2001 Lamborghini Diablo Vt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Why Italians are no longer buying supercars

Italy is the wound that continues to drain blood from the body financial of Italian supercar and sports car makers. The wound was opened by the country's various financial police who decided to get serious about superyacht-owning and supercar-driving tax cheats a few years ago, by noting their registrations and checking their incomes. When it was found that a rather high percentage of exotic toy owners had claimed a rather low annual income - certain business owners were found to be declaring less income than their employees - the owners began dumping their cars and prospective buyers declined to buy.
Car and Driver has a piece on how the initiative is hitting the home market the hardest. Lamborghini sold 1,302 cars worldwide in 2010, 1,602 cars in 2011 and 2,083 cars in 2012 - an excellent surge in just two years. In Italy, however, it's all about the ebb: in 2010, the year that Italian police began scouring harbors, Lamborghini sold 96 cars in Italy, the next year it sold 72, last year it sold just 60. The declines for Maserati and Ferrari are even more pronounced.
Head over to CD for the full story and the numbers. What might be most incredible isn't the cause and effect, but where the blame is being placed. A year ago the chairman of Italy's Federauto accused the government of "terrorizing potential clients," this year Luca di Montezemolo says what's happening has created "a hostile environment for ­luxury goods." Life at the top, it ain't easy.

Lamborghini designers channel brand's past to keep supercars fresh

Lamborghini design boss Mitja Borkert smiles as he sums up the brand's design language with an anecdote. "I bought a 1/18-scale Countach in Frankfurt, and I put it in my carry-on suitcase. One of the guys at the security screening asked 'what's that?' His colleague looked at the screen and immediately said "it's a Lamborghini!" Borkert points out the unmistakable silhouette is a major part of what defines a Lamborghini. He gives Marcello Gandini credit for the styling cue. The talented Italian designer penned a long list of emblematic sports cars, including the Miura, the Countach, and the Lancia Stratos. For Borkert, the Gandini line is deeply-rooted and permanent. However, he doesn't feel the least bit constrained by it. "First of all, for me this line is written in stone. It will remain in the next 100 years, regardless of what technology we will have. I'm very sure of it. Of course, we always have to find an interpretation of that line for specific projects. When we created the Urus, we also wanted to use the line but we had to interpret it in a way that worked for that specific architecture. How we did that you will see in the future. "The Huracan has one interpretation of the Gandini line. The Aventador is longer so we had to stretch it. You can set a lot of tension in that line, you can give it a bit more wedge. In the Centenario the rear is a little bit lower, for example. "So, for me, this is the component we have to keep. Then, there are the design themes like doors, fenders, and what we are doing with the front and rear. That's when we apply the motto 'expect the unexpected.' We are always challenging ourselves, and always looking for something new." The first step of the design process is to get the proportions exactly right. "If the main proportions aren't right, you will never be able to catch up with the design," he notes. And while most people assume modern-day designers start sketching on advanced CAD software, a Lamborghini still comes to life the old-fashioned way: with a pencil and a sheet of paper. Once the proportions are locked in, Borkert and his team of young, spirited designers begin adding secondary styling cues like character lines, angles, and creases. The last part of the process is when designers pencil in the final details such as vents, moldings, emblems, and miscellaneous trim pieces. Heritage plays a large role there, too. The hexagon is another one of the defining features that characterize a Lamborghini.

Lamborghini could sell 10,000 vehicles this year

MILAN — Lamborghini could sell 10,000 cars this year for the first time, its CEO said, as the luxury sports carmaker reported a rise in profit and revenues for the first half. The Italian brand, a subsidiary of Germany's Volkswagen, sold 5,341 cars between January and June, up 4.9% on the same period last year. The United States was its largest single market, with 1,625 deliveries. Chairman and CEO Stephan Winkelmann said it was not easy to make forecasts due to market uncertainties, including with raw materials, but added that selling 10,000 cars this year was a "feasible goal". "It is not something we are obliged to achieve, but it's important to show what the health of the company is and how big (clients') willingness to buy our cars is," Winkelmann said. Supported by the success of its Urus SUV, which costs around 200,000 euros ($219,900) before tax, Lamborghini has in recent years expanded its output, relying on solid demand from wealthy car lovers. It delivered over 9,200 vehicles in 2022. Rival Ferrari, whose headquarters is less than 40 kms (25 miles) away, shipped more than 13,200 cars last year. In the first half, Lamborghini's revenues grew 6.7% to 1.42 billion euros and its operating income rose 7.2% to a record 456 million euros, the company said. Lamborghini is investing 1.9 billion euros to 2027 in its shift to hybrid and electric cars, but further investments are expected. The carmaker earlier this year presented its first plug-in hybrid model, the Revuelto, adding to the Huracan 10-cylinder sports car and the Urus in its current range. The line-up is set to become all hybrid next year with the new Urus and a new sports car replacing the Huracan. Lamborghini plans to launch its first fully-electric model in 2028 - three years after the first promised by Ferrari - followed by a battery version of Urus in 2029. "What matters is to be there at the right time, when we know we are at our best and the market is ready," Winkelmann said. He added the use of so called e-fuels was an option, but only for the brand's sports car models. But any decisions about possible e-fuel powered models for the next decade would depend on future regulation in different parts of the world, not only in Europe, Winkelmann said. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Lamborghini Revuelto revealed, a V12 making 1,001 horsepower