(August 12, 2010) Lamborghini, maker of the $450,000 Murcielago SuperVeloce sports car, would consider adding a four-door sedan to its portfolio of two-seater models to attract customers amid declining sales, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday.

“A third model would fit Lamborghini very well,” CEO Stephan Winkelmann, 45, said in an interview. “A four-door car would be a very feasible approach.”

Building a four-door sports car would allow Lamborghini to compete against Maserati's Quattroporte and Aston Martin's Rapide. Lamborghini, which is a subsidiary of Volkswagen, has been unable to capitalize this year on a recovering market for ultraluxury autos, or vehicles costing more than $200,000, with first-half sales of 674 cars, down 18 percent from a year ago.

Any addition to the Gallardo and Murcielago model lines must yield “a real leap” in deliveries, Winkelmann said, adding there isn't a plan or decision on a third model.

Sales in the United States, the largest market for ultraluxury cars, may jump 70 percent for the $200,000 to $400,000 category this year after falling 37 percent in 2009, according to researcher IHS Automotive. BMW, the biggest premium automaker, this week posted record first-half sales of 970 autos at its Rolls-Royce unit because of demand for the four-door Ghost.