Sportscar/GT (and Le Mans) Rumours and Repetition

[isynge]

Reading the comments from Sanna I suspect they're pretty light hearted rather than an expression of intent.

Lamborghini is chock full of talented people - has one of them done a concept study / paper prototype of what a Lamborghini LMP might look like? I'd be astonished if the answer was no. Is Sanna in the position to rule something out, the answer again is no. Will we see a Lamborghini in LMP anytime soon, sadly I suspect the answer to that is also no.

[MitchZ06]

Lambo is better off with a GT project than an LMP one, why do people have such a fascination to see every mfger in LMP?

[Gingers4Justice]

All Lamborghini do is make prototypes, and the sell them as road cars. Just don't see what an LMP1 car would achieve for them.

[GT6]

I agree GT is a better fit for them but their record in Le mans is not filled with great attempts

[Gingers4Justice]

They don't even need to go GT racing. Footballers and other people with more money than sense don't buy their cars based on results in the GT classes at Le Mans, they just go for what looks cool, and that's why Lambo don't really do racing.

Quite often, racing Lambos are quite spectacular cars but I detest the road versions and everything they stand for. But that's fine, if I were rich I still wouldn't be their target market.

Anyway, there are plenty of VAG brands do well in both GT and LMP racing so I don't see anything serious happening from Lambo.

[GT6]

I am not sure about the modern cars but to me the miura is still one of the best looking cars ever made if not the best, when i was young it was the car i always dreamed of, and have owned loads of cars since but still feel it was perfect, yes i know it was often put together in a less that perfect way and had many faults but dream cars do not take that into account

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

Footballers and other people with more money than sense don't buy their cars based on results in the GT classes at Le Mans --

Intelligent person WOULDN'T buy car based on the results of Le Mans GTE classes, the relative performances of those cars have nothing to do with the strengths & weaknesses of the actual manufacturers and models they're representing, only politics.

-- they just go for what looks cool, and that's why Lambo don't really do racing.

And that's overgeneralization.

Lamborghini has as much reason to be in GT racing as any other current manufacturer.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by isynge

Reading the comments from Sanna I suspect they're pretty light hearted rather than an expression of intent.

I agree.

[TF110]

No one is saying they will be in lmp. Just the driver saying there is possibility. Lamborghini have sold a record amount of cars. Every Aventador is spoken for. The Huracan has a waiting list. Officially doing a racing project from the factory is a blessing. As for GT or lmp, why not both? The huracan gt3 will be sold to customers, which makes money. Vag has plenty of that laying around to promote racing within every brand. Not every brand has to occupy the same arena, but it can't hurt. How many GT series have Audi, Porsche, Bentley and Lamborghini racing eachother? VW occupy wrc. But the other brands are where? GT racing. Two are in lmp1. What about Lamborghini? Im sure they want time in the limelight, so where do they fit in? Thats going to be interesting to see in the coming future.

[GT3.14]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

They don't even need to go GT racing. Footballers and other people with more money than sense don't buy their cars based on results in the GT classes at Le Mans, they just go for what looks cool, and that's why Lambo don't really do racing.

Quite often, racing Lambos are quite spectacular cars but I detest the road versions and everything they stand for. But that's fine, if I were rich I still wouldn't be their target market.

But isn't that why they should be building racing pedigree? So people like you and I would not think they are only for footballers and rappers?

[isynge]

Originally Posted by GT3.14

But isn't that why they should be building racing pedigree? So people like you and I would not think they are only for footballers and rappers?

If Lamborghini have effectively figured out the persona of their customer base and are effectively selling to them why on earth would they change?

[CTD]

Originally Posted by GT3.14

But isn't that why they should be building racing pedigree? So people like you and I would not think they are only for footballers and rappers?

Originally Posted by isynge

If Lamborghini have effectively figured out the persona of their customer base and are effectively selling to them why on earth would they change?

Their current customer base doesn't give much about racing pedigree. All they want is that awful "bling" (show off) factor, and that it goes fast down a straight line.
Trying to reach a new costumer base could be very costly and with the risk of losing their current costumers.

