Emerging reports indicate that Lamborghini is currently in negotiations with the suits at its corporate superior Volkswagen to put the Estoque into production. The four-door Lamborghini concept was unveiled last month at the Paris show after a drawn-out parade of teasers, but with no actual engine unde-hood and little in the way of specifications revealed, most surmised that the Estoque was just a flash-in-the-pan publicity gimmick. Not so, according to the company’s R&D chief Maurizio Reggiani, who confirmed to British weekly Autocar that the company is in the process of making a business case to the VW executive board. If approved, the Estoque could hit showrooms by late 2011 with a UK sticker quoted at around £150k, which lies in between the Gallardo’s £135k British list price and the Murcielago’s £220k.

To make financial sense, the Estoque would have to borrow heavily from the corporate parts bin, but Reggiani was quick to dismiss speculation that the Estoque would share its platform with any current or next-generation Audi. So what would provide the power, you ask? A re-tuned version of the Gallardo LP560-4’s direct-injection V10, optimized for usability at the slight expense of peak output and driving through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox — another first for Lamborghini. Also under consideration for the Estoque are hybrid and diesel V8 options, noting that the concept car’s platform was designed to accommodate a variety of engines.

Wait a second, a diesel hybrid automatic four-door Lamborghini? What’s going on in Sant’Agata since Porsche took over in Wolfsburg? Nothing all that unusual for the company that started out making tractors and even produced a HUMMER rival for a while. But with the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide on the way, the market for the four-door exotic super-coupe could be the new premium battlefield.

After Lamborghini’s endless string of frustrating teaser shots, here, finally, are the full pictures of the Aston Rapide-rivalling four-seat Lamborghini supersaloon, the Estoque.

The Lamborghini Estoque? Named after a bull, perhaps?

No, it’s actually the name of a bullfighter’s sword, as was Espada, the company’s front-engined GT of 40 years ago.

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Despite the tepid global economy, it appears that rich folks are still buying expensive toys. Automobili Lamborghini’s global sales and financial results for the first half of 2008 both hit record highs.

Revenues increased 9.6 percent to 277.4 million euros ($434.5 million) from 253.1 million euros. Pretax profit increased to 35 million euros ($54.8 million) from 26.4 million euros, a 32.6 percent increase. By contrast, Lamborghini earned 47.1 million euros ($73.7 million) for all of 2007.

Global unit sales increased to 1,309 vehicles from 1,238 for the same period last year. Lamborghini now has 114 dealers around the globe, up from 65 in 2004, with eight new stores opening in the first half of the year.
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Speaking at the old Fiat Lingotto factory in Turin, Italy, Volkswagen Group’s Design Director, Walter De Silva, discussed the future of VW, Audi and Lamborghini, keeping light on specifics, but offering more fuel for the speculative fire surrounding the future of Lamborghini.

According to CAR, De Silva waxed poetic about the aura of the group’s Italian performance arm, with Design Head Manfred Fitzgerald making it clear that the Reventon’s pointed proboscis and heavily canted intakes – which were supposedly penned before the launch of the Gallardo LP560-4 — will be the primary influence for the next generation of Lamborghinis.
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