Losing Out On The Lambo Hybrid Sedan?

Lamborghini says that its Estoque concept, being shown off at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, could be brought into production as a hybrid vehicle. Lamborghini has repeatedly said that it is not capable of building its signature vehicles and meeting increasingly strict European Union emissions standards, so the news of a hybrid is something of a surprise.

The Estoque is what the company terms an "everyday sportscar" which could hit the streets at $200,000. This marks the first time the company has designed something to be driven daily. According to Lamborghini president Stephan Winkelman, most Lambos don't rack up more than about 5,000 km annually.

What makes the design so different? For starters, it has four doors, a feature that the company hasn't considered in more than 20 years. The concept also has a front-engine design which gives the vehicle about a 50-50 weight distribution.

Lamborghini is considering hybrid V-8 engine or high-performance turbocharged direct injection diesel engine variations for the vehicle. The company has built a prototype vehicle and could bring it into production by 2010. Winkelman predicts that a hybrid Lambo sedan could sell 2,000-3,000 units per year and would help the company compete with other cars in its class.

Clearly, anyone who can put down $200,000 on a vehicle that will see 3,000 miles per year isn't really interested in either saving money on gasoline or being kinder to the environment, but hybrid technologies are the only way that high-performance cars can continue to be built. To date, neither the EU or the US has enacted emissions exceptions for specialty low-production vehicles like those in the Lamborghini line. Without being able to make increasingly strict fuel economy standards, these specialty producers are facing restrictions that will effectively shut down their ability to sell these cars in their top markets.

While most people will never own, drive or even see a Lambo outside of an auto show, the vehicles do serve a purpose when it comes to design and performance. If the only options for companies like Lamborghini are to water down their products to meet emissions standards that ordinary automakers are complaining about or to stop making their cars altogether, perhaps its time to consider emissions exceptions for these super-performance vehicles that - by virtue of their radically small population - have little genuine impact on the environment.

Photo Credit: Mike Sanders