Could this be the end of Lamborghini as we know it?

Lamborghini has been making a range of super cars for many many years, and have a die-hard following of owners and enthusiasts.

...Audi has the R8 and its varients.


That being said, I personally liked Lamborghini more when they weren't owned by Audi, and I also wonder myself what theyre thinking keeping the R8 and Gallardo so competitive.

 

No big deal.

The worst that could happen is that the Lamborghini in your driveway becomes "rare" and more valuable.

Don't worry about what some car company might do in the future.

 

That's now true for Porsche, Audi and most of what were the "exotics". The problem is that performance these days is more about technology than big block engines, so the days when a Lamborghini V12 (or V10) was the secret sauce for success are done. The Countach really was stupendously fast in its era. Now I think Lambos are more about scissor doors, origami styling and loud engine sounds.

It would be hard to walk past the 997 Turbo to buy the fast-depreciating and slightly slower Italians.

 

Dear Lamborghinisti,

It's always been about the scissor doors, styling and loud engine. That's why it's NOT a Ferrari.

So a 997 Turbo has equal performance....would you really want to drive one over a Lamborghini, Diablo, Countach or Murci?


Just give me my "over the top" Diablo VT Roadster, the top off with a tall thin blonde with her hair blowing in the breeze....


Shamile

Freeze....Miami Vice !

 

Well first of all that thing is butt ugly, but this has been a threat for a long time, blending of brands, commoditization and all that stuff. Except for their cash, I've always believed Audi was no good for Lamborghini, this is just another reason why. Scissor doors alone aren't going to be enough to separate the two. The only thing exclusive to Lamborghini will be it's name will that be enough to keep it alive?

 

To say that would be like saying "It would be hard to walk past the Corvette ZR-1 to buy the faster depreciating and slightly slower Porsche 997."

Seriously. Go park two of them next to each other on a street somewhere and see what the masses think. Compare performance if you want but there is much more to the comparison than that.

 

Ahhhh, nope.

 

Lamborghini is Audis experimental arm. The last 6 years of Gallardo engineering to get the R8 on a level just below the Gallardo. Now the Gallardo replacement will debut and be a large step ahead and the cycle begins again. Lamborghini allows Audi to play with and learn from technology that is currently too expensive to just throw on a product with the four rings on the hood. That won't change.

 

The R8 looks like a baboon's anus. Lambo has nothing to worry about with the GT.

 

Except that the next Lamborghini looks the same or worse. Remember who's in charge.

 

"The R8 looks like a baboon's anus."


I have an R8 Spyder on order, and your comment made me laugh out loud; I'm going to steal that. I'll also try not to think about it every time I drive the thing.

 

Yes! It is indeed an interesting image to get stuck with!!!


I am not afraid about the Lamborghini future because even if Audi makes stupid moves, a lot of companies would pay to get the Lamborghini name.


About the Murciélago successor I saw some time ago this picture, is it serious?

From that angle it looks nice ...
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I never understood the VW group...why do they insist on competing with themselves? When they acquired Audi, they made the VW Pheaton. Brilliant car, wrong badge. If it had the A8 badge it would have sold like mad.

Then they acquired Lamborghini they made the brilliant Gallardo...and then they made the R8. Basically an ugly version (imo) of the gallardo for people who couldn't quite afford a lamborghini...so for 40K or so less they got the R8 which is everything like the Gallardo LP560 made just a little bit less good.

That's my opinion of it anyhow. Accuse me of being a badge snob all you like but that's how it is in my eyes.

 

Yep, and now we have Porsche coming in to the mix too, so they can compete even more with themselves. Not vs Lamborghini directly, but also adding to the commoditisation. There'll be a baby Boxster based on the Golf at one end, and a Panamera coupe at the top end using the V10, or a new V8 if that's what ends up as the next gen Gallardo / R8 engine for emissions.

And when we go all electric and there is no drivetrain...

 

VW will self destruct, just like all other car companies that tried to conquer the automotive universe, they'll start shedding brands before you know it.

 

"VW will self destruct, just like all other car companies that tried to conquer the automotive universe, they'll start shedding brands before you know it."

Yep. But which one goes first, Bugatti?



"Basically an ugly version (imo) of the gallardo for people who couldn't quite afford a lamborghini...so for 40K or so less they got the R8 which is everything like the Gallardo LP560 made just a little bit less good."

Agree the Gallardo is brilliant, agree of course on the comparative performance of the G and the R8, and I don't like the R8 coupe "sideblade" design at all. But I don't think the R8 and Gallardo compete for buyers, and I don't think pricing is the reason - pre owned Gallardos can be had pretty inexpensively, and the R8 Spyder will sticker out at 180, I'll bet. I think it's about brand image, as much as anything.

 

I've owned Audi's for 20 years for my wife's daily driver but I would NEVER put the same kind of money in an Audi if I can get a Lambo, R8 GTMOUSE or not.

It's still just an Audi, at least with my Lambo I have the Italian skirt on top of all that reliable German engineering. Much better mix than the last time those two nations cooperated.....

 

I thought about both models. The lambo is so over the top in the styling department it won my heart. I love Audis and have an a8 as my everyday car. I dont see a problem here. In fact I love the audi bits in my gallardo spyder. It makes me think the ac will work unlike the old jalpa's.

 

I think doing a superleggera version of the R8 is a mistake.

They're trying to sell 8 cyl R8 coupes, 10 cyl R8 coupes, 10cyl R8 Spyders, maybe 8 cyl R8 Spyders and on top of those an R8 GT?

I think they've way overestimated the market for these cars. I could see the R8 as a small run halo car, I guess, but in the market for $200k + extreme performance cars, I can't see buyers picking Audi over the competition.