HispanicBusiness

Lamborghini is working on plans for a third model segment that could be more suitable for the man in the street than the superpower Gallardo and Aventador cars, according to a report in Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann was quoted as saying that "our objective is to boost sales in the coming years to 5,000 cars a year with a third model line-up."

The Italian carmaker, which was bought by Audi in 1998, was badly hit by the 2009 financial crisis and is currently producing only 1,600 vehicles annually with prices starting at around 250,000 euros (347,000 dollars) for the super cars.

The VW concern, to which Audi belongs, has given the directive that it wants all its subsidiaries to be profitable.

Winkelmann said that a third model-line could be a four-door, like a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), "but what is important to me: It must always be recognisable as a Lamborghini."

A Lamborghini SUV could be built on the platform already used by the Audi Q7 or the Porsche Cayenne, saving significantly on production costs, according to the report.