Unleashed last month at Pebble Beach, the Urus Performante is the most performance-oriented utility vehicle currently produced by the Volkswagen Group. Raising the bar for performance SUVs, the jacked-up raging bull has been recently filmed testing right outside the Sant’Agata Bolognese factory where Automobili Lamborghini is based since 1963.
Then known as Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini, the carmaker started with 46,000 square meters at Via Modena 12 in the township of Sant’Agata Bolognese. The center of Italy’s automotive industry, this region also provided Ferruccio with plenty of suppliers and skilled labor.
Turning our attention back to the Urus Performante, this fellow holds the records for series-production SUVs at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, having crossed the finish line in 10 minutes 32 seconds. The previous record, set by the Bentley Bentayga, is 10 minutes 49 seconds.
From a mechanical standpoint, Lamborghini upgraded the Porsche-developed V8 with larger air intakes, better cooling, a titanium exhaust system manufactured by Akrapovic, as well as a remap for a grand total of 666 ps (657 horsepower) and 850 Nm (627 pound-foot) of torque from 2,300 all the way to 4,500 revolutions per minute. By comparison, the pre-facelift model belts out 650 ps (641 horsepower) and similar peak twist.
Technical updates further include optimized anti-roll and damping systems. From a visual standpoint, the prominent hood and redesigned bumpers stand out nearly as much as the carbon-fiber wheel arches that accommodate 22- or 23-inch wheels with titanium bolts and sticky tires supplied by Pirelli.
The steel springs of the Performance lower the vehicle by 20 millimeters compared to the Urus, and the wheel track is wider by 16 millimeters. A rear spoiler with carbon-fiber fins is there for increased downforce, and its design is directly inspired by the limited-edition Aventador SVJ.
Italian customers are charged €215,261 at the very least for the Performante, whereas American customers need to shell out $260,676 for this no-nonsense utility vehicle. Deliveries will commence at the end of 2022.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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