As long as Luca di Montezemolo is in charge at Ferrari, the Italian automaker will never build a sedan. That was the declaration di Montezemolo made at the Paris Motor show yesterday, following the debut of rival Lamborghini’s Estoque four-door.
While Porsche is prepping its Panamera sedan and Aston Martin is putting the finishing touches on its Rapide, Ferrari is steadfast in its opposition to such a strategy.
The company chairman made it clear he feels sister company Maserati covers the sedan segment sufficiently. This seems to echo a recent statement by Ferrari spokesperson Davide Kluzer that SUVs and sedans are something “we will never do.”
Di Montezemolo also noted the supercar maker would not build a vehicle with a V10. Instead, it will focus mostly on V8s, plus new fuel-efficient technologies like the Formula One Kinetic Energy Recovery System.
So there you have it, folks. The Lamborghini Estoque will remain the world’s most exotic sedan for the foreseeable future.


10/03, 1:25 PM
posted by:
The Stig
You mean Kinetic Energy Recovery System.
10/03, 1:55 PM
posted by:
nowei
“The Lamborghini Estoque will remain the world’s most exotic sedan for the foreseeable future.”
Only if you consider a Lamborghini to be more exotic than an Aston Martin. It’s six of one, a half dozen of another.
10/03, 1:55 PM
posted by:
yarddog82abn
Ya that’s cool and stuff, but why not give the Quattroporte the V12 off the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano?
just put out like a hand full right be for Lambo put’s for sale super sedan. Hay, I’m just saying….
10/03, 2:07 PM
posted by:
phillipsexeter
Thank you Ferrari… Thank you for not making me watch the desecration of having some classless dip$h!t pull his ugly baby out of a car seat in the back of his Ferrari at my ten year class reunion.
10/03, 2:18 PM
posted by:
alfonzo.woods@gmail.com
I’m with you yarddog. Stuff the V12 in the Quattroporte stat!
10/03, 3:19 PM
posted by:
A4
A mercedes S65 AMG isnt exotic either? Maybe it blends in a little bit but it sure as hell runs with the rest of them.
10/03, 3:31 PM
posted by:
jandrews90
Thank god!! at least one of the exotic sports car companies is staying with their values.
10/03, 3:35 PM
posted by:
JoshyLofty
agreed.
10/03, 3:49 PM
posted by:
441Zuke
the Lamborghini beefsteak is a travesty.
10/03, 3:57 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Anyone else wonder if Lambo would be of the same mind were they not in the Audi fold?
10/03, 4:27 PM
posted by:
LS7
They say that now….. but if Lambo does well, then Ferrari needs to rethink. And looking at the market, they might have to. Can you image if Porsche never decided to make the Cayanne SUV? It is their #1 seller now. Can you imagine if Lexus & Mercedes decided not to make SUVs? Come on. It outrageous as it sounds, Ferrari needs a sedan. It will sell. In record numbers. The 493HP 4.3L V8 will work just fine–just don’t bloat it up with weight. If Maserati can sell sedans, Ferrari can sell lots of sedans.
10/03, 4:42 PM
posted by:
441Zuke
a ferrai sedan dilutes the brand worse then then the California does, the estaque isn’t a lambo it is a audi in lambo clothes
10/03, 4:45 PM
posted by:
tzu13
Thank you, Ferrari.
10/03, 6:02 PM
posted by:
pzimet
441Zuke: Obviously not, as it’s designed by Lamborghini. The end
people like you always looking at the glass half empty totally suck
10/03, 6:14 PM
posted by:
Mr. Piston
I see everyone here loves change…..
Quit crying ! ! !
10/03, 6:29 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
Good. We don’t need your overpriced POS vehicles anyway. Lamborghini will sh!t all over you!
10/03, 7:13 PM
posted by:
VWgrouP
Yeah, see Montezemolo is a smart guy. Verry smart guy.
10/03, 7:32 PM
posted by:
Rafa LL
At least Ferrari stays loyal to it roots.
10/03, 9:08 PM
posted by:
Get Real
At least Ferrari knows not to answer a question nobody asked of it. Unlike Porsche.
10/03, 9:47 PM
posted by:
tyler_is_aero_tt
Thank God, like we need anymore of these copy-catter exotic sedans.
10/03, 10:59 PM
posted by:
441Zuke
@pzimet- to quote the left lane news article “Lamborghini will lean heavily on parent Audi for the underpinnings of its new model…. the Lamborghini sedan will ride on the upcoming Audi A8’s all-aluminum space frame ” i think you are slightly mistaken then. the car isn’t on a frame designed by lambo it will have an audi engine surely, they are considering a a lambo v10 which makes it slightly more lambo. but simply changing the body work and tweaking the power train does not make a super car or even a lambo. the reventon is a lambo the diablo is a lambo. this is not a lambo, it is badge engineering to a higher level. Lamborghini’s are pornographic jet fighters on wheels they are vulger, loud and are over the top in performance and looks. this isn’t that it isn’t bad but it is not a lambo.period.
