"Lamborghini's 'New World' May Be a Hybrid
By Chuck Squatriglia October 01, 2008 | 5:48:09 PM Categories: Exotics, Hybrids, Paris Auto Show
After taunting us for weeks with teaser pics of the four-seater it's bringing to the Paris Motor Show, Lamborghini has pulled the wraps of the Estoque and suggested it could be -- get this -- a hybrid.
That's right, a hybrid. The company that last spring said it couldn't possibly meet Europe's tightening emissions rules may jump on the gas-electric bandwagon with a car it's been saying "is not just a new Lamborghini. It's a whole new world." Sant'Agata insists the car is just a concept at this point -- though everything it says suggests the car will be built -- but makes it clear it takes the company in a new direction.
"It is a concept that provides a clear indication of the future," the company says. "This applies to the new, elegant self-confidence of the lines themselves, but even more to the concept of the vehicle."
Lamborghini calls the Estoque an "everyday sports car," albeit one that will probably carry a $200,000 price tag, that combines the performance of the Gallardo with the convenience and comfort of a sedan. "With our existing cars, there is day-to-day usability, but they are not used every day," company president Stephan Winkelmann told AutoWeek. "Most of them are used for less than 5,000 kilometers a year. This car is something different. It's for every day use."
The Estoque -- the name refers to the sword matadors use to kill bulls -- is the first four-door to roll out of Sant'Agata since the company built the abominable Portofino for the Frankfurt auto show in 1987. Whereas the Porotfino looked like a Chrysler with scissor doors, the Estoque looks like a Murcielago or Reventon with four doors. It's all sharp angles and long lines, coming in at almost 17 feet long. Those 23-inch wheels are nearly 10 feet apart. Unlike the Gallardo and Murcielago, the all-wheel-drive Estoque carries its engine just behind the front axle. Lamborghini claims the car's weight distribution approaches 50-50, providing "unparalleled agility and handling precision."
Read The Full Story Here: Wired.Com
CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: This is just a prototype, but it definitely looks like a very plausible and functional model ... basically, this shit looks ready to go. Dammit man! I see this car giving the Aston Martin "Rapide" a particularly hard time once they both hit the market. The waiting list starts NOW - make your appropriate calls.
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