Lamborghini would choose four-door over SUV

Lamborghini remains intent on adding a third model to its range. This, straight from the proverbial lion’s mouth – that of the company’s affable CEO Stephan Winkelmann, who would like a new model to attract new buyers to the brand. The question is, what form will that new model take?

According to a new report from Autocar, the most likely scenario is a production version of the Estoqueconcept sedan unveiled in Paris a couple years back. Previous reports suggested a successor to the LM002 sport-utility vehicle could be in the works. But while either model could borrow underpinnings from within the Volkswagen Group (the Porsche Panamera or Audi A7 for the Estoque or the Porsche Cajun/Audi Q5 for the LM00X), enabling a faster and more cost-effective development process, Winkelmann seems to like the idea of the Estoque better.

Building the Estoque could also potentially lead to more variants as well, including a front-engined coupe and convertible, while the LM002 would, in all likelihood, be a single-model proposition.

Us? We just hope that the new model (whatever it is) gets built soon. In the case of the Estoque, there’s nothing worse than a painfully slow gestation of an already aging concept car to kill buzz.

Lamborghini planning two-tone Gallardo special edition

Back in 2005, the Lamborghini Gallardo had been on the market for two years, and the LP560-4 was still three years away. So to spruce things up a bit, the Bolognese automaker came out with the Gallardo SE. The special edition of 250 examples were differentiated primarily by its two-tone color scheme, offsetting the primary color with black trim, inverted on the interior. Now reports indicate that Lamborghini could be planning a repeat.

The new two-tone Bicolore edition is said to be in the works, this time based on the current LP560-4 model that’s now been on the market since 2008. Like the original Gallardo SE, the new model would also likely get a new set of wheels, while a small power boost could be in the cards as well. Sources anticipate the new two-tone Gallardo to bow at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show with deliveries beginning early in the new year.

Browse through the fresh gallery of high-resolution images below for a trip down memory lane and a refresher on what we might expect from the new model.

Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Concept lights up the stage

Surely, one of the most hotly anticipated releases at last year the 2010 Paris Motor Show would be the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Concept. After all, no automaker has teased the masses these last few weeks more thanLamborghini, and perhaps no single vehicle manufacturer is as beloved by the teenage boys lurking inside each one of us.

That said, any new Lambo is going to have big shoes to fill, with such classics as the Miura, Countach, Diablo and Murcielago, Gallardo and Reventon each holding its well-earned place in the annals of supercardom. Will the Sesto Elemento turn out to be yet another masterpiece from Italy? Too early to say, but we can still drool a bit over the live shots in our high-res image gallery below. Enjoy!

Lamborghini Sesto Elemento concept may be the tease of Paris

Is this the concept car that Lamborghini has been teasing us in such an achingly slow manner leading up to this week’s Paris Motor Show? All signs point to yes, but it’s still too early to know for sure. In any case, the Sesto Elemento – if it is indeed the next Lambo to be hung on the walls of teenage boys from Constantinople to Timbuktu – will push forward with the jet-fighter-ish angular styling theme set in motion by the limited production Reventon from the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show… for better or for worse.

As expected, the Sesto Elemento (which translated to English means Sixth Element – we’d expect some sort of Bullish name if it hits production) is crafted almost exclusively from carbon fiber. That means it’s light… as in just 2,200 pounds (999 kilograms) light. That’s seriously low for a V10-powered supercar, and it means an estimated 0 to 62 (100 kilometers per hour) run of just 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 217.5 miles per hour (350 kph).

With a weight that low, we wouldn’t expect any kind of hybrid powertrain, but you never know. It’s not really possible to get a good feel for the appearance of the Sesto Elemento based on this grainy photo, but we’re certainly intrigued. Stay tuned for a full high-res photo gallery of Lambo’s latest concept after our coverage begins in earnest this Thursday.

Lamborghini releases fifth teaser as Paris debut rapidly approaches

With just days to go until its full unveiling at the Paris Motor Show this week, Lamborghini has released the fifth teaser shot of its mysterious and hotly anticipated new show car. This latest image follows the one released just yesterday, and if we had to guess, we’d say we were looking through a roll hoop behind the cockpit at the steering wheel inside. But if you’ve got a better guess, do share in the comments section below.

What else can we tell you about the car of which we know so little about? Well we just answered our own question. But we’ll have more in just a couple of days, and Lamborghini will undoubtedly keep us guessing until then, so hold on to your hats.

Lamborghini Murciélago tweaked into JB Car Design’s LP 640 ‘Bat’

The whole ‘Batmobile’ comparison gets thrown around an awful lot on websites like this one. And this car’s not even black, so we’ll wave off of that this time. But consider the following: in the most recent Batman movie, Bruce Wayne drove a Lamborghini Murciélago. Into a truck, unfortunately. His alter-ego’s drive, meanwhile, was on the other side of the more extreme Reventón. Now along comes JB Car Design with a kit to bridge the gap. And they call it the Bat, suitably enough.