I honestly don't want to see Lamborghini involved in large scale racing, as that has never been a part of their brand, I would much rather want those resources transferred into other brands who has a pedigree to build upon.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by CTD

Their current customer base doesn't give much about racing pedigree. All they want is that awful "bling" (show off) factor, and that it goes fast down a straight line.
Trying to reach a new costumer base could be very costly and with the risk of losing their current costumers.

I honestly don't want to see Lamborghini involved in large scale racing, as that has never been a part of their brand, I would much rather want those resources transferred into other brands who has a pedigree to build upon.

Thats some post you have there! Do you work for Lamborghini's marketing department or sales, or know someone that does? I don't specifically know their market or their target audience, but rappers or other musicians are not the only people who buy Lamborghini's. Theyre probably a small percentage actually. Ive seen plenty of Gallardo's, Diablo's, Murcielago's etc. driven around by local rich guys.

[Breitling24]

Originally Posted by TF110

Thats some post you have there! Do you work for Lamborghini's marketing department or sales, or know someone that does? I don't specifically know their market or their target audience, but rappers or other musicians are not the only people who buy Lamborghini's. Theyre probably a small percentage actually. Ive seen plenty of Gallardo's, Diablo's, Murcielago's etc. driven around by local rich guys.

Yep. I was at a "cars and coffee" type event a couple weeks ago, and there were 8-10 Lambo's there, driven mostly by young dudes that are in the tech/video gaming industry. Not a rapper or footballer (even of the American type) was to be seen.

[Mal]

The only way it makes sense for VAG to use the Lamborghini brand in P1, would be if the rumoured Ferrari entry becomes reality.

[GT6]

Originally Posted by Mal

The only way it makes sense for VAG to use the Lamborghini brand in P1, would be if the rumoured Ferrari entry becomes reality.

But they already have porsche there, better to concentrate on thqt rather than split reasources

[Mal]

Originally Posted by GT6

But they already have porsche there, better to concentrate on thqt rather than split reasources

Where does that leave audi then?

[GT6]

Audi is a mass market brand and the vast majority of the millions of cars they sell are diesels, they have a big budget themselves, porsche sell impressive numbers of cars now and also have a big budget, Lambo sell very few cars to a specialist market and have only a relatively small budget.
If porsche and Ferrari battle it out again st each other in LMP1 the top people VAG have will be already very busy and will not want to be bothered by a low budget half hearted lambo effort

[Starfish Primer]

I don´t see Lambo as an sporting brand, I see it more as a luxury brand with very special designs. I think that motorsport doesn´t fit into their business model.

[rwintle]

It's never really been part of Lamborghini's philosophy to "go racing" (at least not since the very first stick-it-to-Ferrari days). Porsche and Ferrari have thrown lots of resources and support into customer racing programs - Lamborghini never has. Why start now? As has been stated above, if they're selling well into their niche market, what's to gain by spending a lot of money to try and collect a few racing trophies?

On the other hand, growing the brand through marketing coupled to serious racing effort - could possibly work given VW's considerable international marketing and sales muscle. But I really don't see it happening. And also as said above, recent Lambo efforts, at least on this side of the Atlantic, have been laughable. I'm still waiting for the ALMS Gallardo GT's to show up at a racetrack near me...

[TheDude]

lol. People complaining about a brand wanting to race

this is why we cant have nice things

[Richard117]

If they are bringing a screaming v12, let Lamborghini in asap

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by Starfish Primer

I don´t see Lambo as an sporting brand, I see it more as a luxury brand with very special designs. I think that motorsport doesn´t fit into their business model.

Well, so was Bentley, another luxury brand. If the Volkswagen Group want Lamborghini to race, it's either replace Audi or Porsche, or limit their Le Mans campaign to 2 cars for each brand, making it six cars to dominate Le Mans.

Originally Posted by Richard117

If they are bringing a screaming v12, let Lamborghini in asap

Nah, I don't think it'll last long because of the current regs. But hey, why not!

[nobster]

There will be a certain team from Japan who could run the cars for them. Last time it wasn't that succesfull but it could only get better!

[GT6]

Originally Posted by nobster

There will be a certain team from Japan who could run the cars for them. Last time it wasn't that succesfull but it could only get better!

Now that is great idea,