Lamborghini would choose four-door over SUV

Lamborghini remains intent on adding a third model to its range. This, straight from the proverbial lion’s mouth – that of the company’s affable CEO Stephan Winkelmann, who would like a new model to attract new buyers to the brand. The question is, what form will that new model take?

According to a new report from Autocar, the most likely scenario is a production version of the Estoqueconcept sedan unveiled in Paris a couple years back. Previous reports suggested a successor to the LM002 sport-utility vehicle could be in the works. But while either model could borrow underpinnings from within the Volkswagen Group (the Porsche Panamera or Audi A7 for the Estoque or the Porsche Cajun/Audi Q5 for the LM00X), enabling a faster and more cost-effective development process, Winkelmann seems to like the idea of the Estoque better.

Building the Estoque could also potentially lead to more variants as well, including a front-engined coupe and convertible, while the LM002 would, in all likelihood, be a single-model proposition.

Us? We just hope that the new model (whatever it is) gets built soon. In the case of the Estoque, there’s nothing worse than a painfully slow gestation of an already aging concept car to kill buzz.

Back in 2005, the Lamborghini Gallardo had been on the market for two years, and the LP560-4 was still three years away. So to spruce things up a bit, the Bolognese automaker came out with the Gallardo SE. The special edition of 250 examples were differentiated primarily by its two-tone color scheme, offsetting the primary color with black trim, inverted on the interior. Now reports indicate that Lamborghini could be planning a repeat.

The new two-tone Bicolore edition is said to be in the works, this time based on the current LP560-4 model that’s now been on the market since 2008. Like the original Gallardo SE, the new model would also likely get a new set of wheels, while a small power boost could be in the cards as well. Sources anticipate the new two-tone Gallardo to bow at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show with deliveries beginning early in the new year.

Browse through the fresh gallery of high-resolution images below for a trip down memory lane and a refresher on what we might expect from the new model.

Gran Turismo 5

1,000 cars. Hundreds of events. 71 track variations. Six years in development. There are lots of numbers to throw around and lots of numbers behind the latest release of Gran Turismo, the version that fans of the franchise have been aching for while suffering through delay after delay. Gran Turismo 5 is finally here, and in plenty of ways it’s the best installment that the storied franchise has seen to date.

However, it’s also the least polished release, least complete feeling and seemingly the buggiest – yes, even worse than the infamously rushed Gran Turismo 2. It’s a frustrating mix of amazing content and glaring shortcomings that will leave even the most devout GT fanboys and girls with mixed feelings. But, of course, the full story is rather more complicated than that. So let’s get to it…

Production Lamborghini Sesto Elemento will be for track use only

It sounds like we can forget all about cruising South Beach in the upcoming Lamborghini Sesto Elemento. According to Autocar, The Raging Bull is planning to build the carbon-fiber terror as a limited production model for track duty only. Thanks to its unique construction, the Sesto Elemento should hit the scales at less than 2,200 pounds, all while boasting the same drivetrain as the wicked Superleggera. This promises to be one very fast machine, but chances are it will carry a price tag to match. Autocar is reporting that the newest addition to the Lamborghini stable will likely go for Reventón money. With an MSRP of over $1.6 million, you certainly won’t be seeing these parked in every paddock.

That’s all the more true given that Autocar suspects that Lamborghini will build less than 20 examples of the Sesto Elemento. Who knew that rare birds were built from forged carbon fiber?

Report: Lamborghini Sesto Elemento approved for limited production

Lamborghini’s Sesto Elemento, the carbon fiber beauty that debuted at the Paris Motor Show just two short months ago, has reportedly been given the green light by its Italian automaker. The two-seat “Sixth Element” exotic is much more than radical jet-fighter styling and a fixation with all things lightweight. Hidden under its flat-black composite panels is the same V10 engine shoehorned into the Lamborghini LP 570-4 Superleggera. With a power rating of 570 horsepower and a curb weight of just 2,200 pounds, the 5.2-liter engine is reportedly able to launch the all-wheel-drive Sesto Elemento to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds. Keep the pedal down, and the Lamborghini should top 215 mph. With a price tag of about €2.5 million ($3.4 million at today’s exchange), and a production run limited to less than ten units, best of luck securing one for your garage.

Rumormill: Lamborghini developing Q5-based LM00X crossover

Few rumors have been as pervasive over the years as the rebirth of the Lamborghini LM002. Originally designed for military applications, the Countach-powered LM002 blended Sant’Agata’s background in tractors with the exotic supercars for which they’re now known. Ever since, reports of a follow-up have ebbed and flowed, resurfacing once again on an Audi/Porsche platform.

Like the upcoming Porsche Cajun, the project codenamed LM00X is reportedly based on the Audi Q5platform. The LM00X could retain the Cajun’s three-door body-style, infused with Lamborghini styling and the lightweight construction themes spearheaded by the Sesto Elemento concept. Word has it that the new twin-turbo V8 being developed for the Audi S7 and Bentley Continental would find its way into the Lambo crossover’s engine bay, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Raging Bull’s own V10 on offer, tipped to arrive as soon as 2012.

Lamborghini Murciélago tweaked into JB Car Design’s LP 640 ‘Bat’

The whole ‘Batmobile’ comparison gets thrown around an awful lot on websites like this one. And this car’s not even black, so we’ll wave off of that this time. But consider the following: in the most recent Batman movie, Bruce Wayne drove a Lamborghini Murciélago. Into a truck, unfortunately. His alter-ego’s drive, meanwhile, was on the other side of the more extreme Reventón. Now along comes JB Car Design with a kit to bridge the gap. And they call it the Bat, suitably enough.

The German tuner’s retrofitted Murci LP 640 can be had with 710 or 750 horsepower (a not-inconsequential improvement on the stock 640) through the installation of new cats and exhaust. But in this case, the defining factor is the car’s styling. A new front bumper and splitter, side skirts, and rear bumper with diffuser give the LP640 a more Reventón-style look, with a two-piece carbon fiber rear wing, LED lights and 20-inch modular alloys rounding out the package.

Meanwhile, the interior been re-trimmed in different leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber, along with a new steering wheel and sound system. Each of these components for engine, body and cabin can be purchased separately or as a comprehensive package, but JB says it will only make 75 examples of the body kit. Check out the photos in the gallery below and the press release after the jump for more

Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Concept lights up the stage

Surely, one of the most hotly anticipated releases at the 2010 Paris Motor Show would be the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Concept. After all, no automaker has teased the masses these last few weeks more thanLamborghini, and perhaps no single vehicle manufacturer is as beloved by the teenage boys lurking inside each one of us.

That said, any new Lambo is going to have big shoes to fill, with such classics as the Miura, Countach, Diablo and Murcielago, Gallardo and Reventon each holding its well-earned place in the annals of supercardom. Will the Sesto Elemento turn out to be yet another masterpiece from Italy? Too early to say, but we can still drool a bit over the live shots in our high-res image gallery below. Enjoy!