The German tuner’s retrofitted Murci LP 640 can be had with 710 or 750 horsepower (a not-inconsequential improvement on the stock 640) through the installation of new cats and exhaust. But in this case, the defining factor is the car’s styling. A new front bumper and splitter, side skirts, and rear bumper with diffuser give the LP640 a more Reventón-style look, with a two-piece carbon fiber rear wing, LED lights and 20-inch modular alloys rounding out the package.

Meanwhile, the interior been re-trimmed in different leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber, along with a new steering wheel and sound system. Each of these components for engine, body and cabin can be purchased separately or as a comprehensive package, but JB says it will only make 75 examples of the body kit. Check out the photos in the gallery below and the press release after the jump for more

Lockheed Martin designer suggests new direction for next Lamborghini

Has Lamborghini’s current styling direction run its course? Those enamored by the Raging Bulls’ sharp creases and intersecting lines would surely protest, but sooner or later, like any other automaker, Sant’Agata will need to look for a new direction. And given that the company’s current design language – first seen on theReventon supercar and inspired by the F-22 Raptor fighter jet – where better to turn for the next step than back to the designers at Lockheed Martin, the aerospace concern that lead its development?

In penning the Navarra concept depicted here, Adam Denning – an American designer with Lockheed Martin who earned his masters in automotive design at Milan’s Scuola Politecnica di Design – took into account Lamborghini’s succession of V12 supercars from the Miura to the Murcielago, taking the company’s current sharp-edged language one step further by blending it with organic shapes inspired by classical Renaissance sculpture. The Navarro’s packaging is a touch shorter than the Murcielago’s but rides on a slightly longer wheelbase, envisioned to be built largely out of carbon fiber.

With the Murcielago’s successor already speeding around the corner, Lamborghini has likely already signed off on its design. But just the same, is this the direction the tentatively-dubbed “Jota” should be taking? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Crazy Rumor of the Day: Lamborghini Estoque to be built in China

Hold on to your lugnuts, kids, because here’s a rumor that’s so far out it practically qualifies as science fiction. Taken straight from Gasgoo.com, which has provided plenty of worthy news in the past, is this nugget: Lamborghini “will import its super luxury four-door sedan, Lamborghini Estoque to China for local production in 2012 with a price tag of around 4 million yuan ($589,000).”

To be fair, it appears as though Gasgoo is just reporting on what’s being reported in other Chinese media. However, in case you haven’t been keeping up with the Estoque’s flirtations with production reality, first Lamborghini planned to make it after it was introduced two years ago, then the economic implosion supposedly killed it in early 2009, but Lamborghini quickly said that wasn’t true, then this month company CEO Stephan Winkelmann hinted about how a third model would help the brand.

To us, none of that means the 2008 Paris Motor Show traffic-stopper is going to be built at all. Somehow, though, the Chinese media have heard that not only is it going to be built, but it will be built in China as soon as 2012. On top of that, even though it hasn’t been developed, it’s already been priced, and at that price you could buy almost three Aston Martin Rapide sedans. Or, more accurately, three Rapides and an infinite number of leprechauns, gorgons, drop bears and the latest creature of fable, a Chinese-built Estoque.

Lamborghini licenses insane limited-edition Reventón R/C car

Like the vast majority of humanity, we were never able to lay our hands on one of the 20 Lamborghini Reventón models the company built for the fabulously wealthy. We had neither the $1.27 million it took to call the car your very own nor the connections to be one of the few to even have the chance to purchase said Raging Bull. That’s just fine, though, because Lamborghini has partnered up with De Agostini to build a 1:10 scale R/C replica of the car for the masses. Well, maybe not the masses per-se – the company is only building 65 examples, so this ain’t your garden-variety Nikko or Tamiya.

Each one of the cars is crafted with impressive detail and features a 3cc gasoline engine mated to a two-speed transmission, a fully-independent suspension with hydraulic shocks and four-wheel disc brakes – all on an R/C car. Insane? Sure, but it’s our kind of crazy. Unfortunately, with so few of the cars being produced, we’re guessing they won’t be cheap enough for anyone we know to afford. History repeats itself. You can head over to the R/C car’s site for a closer look.

Paris Preview: Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Blancpain Edition

Typically, when an automaker and a watchmaker team up, it’s to spec out a special-edition watch. ButLamborghini and Blancpain have already done that. The two marques are also behind the Super Trofeo racing series, which Lamborghini claims is the fastest spec racing series on today’s circuits. The season just wrapped up at Vallelunga, where the two companies took the wraps off the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Blancpain Edition.

