NEWS
Lamborghini Urus gets impetus
Audi board member offers his unqualified support for Lambo SUVLamborghini’s push to put its stunning Urus SUV into production by 2017 has received some serious backing from Audi’s newest board member.
With the deadline for a decision on Lamborghini’s third model line looming large, former Porsche R&D head Wolfgang Durheimer told journalists at the Detroit Motor Show that the Urus project had his “maximum support”.
Now on the board of Audi, Mr Durheimer insists the market has room for a car like the Urus regardless of any criticism it might draw from purists – and his thoughts are based on Porsche’s successful Cayenne introduction.
“Being on the supervisory board of Lamborghini, I will push hard and give my maximum support to make the Lamborghini SUV come true,” he said.
“I think there is space for such a car in the market for such a good project. It’s extremely good looking and has sensational dynamics and it will help Lamborghini be very successful.”
The timing of Mr Durheimer’s arrival on its supervisory board couldn’t be better for Lamborghini, which needs a decision on the SUV by the middle of this year to meet its 2017 on-sale target.
“The decision has to be made this year,” Lamborghini President, Stephan Winkelmann insisted, “But we can’t have the car on sale before 2017.
“This is a car that could definitely deliver the sales we need to smooth out our model cycles.
“It’s more or less a simple finance decision and that Lamborghini can make money has been proven before the crisis. We want to build it, but it’s Wolfsburg that has to decide now.”
For a critical phase in the SUV’s decision timetable and its 50th anniversary year, Mr Winkelmann couldn’t have picked a better time to deliver Lamborghini’s third consecutive year of sales growth. Lamborghini sales grew 30 percent in 2012 to 2083 cars – its best year since the global financial crisis.
It leapt 53 percent in the USA alone, along with 34 percent in Europe in spite of its ongoing economic sluggishness.
Mr Winkelmann admitted the growth largely came via the Aventador, but he was particularly pleased with the way the aging Gallardo was still holding its own in the face of threats from Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz’s SLS AMG and even Audi’s R8.
Lamborghini has now sold more than 13,000 Gallardos, making it the most successful car in the brand’s history.
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Written byMichael Taylor
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If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
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