12 March 2022
Before the Urus became what it is today, the LM002 SUV was the only four-door car Lamborghini 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 an ‘actual’ car makes it even more unforgettable. Although it didn’t see the light of the day, as far as speculations go, Lamborghini was looking to build a production version of the Estoque at some point in time. It was also the first Lamborghini to feature a front-engine layout since the days of the long-gone LM002.
The Estoque was said to utilise the underpinnings of the Audi R8 and the powertrain of the Gallardo, a 5.2-litre V10 engine. However, 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 Estoque was an authentic Lamborghini in its design despite being a four-door saloon with sharp edges, cuts and minimum curves.
The Lamborghini Estoque looked what one could describe as ‘razor sharp’ — unlike most saloons which contain curvy design elements.
Reports suggest that Lamborghini shelved production plans about a year after its global premiere.
Interestingly, the Porsche Panamera had also been showcased at that time, which continues to be on sale today.
Lamborghini has no official confirmation as to why the Estoque ceased, but there are certainly some interesting theories floating around. The VW Group could only provide funding 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.
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 carmaker for doing something different.
Even though it’s a saloon, I believe the Estoque could have had a similar effect.