Estoque, the four-door Lamborghini concept we first saw at the Paris Motor Show, is headed for production in 2011 where its price tag will come in at less than £150,000. More than this, Estoque should offer a number of engine options including diesel.

When Autocar spoke to Lamborghini R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani, he said Estoque is a unique platform from Lamborghini, contrary to earlier speculation that it will share its underpinnings with the Audi A8. . "If," he said, "you consider the length of the wheelbase and the size of the wheels (the Estoque concept boasts 23 inch rims at the rear), this could not be an A8 floorplan."

What it will be though is a car notched above Porsche's upcoming Panamera and the Audi A7, good for a 500bhp-plus, 450lb ft of torque engine, probably the same 5.2-litre V10 currently working its socks off in other Lambo models. Lower down V8s are to be found, alongside a super diesel and possibly even a, hybrid. Lamborghini, like other motor brands, is under tremendous stress to reduce CO2 emissions and therefore takes the engine choice quite seriously, considering its heritage.

"We will never offer our super-sports cars with diesel engines," Reggiani said, "and we will never resort to turbocharging for those cars either; to do either would betray our heritage and customers, and for Murcielago and Gallardo we can make the savings in other ways.

"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. No Lamborghini will ever emit 120g/km, but still we have to improve our figures and make progress."

The worldwide collapse of car sales has hit everyone in the past six months, and super-expensive high-end cars are no exception. With no immediate signs of either a general economic recovery or an auto sales boost on the horizon, now hardly seems like the time to develop an all-new exotic sedan. With that in mind, Lamborghini reportedly has shelved plans to build the Estoque, which debuted as a concept at last fall's Paris Motor Show. Given the positive response it received, Lamborghini had started feasibility studies aimed at producing the new four-door. Instead, the company will focus on new versions of both the Gallardo and Murcielago, with a particular focus on weight reduction.

R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani is also apparently rejecting calls for a dual clutch gearbox to replace the current e-gear automated manual. Reggiani calls the DCT "too smooth" and lacking in the drama Lambo owners want. Based on our experience with that gearbox in an Audi R8, we would describe it as being more embarrassing than dramatic. Since we don't have the budget for a Lambo, Reggiani likely doesn't give much credence to our opinion, though.