Lamborghini's focus for the future will be on increasing efficiency and acceleration by reducing weight, rather than piling on more power and outright speed.
The news that Lamborghini is confronting the challenges faced by supercar and performance car makers globally should come as no surprise, but it has been confirmed by comments to media at the recent Detroit Auto Show.
Speaking to US website Autoweek, Lambo's R&D Chief Maurizio Reggiani explained that top speed was no longer a relevant goal:
"Once a vehicle reaches 211 mph, there is a declining rate of return for each additional horsepower needed to push the vehicle faster".
Reggiani sees acceleration as the remaining area for performance development, but rather than power or drivetrain improvement he thinks the main gains are to be made in weight loss.
"The weight-to-power ratio will be the key factor; we will use composite materials in the right place, when it also has the right cost, stiffness and mechanical characteristics."
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Company CEO Stephan Winkelmann also pointed out environmental concerns. "It has come to the point where acceleration equals consumption - more consumption means increased CO2 emissions."
While there have been many reports suggesting that rivals like Ferrari is reducing engine size and number of cylinders, we don't know if Lamborghini is quite ready to follow this route - but they've already been exploring the weight-reduction possibilities.
The recent Gallardo LP550-2 Balboni was 120kg lighter than the standard car, the Murcielago LP670-4 SV was down by 100kg and a stripped-out Gallardo is headed for Geneva in March. But whereas we had thought of these cars as lightweight special versions of respective models approaching their retirement (imminently in the case of the Murcielago), they now seem to be indicators of Lambo's future direction.
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