Lamborghini showcases Urus Performante at 71st Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

MANILA: On the track utilized for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the Lamborghini Urus Performante broke the record for a production SUV.

An iteration of the Urus Performante – what is now known as “new king of the hill” — made its international debut on August 19 during The Quail, a motorsports gathering, particularly at the Concept Lawn of the 71st Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.S

tephan Winkelmann, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automobili Lamborghini,emphasized why Pebble Beach was chosen as the venue to unveil the Urus Performante. 

“Pikes Peak is known as the most famous, and arguably the most challenging, hillclimb in the world, while Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is considered to be one of the year’s premier automotive events, making the Concept Lawn the perfect stage to present our record-breaking vehicle,” he said.

“The Urus, which was a key driver of sales in the first half of 2022, has hit its stride, and our Pikes Peak record-holding vehicle proves we are the leader of the Super SUV segment.”

The new Lamborghini Urus was given to hillclimb champion and Pirelli test driver Simone Faggioli, who holds the rear-wheel drive record established in the 2018 "Race to the Clouds" on Pikes Peak.

On the same course as the race, a timed attack was conducted, and the road was temporarily blocked to traffic. Starting at 2,862 meters, Faggioli took on the 156 twists that wind over 20 kilometers, climbing 1,439 meters more and averaging a seven-percent grade until reaching the finish line at 4,302 meters in 10:32.064.

The new Urus was not entered in the official race as it had not yet made its formal debut, but the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC)'s official timekeepers did record the time.

Both the current race-day record of 10:49.902 held by Rhys Millen, set in a Bentley Bentayga in 2018, and the previous PPIHC-sanctioned non-race day manufacturer record of 12:35.610 set by Paul Dallenbach in 2014, were surpassed by the Urus.

Equipped with its baseline twin-turbo V8 engine, the Lamborghini Urus was changed to conform to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb's safety requirements. The passenger compartment has a roll cage, race seats with six-point harnesses were put in place of the conventional seats, and a fire extinguishing system was added.

The super SUV’s 22-inch tires are an evolution of the Urus’ Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R. For the first time, the Pirelli semi-slick tire has been developed to meet the characteristics of an SUV, with this particular variant developed in cooperation with Lamborghini. The result of the collaboration is a tire with increased versatility, returning high performance both on dry asphalt with high ambient temperatures and on wet surfaces with colder temperatures.

The Performante now has 656 horsepower and weighs 47 kilos less, giving it the best weight-to-power ratio in its class of 3,2. The Urus Performante produces 850Nm of torque at 2,300 to 4,500 rpm, with its benchmarking longitudinal abilities including a top speed of 306kph matched by its responsiveness, handling, and stability. It accelerates from zero to 100kph in just 3.3 seconds and brakes from 100 km to standstill in 32.9 m.

The Pirelli P Zero tires, which come in sizes 285/40 R22 and 325/35 R22, are an evolution of the Urus Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R. This is the first time a semi-slick Pirelli tire has been tailored to fit the needs of an SUV, and this particular model was created in collaboration with Lamborghini.

A more versatile tire that performs well on both wet surfaces and colder temperatures — wet surfaces with high ambient temperatures and dry asphalt with high ambient temperatures — is the end product of the partnership.

With improved agility, feedback, and a focus on sports, the Lamborghini Urus Performante gives the driver a new intimacy with the pavement below him.

Using precise inputs and immediate feedback, recalibrating the front wheel steering improves connection to the road. Along with torque vectoring of the rear differential in both on- and off-road mode, the quicker rear-wheel steering intervention improves turn-in agility.

The Lamborghini Urus Performante driver may choose the ideal configuration for each situation thanks to the re-engineered drive modes.

The Urus offers a smooth damping and a comfortable ride in Strada. The rear-wheel steering is more nimble at low speeds and stable at high speeds, with fun-to-drive oversteer tendencies, and the gearshifts are quicker when the vehicle is in Sport mode.

The sportier chassis configuration, which includes stronger, stiffer steel springs and specially tuned dampers, maximizes feedback to immerse the driver in intense driving enjoyment.

In Corsa, the Urus Performante unleashes its race car persona with exceptional handling, including flat cornering backed by active anti-roll bars and maximum damping, while the sports exhaust serves as a constant reminder that this Lamborghini is a product of the super sports tradition.

The Urus Performante adds a new Rally selection to the usual drive modes, taking the Super SUV's fun-to-drive sportiness to exhilarating new heights on dirt tracks. Anti-roll and damping mechanisms designed for steel springs on rougher and more extreme conditions enhance its oversteer characteristics, setting a new standard for Super SUV performance.

Photos from Lamborghini

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