For the first time since the "Rambo Lambo," Italian supercar company Automobili Lamborghini confirmed it is making a luxury SUV.
DETROIT, MI - For the first time since the "Rambo Lambo," Italian supercar company Automobili Lamborghini confirmed it is making a luxury SUV.
The company said it plans to launch the SUV in 2018 as part of a joint venture with its parent company Audi AG and Volkswagen Group. A concept of the SUV was first shown at the Beijing auto show in 2012.
The forthcoming SUV will be produced at Lamborghini's plant in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, where the company will hire an additional 500 workers. Lamborghini also said Wednesday it will nearly double its facility there from 80,000 square meters (about 262,465 square feet) to 150,000 square meters (about 492,125 square feet).
Reuters reports the supercar maker intends to produce about 3,000 units a year, and will target the U.S., China, Germany, Russia and United Kingdom markets, where consumers have an appetite for all-wheel-drive utilities.
For all of 2014, Lamborghini delivered just 2,530 units, though it was a record year for the company. It sold its luxury sports cars through 130 dealerships in 48 countries.
The yet-to-be-named SUV is expected to cost about 180,000 euros (about $195,000), according to Reuters.
Nicknamed the "Rambo Lambo," Lamborghini made just 328 units of the LM002 from 1986-1993. The SUV is seen as crucial for Lamborghini, as other luxury automakers such as Porsche and Bentley have already seen success in the segment.
It is not the first time Lamborghini will have tried its hand at an SUV, however.
The company produced just 328 units of the Lamborghini LM002, nicknamed the "Rambo Lambo," from 1986-1993. The four-door SUV had a V-12 engine from the Lamborghini Countach, and had custom-made Pirelli Tires.
Although a rarity, there is at least one LM002 currently on the market in the U.S., according to Autotrader.com. Its asking price isn't listed.
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter