Under the Audi corporate umbrella, Lamborghini isn’t as wild as it was in the Countach era, but perhaps that’s for the better. Business wasn’t exactly booming back then, and the company seemed to change hands every other week. Its lowest point came in late 1978 when it filed for bankruptcy. Things only began to turn around in the late 1990s, once the Volkswagen Group finally tamed the raging bull.
With a record 10,687 cars delivered in 2024, Lamborghini is now stronger than ever. The healthy balance sheet of recent years has given the company room to experiment with niche models like the Huracan Sterrato. A follow-up based on the Temerario is all but confirmed, and there’s potential for even more special projects.
Lamborghini’s head of sales and marketing, Federico Foschini, told Autocar the brand plans to roll out even “crazier” models. He hinted at spicy Revuelto derivatives, possibly including an off-road version in the mold of the Sterrato. The Urus has already received an all-terrain makeover with the rugged ST-X, although it never reached production. Of Lamborghini’s three current models, the Urus remains the most logical candidate for a go-anywhere special edition.
Foschini noted there’s clear demand for wild projects like the Sterrato, which is why Lamborghini intends to build on the success of this growing niche. The brand is eager to explore ideas beyond the usual road-focused supercars: “We are always looking for crazy things in all dimensions.”
Beyond high-riding exotics, Lamborghini hasn’t ruled out a rear-wheel-drive version of the Temerario. The larger Revuelto has already spawned the hardcore Fenomeno, now the brand’s fastest and most powerful production vehicle ever. As Foschini put it, “the sky is the limit” when it comes to derivatives of existing models.
As for the company’s best-seller, the Urus isn’t losing its combustion engine after all. Lamborghini recently confirmed the second-generation SUV will retain gas power with a plug-in hybrid setup, despite earlier plans to go fully electric. Similarly, the Lanzador four-seater, originally announced as an EV-only model, now seems increasingly likely to arrive as a PHEV in 2029, a year later than scheduled.
One could argue hybrids are a necessary evil for low-volume brands like Lamborghini. Without a fleet of EVs to offset the emissions from their large-displacement engines, exotic automakers must rely on hybridization to meet tightening regulations in Europe and beyond. If there’s one brand that knows how to make exciting hybrids, it’s the one based in Sant’Agata Bolognese.
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