Wednesday 15th June 2005

New Lamborghini GT on the way?

Carmaker drives towards new Espada

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Lamborghini Espada -- inspiration for a new model?

Lamborghini is expanding its portfolio, and could be about to build a successor to the legendary Espada. According to this week's Autocar, Lambo chief designer Luc Donckerwolke wants to expand the company's range outwards from just the Murcielago and Gallardo.

What's prompted the potential move is the establishment in the market of the two cars, and the imminent arrival of a new V12. In addition, the experience of Bentley, also VW-owned, showed that it is possible to expand out of a niche. Well, Lamborghini did start with tractors...

The story is based around the discovery of advanced design studies by student Emily Sawamuru that were developed as pat of a Lamborghini-sponsored at the Pasadena Art Center in California. The Center is one of the world's top automotive design colleges, and carmakers often use students for this purpose. The car itself looks set to be a four-seater GT based on an Audi-supplied aluminium space-frame chassis. The report suggests that the 6.2-litre V12 will be front-mid mounted, and that it will generate a hefty 620bhp and a seriously meaty 511lb-ft of torque.

We wont know until next year if it will go ahead and, even if it does, the car won't arrive until 2009. We can but hope....

[r988]

hopefully it will be be better than the uninspiring Ferrari 612 and ugly bentley Continental, common as muck AMG CL65 only the Aston DB9 is really worth a look in the stupidly expensive GT category.

Hopefully it will depreciate enough for mortals to afford in about 20 years like an espada though :)