Skip to main content

Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann steps down to run Audi’s quattro division

stephan winkelmann
Lamborghini
Confirming an earlier rumor, Audi has announced that Stephan Winkelmann is stepping down from his positions as the president and CEO of Lamborghini in order to run Audi’s quattro division.

The 51-year-old Winkelmann has been Lamborghini’s top executive since January of 2005. Under his leadership, the Italian car maker has experienced unprecedented growth, and has managed to establish a secure foothold in a host of lucrative new markets around the globe, including China. Winkelmann is widely credited as the man who helped Lamborghini re-invent itself and become the respected supercar maker that it is today.

While his time at Lamborghini is coming to an end, Winkelmann’s career is far from over. He will move from Lamborghini’s historic headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, to Neckarsulm, Germany, in order to run Audi’s quattro division, which is responsible for developing hot-rodded models like the RS 6 station wagon and the mid-engined R8. He will replace 62-year-old Heinz Hollerweger, who is retiring, and his expertise is expected to help Audi transform its Audi Sport division into a full-fledged sub-brand like Mercedes-AMG and BMW M.

Lamborghini has chosen Italian businessman Stefano Domenicali to replace Winkelmann. Domenicali was hired by Audi a little over a year ago in order to work on the company’s new mobility systems, but sources close to the car maker claim that he has been secretly spearheading the company’s long-rumored entry into Formula One. Prior to joining Audi, Domenicali worked for rival Ferrari from 1991 to 2014. During that time, he held numerous positions including head of Ferrari’s business planning division and team principal of the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team.

Winkemann will begin his tenure at quattro on March 15, 2016.

Updated 2/23/2016 by Ronan Glon: Added official information about Winkelmann’s replacement. 

Editors' Recommendations

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Following CEO’s arrest, Audi postpones electric SUV launch
Audi e-tron prototype

It hasn't been a good week for Audi. Rupert Stadler, the automaker's CEO, was arrested last week in connection with an investigation into Audi and parent Volkswagen's diesel-emissions cheating. Now Audi is postponing the launch of its Tesla-fighting e-tron electric SUV.

The e-tron was scheduled to be unveiled August 30 at an event in Brussels, Belgium, where the SUV will also be built. Journalists received invitations to this event, which Audi calls a "summit." But on Monday, June 25, Audi said the e-tron unveiling will now take place in the United States at an unspecified date.

Read more
Watch this tuned Audi RS3 give the Dodge Challenger Demon a run for its money
apr audi rs3 nine second quarter mile screenshot

Keith Brantley’s APR Tuned RS3 Runs 9’s in the Quarter MileThe Audi RS3 is a fast car, but it's not really a drag racing superstar. The aftermarket can change that. Audi and Volkswagen tuning specialist APR threw a slew of modifications at an RS3, and the result is a pint-sized sedan with 600 horsepower that can run the quarter mile in less than 10 seconds.

To put that in perspective, a stock RS3 has 400 hp and, according to Road & Track, runs the quarter mile in 12.1 seconds. The APR RS3's sub-10-second time could have it worrying the 840-hp Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, which Dodge claims is capable of a 9.65-second quarter mile. Audi claims the stock RS3 will do 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, but APR claims its tuned version will do the job in just 2.4 seconds.

Read more
The e-tron quattro SUV will open Audi’s electric car floodgates
Audi e-tron Sportback concept

Previous

Next

Read more