10/04, 12:17 AM
posted by:
MurcieMe
Just because Lamborghini hasn’t done anything un-zany in decades does not mean they’re ‘abandoning thier roots’ Lamborghini is not Ferrari and never was. In fact Lamborghini’s roots began with a fast, luxurious Grand Touring coupe, the 350 GT, and they always had a more “comfortable” GT car in their lineup until the demise of the Espada in 1978. The Espada, by the way, had a number of design studies as a four door, and one was even coachbuilt as a four door wagon. Let’s also not forget the LM002, and the lacklustre V-8 cars they once produced. Lamborghini’s past includes a wide range of vehicles and I applaud them for actually going back to their roots to produce the Estoque! The only reason they couldn’t flush out their lineup in the 80’s & 90’s is because they were always on the verge of bankruptcy or being sold to new owners.
10/04, 4:00 AM
posted by:
Whiplash-C6Z06
MurcieMe hit it dead on. Lamborghini had quite a diverse, if esoteric line-up during the 70s and 80s. The Countach was the flagship, but even as Chrysler bought them, Lambo was serious about wanting a supercar sedan, the Portofino with four scissor doors that opened away from each other. The car proved too expensive to build, but Lambo never lost the idea.
Lamborghini wasn’t created as a racing company like Ferrari. It was created to thumb its nose at Enzo Ferrari.
10/04, 10:04 AM
posted by:
pit.bull
this recent model featuring a four door, with the damn same stuff from the previous models (LP560-4, reventon) one word: pisser. Thank you Ferrari for noticing ferrari is a ’supercar’ brand. Lamborghini said he could make ‘better’ supercars, well sorry mate, estoque ain’t a supercar!
Ferrari has always, and probably will always, be better than Lamborghini.
10/04, 12:36 PM
posted by:
Rafa LL
I have to admit that Lamborghini lost a point, which had above Ferrari exclusivity, but I don’t think Ferrari is better. Just look at the Estoque as I look at the Cayenne, like a block buster that’s only made for the economical benefits. Don’t relate the Estoque to the Gallardo and Murciélago, it’s easier to swallow.
10/04, 1:53 PM
posted by:
Scarface03
Get Real,
I think the more proper analogy with Porsche is not that Porsche answered a question that no one was asking, but that Porsche answered a quesition that Porsche shoppers didn’t realize they were asking! How else can you account for the sales success of the Cayenne? Porsche was a sports car company that occasionally sold an exotic (959, Carrera GT). But Porsche realized that almost every person who bought a Porsche owned an SUV, so Porsche asked itself what would happen if we sold an SUV? Porsche is still the most profitable car company in the world (when looking at profit per car sold), and but for a few pesky German laws, Porsche would already own Volkswagen, Seat, Bentley, Audi, AND Lamborghini.
I think it’s absolutlely true that without the Audi parentage, we would never have seen a four-door Lambo in our lifetime. No way Lambo would want to R&D one from scratch.
My initial gut reaction is, “Lamborghini, what the hell are you thinking?!?” But then, I ask myself, isn’t this essentially what Ferrari has done with the Maserati Quattroporte? Sure, Ferrari did not dilute its own brand name with a 4-door, but the Quattroporte would not be what it is without Ferrari. And if Fiat did not own Maserati, who knows, maybe Ferrari woudl have partnered with someone to get a 4-door on the roads…. because, after all, Ferrari is a business and it is certainly true that Ferrari will sell every car it makes at above sticker price. Pure and simple.
The buyers of the Estoque are those who can already quench their thirst for sports cars with the numerous sports cars (likely a Lambo or two) in their garage, so why not have an exclusive ride to work? Will I ever get used to the idea of an Estoque like I have the Panamera or Rapide? Almost certainly not, but you also can’t say it’s s dumb move either….
10/04, 2:14 PM
posted by:
MurcieMe
pit.bull, Lamborghini didn’t set out to make a better ’supercar’ than Ferrari, he set out to make a better grand tourer. And on that account he did. The 350GT was regarded as better than the Ferrari’s of the day. It was more powerful, luxurious and reliable than what Ferrari had at the time, and Ferrari had to catch up. Then Lamborghini created the Miura, which most people consider to be the worlds first ’supercar’ - it really turned the automotive world on it’s ear, it was a sensation, an event, and Ferrari again had to catch up. It happened again when the epoch Countach arrived, and to a much lesser extent when they came out with the 200mph+ Diablo. When the Murciélago came out under Audi it was a different game. The Murciélago had better fit & finish than Ferrari could do so they had to step up their game in that department.
Lamborghini has always served to make Ferrari better. I WILL ADMIT and I Do Agree that Ferrari does make the better out & out Sports Car. The racing pedigree, the superior handling, the more connected feel you get when you drive a Ferrari is unmistakable. But Lamborghini’s are something different. The attitude, the styling, the sound, the extremeness of it all appeals to a slightly different type of person. For instance I know an F430 Scuderia might be a slightly better sports car than a new Gallardo, but I don’t care. I’d still get the Gallardo!
