Lamborghini is about dreams, says its chairman and CEO

SINGAPORE - There is something special going on between the Raging Bull and the Lion City. Or at least, the boss of Lamborghini values Singapore enough to make the trip from Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, to present the Temerario sports car to prospects here.

Mr Stephan Winkelmann is not the typical company executive and neither is Lamborghini an everyday car company.

Impeccably dressed, the chairman and chief executive of Lamborghini has become the face of the brand he leads.

Born in Berlin in 1964, a year after Lamborghini’s founding, Mr Winkelmann grew up in Rome. He has led Lamborghini since 2005, although between 2016 and 2020, he headed other companies under the Volkswagen Group.

Building ultra-exclusive dream cars is a constant in Lamborghini’s 62-year history, and the arrival of models like the Gallardo in 2003 and the Urus sport utility vehicle (SUV) in 2017 boosted the brand’s sales numbers. Lamborghini delivered 10,687 cars in 2024, the highest in its history.

According to Mr Winkelmann, sales performance in the first six months of 2025 was comparable with that in the same period in 2024.

Exclusivity is still the name of the game for Lamborghini, he said in an interview with The Straits Times on Aug 29 at the media launch of the Temerario.

Limiting the supply of cars protects their residual value, he added.

The event, staged in the Aviation Hub at Seletar Airport, was part of the global campaign to introduce clients to the Huracan’s successor. The Temerario’s world tour will continue till the end of 2026.

In Singapore, the car is estimated to cost more than $1.5 million before options and certificate of entitlement (COE), with a significant chunk of the price going towards vehicle taxes here.

High on Mr Winkelmann’s to-do list since returning to Lamborghini in 2020 has been to renew the product line-up with a range of plug-in hybrid models, and also to add a fourth model to the brand.

This is against the backdrop of two big challenges faced by car companies: digitalisation and electrification.

Disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the changes brought about by the rising influence of Chinese cars and Chinese consumers complicate things further.

The industry’s move from combustion engine to fully electric cars was slower than earlier projected, he said. It was decided that Lamborghini would take a more measured approach to making the transition, instead of rushing.

Prolonging combustion engines in its line-up plays to Lamborghini’s strength. From the V12 in the Miura of 1966 (credited as the world’s first “supercar”) to the V10s in the Gallardo (2003) and Huracan (2014), engines have always been a big part of the brand.

With the launch of the Temerario, a plug-in hybrid, Lamborghini’s transition to a fully electrified brand is complete. The Temerario

joins the Revuelto flagship supercar

and

the Urus SE SUV.

Mr Winkelmann said the new 4-litre V8 engine in the Temerario can be expected to be further developed for future applications down the road.

The fourth Lamborghini model will be a two-door, four-seater GT or grand tourer. This format goes back to the genesis of the brand’s first car, the 350 GT of 1964.

“In my opinion, this is important for the company, because it is the only type of body style which is missing for a supercar company,” he said.

The company has six to nine months to decide what will go under the bonnet of the new car – whether it will be a plug-in hybrid, or if it will be the first Lamborghini made as an electric car without an exhaust pipe.

As for digitalisation, Mr Winkelmann said Chinese consumers, in particular, are expecting cars with more digital features, such as cabins dominated by big infotainment screens, while European customers are less keen.

Addressing the contrasting preferences is challenging for Lamborghini, because what it builds is meant for global consumption and not for specific regions.

Acknowledging that being able to stay connected and entertained is relevant in cars that have to sit in traffic for hours, Mr Winkelmann said Lamborghini wants to stay true to its roots as an Italian supercar brand with an evocative history.

“We are selling dreams. We are not selling mobility.”