Stefano Domenicali joined Lamborghini as chief executive officer in February, in the midst of the company’s most successful six months to date. 

The Sant’Agata sports car company sold a record 2013 Lamborghini Huracáns and Lamborghini Aventadors in the first six months of this year, and in June set a new monthly standard of 416 cars sold. 

Now five months into his new job, Domenicali sat down to discuss his vision for the company with Autocar. 

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How is your new job progressing?

“I’m very excited about this challenge because Lamborghini is in transition. We are consolidating the brand and stabilising our sales volumes for the Aventador and Huracán. Then, of course, we are preparing for the Urus SUV, which will be a game changer for us. It is a new market with new customers and we need to prepare our dealerships to sell this new car in 2018. 

“On the other hand, we don’t want to lose the DNA of our cars as regards to the future of the Aventador and the Huracán. We need to grow this company in the right way. We will never, ever chase volume. We need to be a brand of a certain exclusivity.”

Do you see a limit to how many cars Lamborghini should make?

“Last year, we sold 3245 cars and this year we will grow for sure, but I want to stabilise. There is always a need to keep Lamborghini desirable, so with a two-model portfolio, I want to be around 3500 cars, no more. Urus [sales] will be on top of that and our aim in that segment is to be aggressive but, above all, we need to make sure that we have the right product in terms of design and values.”

How will Lamborghini address electrification?

“We cannot be disconnected to the world of the future but we want to be balanced. We have clearly identified the values that are fundamental for our brand in the super-sports segment. Our major customers and dealers around the world say: ‘Please do not touch the V12’. So we will continue to work in that direction.

"Then we need to make sure that as soon as the technology of electrification is relevant to our car at a cost level, and will add value, we are flexible to shift in that direction.” 

When competitors are downsizing, can you continue to make a case for a V12?