There are “chick” cars, “green” cars, practical cars…and then there are “bad boy” cars. Apparently, that’s what Lamborghini makes. The Sant’Agata supercar maker’s former chief operating officer, Michael Lock, recently said, “Lamborghinis are associated with socially illicit behavior.”
Lock also said that, according to company research, 91 percent of people don’t buy raging bulls in the states because they don’t see them as reliable or easy to drive. James May of “Top Gear” fame had an experience that may have contributed to that way of thinking.
Whoever ends up buying Lamborghinis, the company plans to bring in more future owners by expanding its model lineup to three cars. That will contribute to achieving the goal of more standalone U.S. dealerships. Before Lock parted ways with his Italian employer, he said only one of Lambo’s 29 stateside sellers (in West Palm Beach) doesn’t have to share floor space with other high-end manufacturers.
Lamborghini will take a page out of McLaren’s playbook and keep its price points high. This means there won’t be a $100,000 Taurus terror any time soon.
The Aventador has plenty of time left. The Huracan is on its way. But what will that magical third vehicle be?
Remember the Urus SUV concept?
The Lamborghini Urus will share its platform with the upcoming Bentley SUV.
Yep, that should be coming in 2017.
We’ll see how Lamborghini’s future lineup fares against Ferrari’s. Currently, the latter firm has a four-model variety, which is responsible for its 25 percent share of exotic car sales in the United States.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
