Estoque, the four-door Lamborghini concept we first saw at the Paris Motor Show, is headed for production in 2011 where its price tag will come in at less than £150,000. More than this, Estoque should offer a number of engine options including diesel.
When Autocar spoke to Lamborghini R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani, he said Estoque is a unique platform from Lamborghini, contrary to earlier speculation that it will share its underpinnings with the Audi A8. . "If," he said, "you consider the length of the wheelbase and the size of the wheels (the Estoque concept boasts 23 inch rims at the rear), this could not be an A8 floorplan."
What it will be though is a car notched above Porsche's upcoming Panamera and the Audi A7, good for a 500bhp-plus, 450lb ft of torque engine, probably the same 5.2-litre V10 currently working its socks off in other Lambo models. Lower down V8s are to be found, alongside a super diesel and possibly even a, hybrid. Lamborghini, like other motor brands, is under tremendous stress to reduce CO2 emissions and therefore takes the engine choice quite seriously, considering its heritage.
"We will never offer our super-sports cars with diesel engines," Reggiani said, "and we will never resort to turbocharging for those cars either; to do either would betray our heritage and customers, and for Murcielago and Gallardo we can make the savings in other ways.
"But the opportunity is there to develop a turbocharged, maybe even a diesel engine for Estoque, and since the car could be well-priced and could sell in quite large numbers for us, it's a big chance for us. No Lamborghini will ever emit 120g/km, but still we have to improve our figures and make progress."
