Quote:
turbolite said:
One thing is fure sure:
Mr. Wiedeking has major interest in withdrawing support for Lambo!!
Every Lamborghini sold is a missed opportunity to sell a high margin Porsche!!!!
So no wonder if this discussion is started now, though only as a rumour with dementi. All future products from Lambo are a direct threat to Porsche, the new Espada to Panamera, the SUV to the Cayenne etc. For the first time Porsche has a competitor which has a similiar reliability record as them and they DO feel it!!
And as far as the production numbers of Lambo is concerned one shouldnt forget that the new Audi Le Mans coupe uses the same chassis as the gallardo, so effectively this platform is used twice. But who knows if the Le mans will do it in the end, maybe they let them build it, but they will have to sacrifice Lambo for it. After all it's easier for P to compete against Audi than Lambo in the high margin biz.

Thinking about it I find it really disgusting that Wiedeking & co try to play this card. I will stop supporting the P-brand if this happens, that's for sure!
i agree.
there are a lot of reasons for dumping lamborghini.
a) lamborghini sales numbers can't be increased as desired, the gallardo showed that. neither can they take a VW/audi platform and put a lambo body onto it, like bentley did with the phaeton. wouldn't convince buyers.
b) brand isn't nearly as strong as ferrari and never will be.
c) the lambo sales are peanuts for audi, the necessary investments (especially marketing) aren't.
d) porsche holds 20% of VW group, and the gallardo is a major threat to the 911 range -- not so much regarding sales numbers, but PR/marketing-wise.
e) audi is going to release it's own sports cars, but they alsways have to mind not to outplay the gallardo's power. probably this is really getting on their nerves.
f) IMO the miura "concept" showed that audi has no clue about lamborghini -- this show car was a declaration of bankruptcy of ideas.