Lamborghini: big engines yes; lower emissions, never
December 31st, 1969
Despite the battle raging against fuel consumption and emissions, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann says his company will never reach the goals set by governments like the EU, and it appears that he doesn't think it's a problem.
While cross-town competition Ferrari is considering a replacement of its big V10 and V12 engines with a smaller, more efficient, but just as powerful turbo V8 line, Lamborghini has decided dropping cylinders for snails isn't in the cards. And before the world gets up in arms about that fact, consider Winkelmann's very good point: only 2,604 Lamborghinis were sold last year, and nearly all owners drive fewer than 5,000mi (8,000km) annually, so the impact in terms of emissions is very small on a global scale. The Gallardo LP560-4's 560hp V10 isn't entirely outrageous on the fuel consumption side of things either: at 16.8mpg (US) (14L/100km) on the European combined cycle, it's actually ahead of many of the mass-consumption vehicles sold in the U.S.
But no matter the impact, Winkelmann thinks the company will never reach the emissions asked of it by governments like the EU or the U.S., reports Automotive News. That sort of thinking is dangerous and impractical for larger companies like parent company Audi or corporate cousins VW and even Porsche, whose 100,000-car annual sales volume seems gargantuan by comparison.
Lamborghini isn't looking to achieve big volume numbers, nor is it looking for quick growth. Selling to a targeted demographic and developing its loyal and privileged customer base may mean Lamborghini won't have to yield to the seemingly inevitable arrival of supercar-killing emissions and fuel consumption regulations. Winkelmann certainly seems to think so.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
Despite the battle raging against fuel consumption and emissions, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann says his company will never reach the goals set by governments like the EU, and it appears that he doesn't think it's a problem.
While cross-town competition Ferrari is considering a replacement of its big V10 and V12 engines with a smaller, more efficient, but just as powerful turbo V8 line, Lamborghini has decided dropping cylinders for snails isn't in the cards. And before the world gets up in arms about that fact, consider Winkelmann's very good point: only 2,604 Lamborghinis were sold last year, and nearly all owners drive fewer than 5,000mi (8,000km) annually, so the impact in terms of emissions is very small on a global scale. The Gallardo LP560-4's 560hp V10 isn't entirely outrageous on the fuel consumption side of things either: at 16.8mpg (US) (14L/100km) on the European combined cycle, it's actually ahead of many of the mass-consumption vehicles sold in the U.S.
But no matter the impact, Winkelmann thinks the company will never reach the emissions asked of it by governments like the EU or the U.S., reports Automotive News. That sort of thinking is dangerous and impractical for larger companies like parent company Audi or corporate cousins VW and even Porsche, whose 100,000-car annual sales volume seems gargantuan by comparison.
Lamborghini isn't looking to achieve big volume numbers, nor is it looking for quick growth. Selling to a targeted demographic and developing its loyal and privileged customer base may mean Lamborghini won't have to yield to the seemingly inevitable arrival of supercar-killing emissions and fuel consumption regulations. Winkelmann certainly seems to think so.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
Lamborghini: big engines yes; lower emissions, never
May 26th, 2008
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May 26th, 2008
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May 26th, 2008
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While cross-town competition Ferrari is considering a replacement of its big V10 and V12 engines with a smaller, more efficient, but just as powerful turbo V8 line, Lamborghini has decided dropping cylinders for snails isn't in the cards. And before the world gets up in arms about that fact, consider Winkelmann's very good point: only 2,604 Lamborghinis were sold last year, and nearly all owners drive fewer than 5,000mi (8,000km) annually, so the impact in terms of emissions is very small on a global scale. The Gallardo LP560-4's 560hp V10 isn't entirely outrageous on the fuel consumption side of things either: at 16.8mpg (US) (14L/100km) on the European combined cycle, it's actually ahead of many of the mass-consumption vehicles sold in the U.S.
