Prior to its unveiling in August 2022 for the 2023 model year, a camouflaged Urus Performante set a record at the Pikes Peak Hillclimb. The fastest series-production sport utility vehicle to reach the summit was designed primarily for on-road use, but as expected of the Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese, the Performante can handle itself off-road as well.
Lamborghini tasked super sports car content creator Paul Wallace and performance developer Mario Fasanetto with demonstrating the SUV’s off-road chops. Don’t, however, expect rock crawling or desert running from the clip below because the Performante isn’t a Sasquatch’d Bronco.
Excluding the destination freight charge, the handling-focused variant costs $260,676 in the United States of America. The adoption of lowering springs resulted in a slightly lower ground clearance than the Urus and Urus S, which hinders the off-road capabilities of the cool-looking SUV.
On the other hand, Lamborghini’s engineering team gifted it with something called Rally Mode for a more thrilling driving experience on dirt tracks. Rally Mode results in slightly more oversteer. This drive mode further optimizes the anti-roll and damping systems for uneven surfaces.
Longer and wider than the Urus, the Performante stands out with the help of not exactly subtle modifications. The muscular utility vehicle rocks a carbon-fiber hood, rear aerodynamic diffuser, and tailgate spoiler. It also produces considerably more downforce than the Urus. Available with 22- or 23-inch wheels, the Performante benefits from bespoke Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slick tires designed for both dry and wet conditions. Equipped with steel springs rather than air suspension, this fellow also features a redesigned differential that sends more torque to the rear axle.
Weighing in at approximately 4,700 pounds (2,132 kilograms), the Urus Performante isn’t exactly light. Given that it’s twinned with the Bentley Bentayga, Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7 and Q8, as well as the Volkswagen Touareg, does it even come as a surprise? On the other hand, we shouldn’t forget that the Urus was a necessary evil of sorts for the Italian carmaker.
For starters, the demand for luxury-oriented utility vehicles keeps growing with each passing year. Secondly, the indirect successor of the LM002 was developed to handle better than every single Volkswagen Group stablemate. Exclusively offered with a Porsche-developed V8 engine, the Urus is the Italian marque’s best-selling vehicle. 2022 sales figures aren’t currently available, but we do know the Urus sold 5,021 copies in 2021.
Copies, however, isn’t the right word because every single Urus is special in its own way. This philosophy is shared with the V10-engined Huracan (2,586 units delivered in 2021) and V12-engined Aventador (798 units).
Going forward, the MLB Evo-based utility vehicle is certain to receive a fuel-sipping powertrain. The plug-in hybrid is expected to deliver in excess of 800 horsepower, with some voices expecting up to 820 ponies. Without a shadow of a doubt, the plug-in hybrid will use a higher-performance version of the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid’s system.
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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