.