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Lamborghini CEO says Urus brings lots of new customers from Russia and India

The new Lamborghini Urus might turn out to be a golden goose for Lamborghini. The twin-turbo V8 SUV is finding new customers for the Italian supercar manufacturer, and in an interview with CNBC, Lamborghini's CEO Stefano Domenicali says the reception for the $200,000 vehicle has been unexpectedly "fantastic." The outlook for Lamborghini's 2018 sales is projected at 5,000 cars, and the Urus could account for over a thousand of those. By 2020, Lamborghini would be building some 8,000 cars per year, and over a half of those would be Urus sales. Domenicali says that would be a point where Lamborghini would restrict its growth, as does rival Ferrari, to keep its supercar brand exclusive. The head of Lamborghini's Asia Pacific sales, Andrea Baldi also says the manufacturer will "always make sure" that demand for its cars is higher than the supply. If making SUVs turns out to be a success for Lamborghini, the key might be hidden in the nameplate of the Urus. It's indeed Russia that looks to be a fertile land for Urus sales, since it's a country with both demanding roads and demanding customers. Domenicali says Russian roads have made it hard to sell traditional Lamborghini products, but the SUV should find a strong customer base there. India is another significant new market for the Urus, for similar reasons. And as for the influx of new Lamborghini customers: a growing part of them are cryptocurrency investors. It looks like bitcoin bros will only accept a Lamborghini as the token of their newfound success. "These are young people that want to become very rich with a high-risk investment," said Domenicali. "And our customers are young as well, and very aspirational. They are not shy. So I think there is a connection." Related Video: News Source: CNBCImage Credit: AOL/Drew Phillips Lamborghini Crossover SUV Luxury Performance stefano domenicali

Urus could be Lamborghini's first turbo

Ferrari has used turbochargers off and on over the years. Porsche has long embraced them. McLaren uses them exclusively these days. As do Pagani and Bugatti. Lamborghini never has, but that could all change in the near future.
According to Auto Express (whose reports we usually take with a grain or two of sodium chloride) in speaking with Sant'Agata's R&D chief Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini could be forced to start using turbocharged engines in the next three to four years. And their first application in the Raging Bull marque's history could be on the upcoming production version of the Urus concept.
The Urus, for those who may not recall, was a crossover concept unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show two years ago and which we saw in a closed-door preview just before that during the New York Auto Show. Taking a sportier approach than the unapologetically utilitarian LM002 (popularly known as the "Rambo Lambo"), the Urus followed the Estoque sedan concept in testing the waters for a different kind of Lamborghini - one to which potential buyers apparently responded positively, as the Italian automaker has been working on bringing it to production ever since.

Watch VW Group Night kick off the Frankfurt festivities

The Frankfurt Motor Show is Volkswagen's home affair. As a result, the whole of the automaker group makes a big splash, even before the show doors open. We'll be live from the Frankfurt floor starting early tomorrow morning, but tonight we're posted up in the stands at the always-entertaining Volkswagen Group Night. To give you a taste of what it's like to be there, we're going to be shooting some man-on-the-scenes video as the night progresses. Below you'll find videos of all the best that VW Group brands – Audi, Lamborghini, VW, the lot – have to offer, as quick as we can upload them. So, enjoy the Short Cut Videos you see here. And stay tuned as we add more to the tally, below. And, of course, be sure to check in on Autoblog early and often tomorrow, when we bring you official debuts of new production vehicles and concept cars, a ton of new video content, live image galleries, and lots more.Seat Leon Cross Sport Bentley Bentayga Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder Volkswagen Multivan PanAmerican Edition Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo Concept Audi E-Tron Quattro Concept Audi A4 Ducati Monster 1200 R Volkswagen Tiguan Skoda Superb Combi Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe and Cabrio Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Porsche Mission E Concept Volkswagen Group Night Finale Green Frankfurt Motor Show Audi Bentley Bugatti Lamborghini Volkswagen SEAT Skoda Videos Original Video Frankfurt 2015