The Goodwood Festival of Speed brings out the best in automakers, from dynamic displays up the hill climb to reveals of the most important new models. The who’s who of the automotive industry gather in one place to see the latest automotive marvels, and at this year’s Festival, CarBuzz caught up with Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann, asking about what the future holds for the famed Italian supercar manufacturer.
While the focus of the event for the brand was the launch of the new Urus SE Performante, Stephan spoke about what comes next, the fourth model family that will take the form of a new GT car.
CarBuzz Interview Stephan Winkelmann at Goodwood Festival of SpeedGabrielle Schmauderer/CarBuzz/Valnet
Unmistakably Lamborghini In Every Way
When asked about how he wants to expand the Lamborghini lineup beyond its three core models, the Urus, Temerario, and Revuelto, Winkelmann reaffirmed plans for a fourth model in the works. “We have a project for the fourth model,” says Winkelmann. “We have four models in the future, and this fourth model is going to be a GT car, so a two-plus-two, two-door car, but with a different body style. We have cool ideas which we’re working on.”
Two doors and two-plus-two seating could easily be a Bentley Continental GT-rivaling grand tourer, but the “different body style” Winkelmann mentions is key here. That’s because he’s referring to the raised ride height concept of the Lamborghini Lanzador. While the initial Lanzador concept previewed an all-electric Lambo, the brand has since reneged on its EV plans. But the Lanzador will still go ahead, albeit with plug-in hybrid power. How that impacts its design, however, remains to be seen.
Stephan Winkelmann With Lamborghini Lanzador ConceptLamborghini
But how will Winkelmann and his team at Lamborghini ensure this fourth model remains unique in a growing sea of performance models from everywhere in the world?
“Like we stand out with the supercars. If you see a Lamborghini, one of the things which has always been distinctive is the design. The design is very different, not only from Lamborghini to Lamborghini in terms of model generation, but also in terms of looking at our cars in comparison with our competitors. If you look at our cars, there is no doubt that this can be nothing else than a Lamborghini.”
– Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini CEO
Lamborghini Is Not Interested In Chasing Manual Trends
A big talking point ahead of the Festival of Speed has been Ferrari’s simulated manual transmission in the 12Cilindri Manuale. We couldn’t help but ask if Winkelmann had seen this and if he was interested in pursuing something similar with Lamborghini. The short answer is no, Lamborghini has no interest. “What we do is that we focus on the big tickets,” says Winkelmann.
Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale Gated Shifter Close-upFerrari
“Now, we have three models, and we have a derivativization strategy. On top of that, we’re investing in the future on a fourth model, so it’s important to keep the focus on what is really key for the company, and therefore we are focusing on this.”
Hybrid Powertrains Are Here To Stay
That “derivativization strategy” he speaks of is creating new variants from the core models in the lineup, whether that’s the forthcoming Super Veloce (SV) models of the Revuelto, possible Sterrato models for the new Temerario, or few-off Fenomeno models based on other platforms. But would Lamborghini be willing to compromise on its current powertrain strategy and produce a hyper-focused, non-hybrid Temerario? “No, at this time we are doing the hybridization, and we have a lot on our plate and in the pipeline which will come next year.”
Lamborghini Temerario GT3 Goodwood RevealRoger Biermann/CarBuzz/Valnet
Lamborghini views hybridization as a core part of its strategy, not for eco-friendliness, but for the performance it provides and for the ability to offer a global product without a buyer in one market feeling like they’ve missed out on what’s available in another.
According to Winkelmann, “You have to decide what to do next, and you have to do it by knowing that you are doing a car which has to be sold worldwide. So we cannot regionalize our product, because everybody who buys a Lamborghini wants the original, and on top of that, the hybridization for us is a booster of performance and not only an opportunity to reduce CO2.”
What’s clear from our chat with Winkelmann is that Lamborghini has a clear concept of its own brand identity, and it refuses to compromise on that just to follow market whims or expand a model lineup unnecessarily.
