Lamborghini is working on a four-door electric grand tourer to rival the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S, according to reports.
Autocar says the Volkswagen-owned supercar maker is about to give the “green light” to a four-door GT inspired by its Estoque concept (pictured top), which first appeared at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.
Unlike the Estoque, which was powered by the same 5.2-litre V10 engine as the Lamborghini Gallardo, the magazine says the four-door GT will become the company’s first electric-only model.
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Speaking to Autocar, Lamborghini R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani said: “There is the potential that this will be the right time for a full-electric vehicle.
“Performance will be important,” he said, but conceded that battery range must be taken into account. “We must be fast but not quite in the same way as we need to be in our super sports cars.”
What will it look like?
Though the grand tourer is being billed as the spiritual successor to the Estoque, it’s unlikely to adopt the same design as the decade-old concept for several reasons.
First, the Estoque’s design incorporates a number of elements from the Italian marque’s older models. For instance, the front end is almost identical to the Gallardo, while the head and tail-lights have been plucked from the current - yet ageing - Aventador supercar.
Second, the car has a long bonnet to accommodate the large V10 engine that powers it. As the upcoming GT is rumoured to be electric, the bonnet won’t need to be nearly as long - given that its batteries are more likely to be housed underneath the cabin.
Motor1 says the EV will be based on the same J1 production platform as the Porsche Taycan and Audi’s upcoming E-tron GT, suggesting that the vehicle will have a long wheelbase with short body overhangs.
What about performance?
While the Taycan offers a range of 279 miles in Turbo trim, battery advancements over the next few years could see the Lamborghini equivalent increase that figure to around 350 miles, the motoring news site says.
It’ll need to be quick, too. Lamborghini customers are unlikely to settle for a car that completes a 0-62mph dash in over three seconds, says Autocar, given that the company’s combustion-engined models can hit 62mph in about 2.8 seconds.
When will it come out?
The electric GT is tipped to arrive in 2025. That may seem like a long time, but that’s relatively soon in the automotive world.
Reggiani told Autocar: “There’s a minimum of four years in advance of launching a model to develop it.” That suggests Lamborghini would need to start working on the EV by 2021 at the very latest for it to launch in 2025.
How much will it cost?
Lamborghini is one of the more expensive brands in the VW Group. As it shares it underpinnings with the £116,000 Porsche Taycan, expect prices to start upwards of £150,000.
