Every Automobili Lamborghini car starts with one simple line. Whether a sports car, performance SUV or all-electric crossover, the Italian automaker aims to have onlookers know from a distance that what they're seeing is a Lamborghini just by seeing that line.
"For me, our design DNA is always this single center line with the full tension," Mitja Borkert, Lamborghini's head of design told Newsweek at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering last week. "When you see this side view, it doesn't matter if it is Countach, or Aventador ... immediately, every child can tell you, everyone that knows about cars can tell you immediately it's a Lamborghini."
While Borkert did work on the latest Countach iteration, which was revealed at last year's Quail, that's not what his team has had their pencils out working on lately. Of the projects Borkert can openly speak to, the Huracán Sterrato and Lanzador concept were the most recent.
"When creating the Lanzador, this [line] was the starting point," Borkert said. "In the same moment, we were also working on the Huracán Sterrato, a supercar in a higher position. For me, it was then quite cool to check how the supercar proportion could look [on a higher riding model] ... We ended up with the Lanzador."
Lanzador blends the line between crossover and supercar in the same way the Ferrari Purosangue does. Though Borkert didn't straight up acknowledge the parallels, they exist from the car's design methodology to execution.
"It's a super sports car in the pilot position. You know, it's, it's like a spaceship," he said. "We wanted to inspire the world with this GT car, [with] two-plus-two [seating]. But for me, we are creating a new segment, the Ultra GT, but it's for me also plus lifestyle."
Lanzador, though a concept, is likely a predecessor to a model coming down the line. It doesn't just showcase the possibilities of a future Lambo exterior, but also a newly shaped interior that builds on tradition with high-quality, Italy-sourced fabrics and materials. "It's a very modern Lamborghini answer to you know, what is happening in the globe in terms of sustainability," Borkert said.
The concept's electric battery powertrain allows Lanzador to have a flat load floor, as is the case in many electric vehicles. This immediately shows in the car's spacious interior. "We are creating a new segment, the Ultra GT, for me it is grand touring plus lifestyle ... We have a kiteboard, we have a longboard, we have luggage on the rear ... The car is super flexible," he explained.
Lamborghini hasn't said if a production version of Lanzador is coming, but it's safe to say that there's a hole in the company's lineup that could fit it perfectly. The automaker plans to electrify its entire lineup by 2024 and have its first electric car come to market in the second-half of the decade.
For now, the Lanzador concept serves as a design and engineering study. "We are creating usually cars that have a top speed superior to 300-something kilometers per hour. So, I'm always saying that Lamborghini is designed with high performance surfaces," Bokert said, explaining that he relishes the challenge of integrating new functionalities with the aerodynamic design details that are hallmarks of the new era of electrification.
Bokert sees Lanzador's S-curve body design and moveable rear aerodynamic blades as being part of an engineering solution of the future. The same as the front and rear trunks. "They are there because we wanted to inspire everyone that is seeing the Lanzador; we wanted to show what could be done with the car. I think it's cool."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull leads the Autos team at Newsweek. She has written extensively about the auto industry for U.S. News & ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
