Audi Might Be Replaced By Porsche As Lamborghini’s Handler In January

Audi could soon relinquish ownership of Lamborghini in a VW Group shakeup that will allegedly see Porsche take charge of the Italian automaker.

Automobile Magazine reports that the companies involved want to finalize the change by January 1st, 2019 and if it goes ahead, Porsche’s influence on Lamborghini could be significant.

VW allegedly wants more and more of its performance vehicles to use Porsche underpinnings, which may present an obstacle for Lamborghini. It is no secret that replacements to the Aventador and Huracan are in the works and were going to share the same monofuselage carbon fiber architecture.

The Aventador’s successor is tipped to land in 2022, and because the project is so far into development, VW has no choice but to let Lamborghini carry on with limited influence from Porsche. Consequently, the supercar will utilize two electric motors at the front axle, batteries in the center, and a naturally-aspirated V12 engine combined with a dual-clutch Getrag transmission and a third e-motor behind the seats. All up, it could deliver more than 1000 hp.

Things, however, could get interesting with the next-generation Huracan. If Porsche does indeed take ownership of the marque by early next year, it may have time to overhaul Lamborghini’s entry-level model.

For the past little while, the company has been developing the next Huracan around the same architecture as the Aventador’s successor. While there’s a chance this may still happen, it is also possible that Porsche, Audi, and Lamborghini will create a new aluminum-intensive modular platform to be used by sports cars throughout the VW family.