Lamborghini has produced some of the most gorgeous looking cars in its lifetime, and these cars aren’t just about their looks, but also how quickly they’ll go from 0 to oh sh*t! You must be aware that long before the Urus became what it is today, the LM002 was the only four-door car Lamborghini ever made and sold to the public. Well, that could’ve been a different story had Lamborghini decided to go through with a concept car that everyone seems to have forgotten about — the Estoque.
The Estoque was the first four-door car from Lamborghini since the LM002 was discontinued in the early 90s, and the fact that it was an ‘actual’ car makes it even more unforgettable. Yes, it didn’t see the light of the day, but as far as speculations go, Lamborghini was actually looking to build a production version of the Estoque at some point of time. It was also the first Lambo to feature a front-engine layout since the days of the long-gone LM002. The Estoque was said to be built on the underpinnings of the Audi R8 while the powertrain was said to be shared with the Gallardo — a 5.2-litre V10 engine paired to seven-speed dual clutch transmission, although Lamborghini never revealed any output figures. It is also said to have featured 22-inch wheels at the front and larger 23-inch wheels at the rear.
The Lamborghini Estoque looked what one could describe as ‘razor sharp’ — unlike most sedans which contain curvy design elements, the Estoque featured sharp edges, and straight cuts and creases in its profile. For something that was showcased back in 2008, in my opinion it still holds up quite well! I remember reading one of the older magazines my father had brought back then, and on one of the pages was this! It’s something that really stays with you once you see it.
Reports suggest that production plans for the Lamborghini Estoque had been shelved about a year after its global premiere. Interestingly, the Porsche Panamera had also been showcased at that time, which still continues to be on sale today. There is no official confirmation from Lamborghini as to why the Estoque was shelved, but there are certainly some interesting theories floating around — it is said the VW Group could only provide enough fundings for one model, and it decided to go the Porsche way. Porsche could afford to take this risk as it already had the Cayenne in its portfolio.
Given the success of the Urus ever since it made its debut, the Estoque was an interesting proposition that deserved a chance out in the middle. Some theories also suggest that the Estoque could’ve hurt Lamborghini’s image of making fast cars. The reason I do not agree to this was when Porsche first showcased the Cayenne, it was controversial, it was something Porsche had never done before — an SUV! However, the Cayenne was instrumental in turning Porsche’s fortunes around, with people even applauding the German car maker for doing something different. I believe the Estoque, even though it’s a sedan, could’ve had a similar effect. The fact that Lamborghini went to make the Urus highlights the fact that the Italian car maker always wanted to make a four-door vehicle.
And now that Lamborghini is in celebration mode of the combustion engine, it’s only a matter of time before it switches to hybrids, and eventually pure electrics. It has even said its first pure-electric model will make its debut in the second-half of this decade. Who knows it could be an all-new electric grand tourer based on the Porsche Taycan and the Audi e-tron GT? After all, they both are underpinned by the J1 platform and share a lot of components. Maybe this will be Estoque’s time after all.