But no matter the impact, Winkelmann thinks the company will never reach the emissions asked of it by governments like the EU or the U.S., reports Automotive News. That sort of thinking is dangerous and impractical for larger companies like parent company Audi or corporate cousins VW and even Porsche, whose 100,000-car annual sales volume seems gargantuan by comparison.
Lamborghini isn't looking to achieve big volume numbers, nor is it looking for quick growth. Selling to a targeted demographic and developing its loyal and privileged customer base may mean Lamborghini won't have to yield to the seemingly inevitable arrival of supercar-killing emissions and fuel consumption regulations. Winkelmann certainly seems to think so.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
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Comments (9 total)
Meet the top commenters on the LeaderboardBy autoque #1, Posted: 5/26/2008
Surprised at the fuel consumption of the Lamborghini... Mercedes-Benz's 6 liter V12 Twin-Turbo engine by AMG consumes much more than that... Must be the lighter weight of the Lamborghini.
By surok #2, Posted: 5/27/2008
good,. finally someone has some balls to stand up and say f u. im making whatever i like
By ally #3, Posted: 5/27/2008
a very logical argument....
By Minizzle #4, Posted: 5/27/2008
If you are an environmentalist and complaining that a Lambo gets about 16.8mpg. Then you should go talk to all the Americans who drive SUV's.
By chris #5, Posted: 5/27/2008
yep, it's fair to say that even though my focus gets well over 2x better mileage.. I'd still be poluting more than a lambo. imagine that.
i dont think they have much to worry about anyways.. something tells me the EU will rule that the entire corporate family will be judged at once, and some elaborate compensation scheme will be figured out by VW to take care of the fines. excuse me, porsche. Porsche will have some over-arching grand number, which will probably be over the required emissions, and will recoup those fines on the vehicles that put them over.
so your porsches and lambos and large audis might end up costing a little more.. which might be enough of a factor for lambo to make much more efficient yet still very large engines, in ever smaller and lighter cars. one could only hope.
By Gus #6, Posted: 5/27/2008
Minizzle, those gas guzzling Americans who drive SUV's produce far less pollution than all the cows farting and belching.
Besides, my Expedition gets about the same mileage as a Lamborghini (right around 15-16) but runs on regular gasoline, which is both cheaper and less power-hungry to produce, and cheaper to buy at the pump than the premium required by the Italian exotic machine. In addition, my Expedition can carry far more people and cargo than any Lamborghini. This effectively makes it MUCH more environmentally friendly than any Lamborghini. Stick that in your pipe and don't smoke it, you might add to "global warming".
But you are correct, those damn Americans cause all the world's problems!
By burke #7, Posted: 5/27/2008
I think buyers of Gallardos already pay a gas guzzler tax for exotic cars, in addition to other taxes. As far as I know, 16.8mpg is a decent gas consumption rate for a supercar... Is this new emissions regulation realliy intended to control the exotic car market or is it intended to control a possible invassion by a myriad of European and Japanese cars running on clean diesel that can average above 60mpg? I don't think the rich would mind to pay an additional tax for any of their toys, read cars, boats and airplanes. Will the laws also apply to boats and airplanes? I don't think the new laws will affect the high performance car production. Manufacturers usually think of issues way ahead of time: It didn't take time to formula one engines to come down from 12 cylinders to eight. This year more hybrid cars are running on LeMans than last year. Lamborghini is 50% own by Audi, and Audi already has a hybrid V-8 beast powering the Gumpert Apollo supercar. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Gallardo powered by a simlar engine, and it would obviouisly be cleaner but still killer machine...
By Gus #8, Posted: 5/27/2008
It's so stupid anyways to go after these limited production vehicles.
Focus on the ones produced in numbers in the many thousands, not in the hundreds.
By NaBUru38 #9, Posted: 5/28/2008
"My Expedition can carry far more people and cargo than any Lamborghini." But do you actually use those seats?
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