The dutch newspaper Telegraaf interviews Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini’s CEO. The interview is in Dutch, so between Babelfish and me, some errors might creep in …

Anyway, as for future Lamborghini projects, Winkelmann says that there are no definite plans about a Lamborghini SUV and a GT 2+2, heirs respectively of the LM 002 and the Espada, while a couple of new versions of the Gallardo are certainly in the works: one with rear-wheel-drive only, and one a spartan version, lightened (à-la Carrera GT3/M3 CSL ?).

2006 production is all booked up: 800 Gallardo Spyders, 600 Gallardo coupès and 500 Murcielagos, between coupè and roadster. It’s strange to see production mix so unbalanced in favor of the Gallardo Spyder. And Lamborghini “doesn’t want” to go over 2005’s production levels.

It’s almost as if, V-A-G wants to create some market space for another two-seater coupè with a central V10 engine and 4 wheel drive. Winkelmann says “no way”, the Audi R8 doesn’t have anything to do with the Lamborghini Gallardo, and will not cannibalize its sales, because “anyone who sees them side-by-side will see that the two cars are very different and will also have very different handling characteristics.”

So, if Lamborghini introduces new models to the mix and keeps production under 2.000 cars/year while it could sell more, it’s easy to say that the R8 will not steal sales from the Gallardo …

Anyone who has followed V-A-G’s crazy market segmentation strategies of the last ten years will keep scratching his head. As an Italian, it’s sad for me to see a brand such as Lamborghini not able to realize its full potential …

[Interview found thanks to Autoblog.nl]

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