I understand what a lot of people seem to be having a problem with though. With the Estoque much of that uncompromising ‘EXTREME’ attitude does go out the window, but instead they’re picking up on Ferruccio Lamborghini’s abandoned vision of the ultimate GT. Not a sin at all in my books! It’s not nearly as bad as when Porsche came out with an SUV.
10/04, 5:19 PM
posted by:
NismoSentraKen
======>>for those that forgot, the Audi //RS6 is a SuperSedan too……..just a side note
10/05, 12:22 AM
posted by:
zoomzoomer
Lamborghini has a long history of offering everything from wagonesque 4-seaters and even 4-door SUVs alongside its supercars.. so this seems like a logical brand to add their two cents to the burgeoning super sedan market. I think it looks great.. much better than the Panamera. Let’s hope the underpinnings are somehow related to the other Lambos, but considering the completely different layout I’m guessing there will be some Audi influence in the chassis. That’s not necessarily all bad.. I haven’t heard anyone complaining about the Bentley Continentals’ VW Phaeton platform!
10/06, 12:01 AM
posted by:
rascasse
coming from fans of the company that has laid the egg called ‘California’….i’d be a bit careful criticizing other brands designs. Lamborghini has never forgotten what constitutes ’supercars’. Ferrari may make dynamically excellent products..but as for how they look…please. The 430 is a very unresolved design…basically a 350 on a japanese tv show. The 599 looks bloated, and the 612…well, the less said the better. Was at a car show in Phoenix saturday night….the Lambo’s had the crowds…the only comment’s made about the Ferrari’s where ‘how japanese they look’. Give me a Murcielago any day. The Etoque will be a fantastic car to drive and look at. With Ferrari, all you have is an impending cringe factor anticipating what poor design they will come up with next.
10/06, 1:55 AM
posted by:
441Zuke
it’s a god damn A8 R with fancy clothes has this world gone mad. oh and with probably a jacked up price. my main point of contention is Ferrari would never build a volume model they have always said that. and god damnit read the article on the car if you going to make an opinion at least have an informed one. it shares the A8 frame and will even use the audi engine on one model
10/06, 2:08 AM
posted by:
rascasse
….uh…Zuke….you really are a comedian aren’t you. You talk about ‘volume models’….? With the California, Ferrari will be producing almost 10,000 cars per year. THAT is a volume producer. At least Lamborghini understands the concepts of exotic and limited production. Ferrari’s are plain-jane around this part of the country….no one really cares about them much because they are too common. Lamborghini’s still make people sit up and notice. Pretty soon there will be more Ferrari’s built in a year than Porsche’s….
btw….what is wrong with the A8…?
10/06, 8:23 AM
posted by:
peter g
In my book a MB S65 AMG is an exotic car. Wanting to own one is another issue, just as it is with the Ferrari 430…
10/06, 8:28 AM
posted by:
nkay
Scheew! Thank you Ferrrari, I mean really, can you imagine the pracing horse in a carpool. I really have nothing against lambo/aston/porsche, they all produce amazing cars in their own right, but if anyone is to shun ’sedanism’ im sure glad its you!
10/06, 2:21 PM
posted by:
Get Real
With the DOW below 10,000 and Wall Street wonderboys getting dumped into the street on their bottoms I think Ferrari and Porsche will be worried about survival and sales.
10/06, 11:26 PM
posted by:
441Zuke
my problem with the a8 based estaque is it is not a Lamborghini. that simple.Audi’s used to have a nose heavy tendency if that is true now i don’t know. the main problem was engine placement far in the front. i don’t see how sticking a v10 in a light frame will help for weight distribution. and a total volume production of 6,465 for 2008 Ferrari isn’ that high and in 2-3 year it will be putting out around 3,000 cali’s ( I dislike this car it looks like trash and but has a solid motor transmission axle combo and it is a 2+2 not a sedan)(and yes i was wrong it has the same volume as the estaque). For yes around 10,000 cars probably more. but in the month of September alone Toyota sold 21,316 corolla’s (wallstreet journal figure) more then twice as much as a Ferrari for a whole year.it is not a volume producer. also where the hell do you live were ferrai’s are common place but lambos are not they are not like camrys and accords. I sweat there are more lambo’s then ferrari’s but for 2007 lambo only sold 2500 cars for 2008 i couldn’t find out I would guess about 2800 based on their gain from 2006. my main problem with this car is it is a money grab just like the California but even more blatant this doesn’t have a true lambo frame under it and maybe even a lambo v10 and when it goes head to head with the Porsche and the Aston it won’t be as good. also it isn’t that great looking the reventon was better ( lambo always looks better then ferrai but the ferrai always kicks the lambo’s ass around the track). if it was a purely a fashion excise it needs suicide doors or something to be truly outrageous like the reventon is
10/08, 4:22 PM
posted by:
Ferrari09
holy ****. thank god. i was kinda scared ferrari would be bitches too. way too go. this is why they are my favorite. its also a reliefe that there wont be any v10s.