Lamborghini Estoque: Stephan Winkelmann's 3rd Lamborghini

Lamborghini Estoque – back on the cards

Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann has said that Lamborghini’s third model is likely to be the 4-door Lamborghini Estoque, not a Lamborghini SUV.

As regular readers know, we do try to steer clear of the daftest rumours that circulate on the interweb. We try to sort the wheat from the chaff – not always successfully – and only investigate and report on stories that seem to have substance. Like the Lamborghini Estoque.

At the Paris Motor Show in 2008 Lamborghini unveiled the Estoque Concept, a four-door supercar which basked in almost universal approval from journos and the public alike. Even the Top Gear crew got in on the praise by having the Estoque on set and heaping man-love on Lamborghini’s four-door concept.

But despite all the praise – and no doubt serious enquiries from potential customers – Lamborghini decided that the Estoque would not be built, citing the economy as the reason. Which was a real shame; the Estoque was a supercar saloon in the Rapide mode – true to its roots and glorious to behold.

But back in 2009 we reported that the Lamborghini Estoque had been spotted out and about in Cologne, a strange happening for a car that was dead and buried. And then in August this year we had Stephan Winkelmann saying that it was time for a third model for Lamborghini, which we reckoned would be the Estoque.

And now the good Mr Winkelmann has gone on record with Autocar and said that the Estoque is his preferred option for a third model rather than the Lamborghini SUV, which he believes is the wrong way forward for Lamborghini.

We don’t disagree with Stephan one bit; we’d much rather see the Estoque than the SUV. But we did think the SUV had legs in emerging economies such as China. But Stephan has said that he believes Lamborghini can stay true to its supercar roots – instead of going the cynical route of building an SUV – as buyers in China want proper Lamborghinis, not Lamborghinis made just for their market.

If he’s right, we should see the Estoque back in play very soon.