LAMBORGINI NEED LESS AUDI

Future Lamborghinis will use no more than 20 per cent of Audi parts in an attempt to stave off criticism that the firm’s Gallardo shares too many key characteristics with the Audi R8.

Company president Stephen Winkelmann has ordered a change in policy designed to maintain Lamborghini’s integrity. “We have an internal rule that in future common parts will never exceed 20 per cent,” he said.

“In the future, we will always work together just on the hidden parts — parts that will not touch the DNA of Lamborghini.

“That could include things like the electrical platforms that need high investment, or hoses and filters, but we have to safeguard against too much of it.”

The new Gallardo LP560/4’s V10 is cast in the same factory as several Audi engines, and its block and cylinder heads are built on the same line as all of Audi’s petrol engines.

Lamborghini industrial director Klaus Peter Korner said component and technology sharing with Audi was beneficial for the larger company, too.

“Audi had no experience at all with a car like the Murciélago,” he said. “They learn from us to use smaller tools and cheaper tools for small series cars. In this way we are working together.

“We have a quality benchmark with Audi. We get the best and the fastest, and Audi gets us the cheapest.”

He believes that Lamborghini customers are not interested in the origin of minor components. “The customer isn’t interested in Audi or VW logos on a tube, or who each clip is produced by. We use the same parts [as Audi] when it’s possible and when it gives us higher quality.

“That way, for the customer, it has to be an improvement when we share parts. When it’s better to have a unique solution, we should do it.”