Famed Italian car designer Giorgetto Giugiara, a man who loved straight lines and straight talk, once said “curved lines are actually bullsh*t.”
Fans and clientele of Lamborghini, the super sports car maker known for its angular lines and hard-edged surfaces, would likely agree with that statement, as they are buying more cars than ever.
Last year Lamborghini, which is part of Volkswagen’s Audi Group (VWAGY), had its best financial year, breaking records with vehicle sales, revenue, and profitability.
“The high demand of our super sports cars, the fact that everybody was asking for more options, for more individualization, and also the mix of our cars was very positive,” Lamborghini Chairman and CEO Stephan Winkelmann said in an interview with Yahoo Finance. “Every day, we are selling more cars than we are able to produce, so we have a very long order bank which is a one-year waiting time if you buy a car today.”
Leading the way as the Urus SUV, with over 5,000 units sold last year globally. From a sales mix perspective EMEA led the way with 39{3d574d04260445b974e179bf3ff046a0efc0d8ec2402698bbe90392fe819f2c3} of sales, followed by the Americas (34{3d574d04260445b974e179bf3ff046a0efc0d8ec2402698bbe90392fe819f2c3}) and Asia Pacific (27{3d574d04260445b974e179bf3ff046a0efc0d8ec2402698bbe90392fe819f2c3}), which was also the fastest growing region.
Last year was not without its challenges, with semiconductor and parts shortages, among other issues. Winkelmann says since Lamborghini is relatively small in-terms of vehicle production, (less than 10,000 vehicles), and with high margins (20.2{3d574d04260445b974e179bf3ff046a0efc0d8ec2402698bbe90392fe819f2c3} last year), the automaker did not really suffer as it had enough components to get the job done.
This year has its own unique challenges, from the Felicity Ace cargo ship sinking, where Lamborghini lost 85 cars, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. The company is monitoring the situation in Ukraine closely for any impact, and as for the Felicity Ace, Winkelmann says they are going to replace all vehicles lost because they were already sold to customers.
The future is all about hybridization and electrification for Lamborghini. “We are on track with our program for hybridization, so we will hybridize all of our lineup in the year ’23 and ’24 starting with the Aventador with a completely new V-12 engine, with a plug-in hybrid,” Winkelmann says. “Then in ’24 will have the Urus, and at the end of ’24, the replacement of the Huracán. All will be plug-in hybrids and reduce the CO2 emissions in comparison of today by 50{3d574d04260445b974e179bf3ff046a0efc0d8ec2402698bbe90392fe819f2c3}.”
Full electrification will be coming after that, with the brand aiming for it to start in the second half of the decade with the introduction of an all-new, all-electric fourth model, likely coming in 2027 or 2028 which Winkelmann said in a prior interview with Yahoo Finance.
One thing is for certain, any new Lamborghini hybrids or EVs must be worthy of “the badge.”
“What we have to promise, what we have to keep is the fact that the new generation of cars has to be [better] performing than the one that we have today,” Winkelmann says. “This is a must for a super sports car company like Lamborghini.”
Also a must for the brand will those laser-sharp lines and edges, and likely no soft curves surrounding those new all-electric powertrains.
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Pras Subramanian is the senior autos reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.
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