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Lamborghini designers channel brand's past to keep supercars fresh

Lamborghini design boss Mitja Borkert smiles as he sums up the brand's design language with an anecdote. "I bought a 1/18-scale Countach in Frankfurt, and I put it in my carry-on suitcase. One of the guys at the security screening asked 'what's that?' His colleague looked at the screen and immediately said "it's a Lamborghini!" Borkert points out the unmistakable silhouette is a major part of what defines a Lamborghini. He gives Marcello Gandini credit for the styling cue. The talented Italian designer penned a long list of emblematic sports cars, including the Miura, the Countach, and the Lancia Stratos. For Borkert, the Gandini line is deeply-rooted and permanent. However, he doesn't feel the least bit constrained by it. "First of all, for me this line is written in stone. It will remain in the next 100 years, regardless of what technology we will have. I'm very sure of it. Of course, we always have to find an interpretation of that line for specific projects. When we created the Urus, we also wanted to use the line but we had to interpret it in a way that worked for that specific architecture. How we did that you will see in the future. "The Huracan has one interpretation of the Gandini line. The Aventador is longer so we had to stretch it. You can set a lot of tension in that line, you can give it a bit more wedge. In the Centenario the rear is a little bit lower, for example. "So, for me, this is the component we have to keep. Then, there are the design themes like doors, fenders, and what we are doing with the front and rear. That's when we apply the motto 'expect the unexpected.' We are always challenging ourselves, and always looking for something new." The first step of the design process is to get the proportions exactly right. "If the main proportions aren't right, you will never be able to catch up with the design," he notes. And while most people assume modern-day designers start sketching on advanced CAD software, a Lamborghini still comes to life the old-fashioned way: with a pencil and a sheet of paper. Once the proportions are locked in, Borkert and his team of young, spirited designers begin adding secondary styling cues like character lines, angles, and creases. The last part of the process is when designers pencil in the final details such as vents, moldings, emblems, and miscellaneous trim pieces. Heritage plays a large role there, too. The hexagon is another one of the defining features that characterize a Lamborghini.

Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato off-roader is headed to production

Ending years of rumors and speculation, Lamborghini has confirmed it will build the rally-inspired Huracan Sterrato concept it unveiled in June 2019. The model, which will be the final evolution of the Huracan, is scheduled to make its official debut before the end of 2022. Preview images released by the firm give us an early look at the first off-road-ready Huracan. The coupe remains draped in camouflage but we can tell that not a lot has changed since the design study made its debut over three years ago — and that's just awesome. At its core, the Sterrato takes the form of a Huracan on stilts with two driving lights attached to its front end, wheel arch flares and a pair of roof rails. Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato, preview images View 5 Photos We're curious to find out how Lamborghini modified the Huracan's suspension system to dial in the extra ground clearance. And, there's no word yet on what the model is powered by, though we're guessing it uses a version of the standard car's naturally-aspirated, 5.2-liter V10. For context, the Sterrato concept was powered by the Huracan EVO's V10 engine, rated at 640 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. It also featured all-wheel drive, a four-wheel steering system and torque vectoring, but all of these systems were retuned for off-road use. Lamborghini widened the front and rear tracks by about an inch, hence the big flares, and it added 1.85 inches of ground clearance. Lamborghini will introduce the Huracan Sterrato — assuming the concept's name is retained for the production model — by the end of 2022, meaning deliveries could start in early 2023. Pricing information hasn't been announced yet. When it lands, the off-roader will compete in a class of one. There are a great many supercars and there are a great many super-SUVs, but these two segments have rarely intersected in the realm of production cars. It's a different story in the concept car world: Volkswagen-owned ItalDesign Giugiaro turned the Lamborghini Gallardo into a high-riding design study called Parcour in 2013, and Audi unveiled the 5.0-liter V10 TDI-powered Nanuk later that year.

Bentley, Lamborghini consider foreign production [w/poll]

Would a Bentley be a Bentley if it weren't manufactured in Great Britain? Would a Lamborghini be a Lamborghini if it were built outside of Italy? It may be hard to say either way, but we might find out sooner than later, because the latest word coming in from Europe is that the Volkswagen Group is considering expanding production for both these upscale brands outside their traditional homes.
According to the Autovisie section of Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, the issue for both automakers comes down to their ambitious expansion programs. Both Bentley and Lamborghini plan to launch new SUVs - the former's being well under way, the latter's still awaiting approval - that would expand their annual production considerably: by 50 percent in Bentley's case, and by as much as 100 percent in Lamborghini's.
For now, both marques intend to handle the added production with additional assembly lines at their current facilities in Crewe and Sant'Agata Bolognese, respectively. But both could soon outgrow their relatively small plants - and with the Volkswagen Group operating countless factories across Europe and around the world, it wouldn't be hard to see these manufacturers shifting excess production outside of their home countries.