The special-edition Lambo is distinguished from the standard model with such unique touches as a vented engine cover and a big rear wing, along with carbon fiber parts, Skorplus wheels and carbon-ceramic brakes. A matte black finish with yellow accents further set its apart inside and out. The most interesting spec however, is the Blancpain Edition’s weight; at 2954 pounds, Sant’Agata lauds it as the lightest vehicle in Lamborghini’s roadgoing range. Couple that with the 5.2-liter V10 boosted to 570 horsepower (like the spec racers) and Lambo claims a 3.4-second sprint to 62 mph from a standstill, topping out a hair under the double-century mark.

We’re on our way to Paris to get a closer look at this among the myriad other excitements making their debut later this week. In the meantime, we invite you to read more about the Blancpain Edition in the press release after the jump and have a closer look in the image gallery below.

Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640 gets a 'Fast and Furious' Treatment by JB Car Design

To be completely honest, we find nothing wrong with the way that the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640 looks or goes. Nonetheless, if you happen to disagree with us and feel comfortable spending tens of thousands of euros or dollars to spruce up your LP 640 in a “Fast and Furious” kind of way be our guest. The proposal pictured here was created by JB Car Design, a tuning company from Germany that offers an array of mechanical and cosmetic upgrades for the Murcielago.

Starting with the engine bay, the tuner provides buyers with two options. The first package that will set you back €28,000 or about $41,300 at today’s exchange rates, bumps the V12′s output to 710HP while the second performance kit, to 750HP (pricing was not disclosed) allowing the Italian supercar to reach a top speed of 370km/h or 230 mph.

There’s also a new sport exhaust system with electronically controlled flaps that allows the driver to change the sound coming out of the massive rear tailpipe.

On the outside, after painting the car in a special finish called “Blood to Black Diamond” JB Car Design kits out the Murcielago with an aerodynamic-package consisting of front and rear spoilers, rear diffuser, side skirts with modified air inlets, a carbon fiber bonnet and a new cover for the engine bay.

The supercar rides on new three-piece 20-inch Schmidt Revolution alloy wheels shod in Michelin tires size 265/30 R20 up front and 335/30 R20 at the back.

Next up is the interior that has been overhauled with new carbon fiber trim and a mixture of suede and leather materials for the seats, dashboard and door panels.

The price for a completed model (including the cost of a new Murcielago LP 640) is €500,000 or around $740,000 at today’s exchange rates. The car pictured here, which is a 2008MY Murcielago with 9,000km on the odo, is also up for sale at price of €355,000 / $525,000.

Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640 Inspired Merediist Cell Phone by TAG Heuer

Up until recently, TAG Heuer was mostly known for its sport watches and chronographs but the famous Swiss company is now trying to make a name in the luxury cell phone market. And what a better way to do that than to team up with a specialized sportscar maker like Lamborghini to launch a limited edition handset Using its first mobile phone as a base, Tag Heuer came up with the Merediist Automobil Lamborghini that’s said to be inspired by the Murceilago LP 640.

Housed in black titanium carbide coated 316L stainless steel casing, the hand-assembled quad-band GSM mobile phone packs a 1.9” display made from 60.5 carats scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, a 2 megapixel camera (1,200 x 1,600 pixels), 2GB of memory, USB 1.0, media player, Bluetooth and roughly seven hours of talk time.

Add to that the Lamborghini logos and the exclusivity that comes from the limited availability as only 1963 pieces (in tribute to the year that Lamborghini’s automotive division was founded) will be sold worldwide.

Neither Tag Heuer or Lamborghini have announced prices, but bear in mind that the standard Merediist starts at around $5,300 so expect to pay more for the Lambo edition.

Gallery: Ferrari Owners Get Together in Sundern, Germany

More than 80 Ferrari models of all sorts and kinds made their way to the town of Sundern in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, for a meeting that was organized by Antonio Capristo, owner of Capristo Exhaust Systems GmbH, a company that specializes on customized exhaust systems for sports cars. Oddly enough, aside from the Prancing Horse supercars, a few Lamborghini and Maserati owners also took part in the event. You can check out all the photos from the Ferrari gathering right after the break.

Lamborghini Reventon Roadster Promo Tells us What Are the Chances of Owning One

You would assume that anybody with basic math skills could probably figure out what the chances are of owing one of the 20 (more or less) Lamborghini Reventon Roadster models that are destined for production. However, we must say that this promotional film, which was created by the German agency Philipp und Keuntje for the Frankfurt Motor Show, somewhat confused us.

Bypassing all the other stats mentioned in the ad, it is claimed that the chances of owning the €1,1 million Italian special is 1 in 700,000,000.

Okay, so world’s total population is approximately 6,8 billion (not that it matters, but we also learned that there are about 134 million babies born every year).

If we’re not making a humiliating blunder, shouldn’t it be 1 in 340,000,000? That is, unless Lamborghini is planning to limit total production of the topless Reventon to around 10 examples or the film is talking about the number of vehicles available for sale excluding those spoken for.

Well, either way, someone (yes that is me) spent way too much time on a promo film that to be completely honest, is nothing special, to say the least.