News from Lamborghini indicates that the eye-catching Estoque saloon concept that was unveiled at the Paris motor show this year, could be headed for production as soon as 2012.

Volkswagen’s executive board holds the key, and more importantly the purse strings, and will make its decision based on the whether the Estoque’s cost projections add up. If all goes to plan, the four-door Lambo would hit the market with a price tag under AUD$300,000.

Lamborghini’s head of research and development, Maurizio Reggiani, explained that, if left unchanged, the Estoque would run the same all-wheel drive setup and 5.2L direct-injection V10 engine as the Gallardo. While power would be down slightly, to 373kWs, torque figures will be on par and delivered at lower revs to improve drive-ability.

The Estoque will use an all-new seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox, rather than the manual and ‘E-Gear’ transmissions currently on offer, to improve fuel economy and ensure the driving experience is of a standard befitting a high-calibre saloon.

In what will be a first for Lamborghini, multiple engines are being considered for the Estoque, including a twin-turbo V8 and also, remarkably, a diesel. Reports indicate that Lamborghini is also considering a hybrid-electric system for both petrol and diesel engines.

“The pressure is already on us to do something significant to lower CO2. We will never offer our super-sports cars with diesel engines, and we will never resort to turbocharging for those cars either. But the opportunity is there to develop a turbocharged, maybe even a diesel engine for Estoque, and since the car could be well-priced and could sell in quite large numbers for us, it’s a big chance for us.”

The Estoque has been built using a mix of Gallardo components and other bits and pieces from various Volkswagen parts bins, but Lamborghini has rejected rumours that its latest offering will use the current or next generation Audi A8 platform as was previously reported.

With Porsche’s Panamera and Aston Martin’s Rapide heading to showrooms in the future, the Lamborghini Estoque looks to have its work cut out if it gets the go ahead.

Though it might have four doors, the 500hp engine, all-wheel drive layout, and striking good looks is enough to convince us that the Estoque is a good thing. Hopefully Volkswagen agrees.

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