Lamborghini Urus Performante debuts as ultimate ‘Rambo Lambo’

Introduced less than five years ago as only its second SUV after the LM002, Lamborghini has showcased the most powerful iteration of the Urus to date at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in the shape of the Urus Performante.

Branded a “Super SUV” like the standard model, the Urus Performante, according to the Raging Bull, is said to take matters a step up by being a “Super SUV to the next level” while “retaining its versatility and delivering the most engaging driving experience not only on road but in every environment”.

While still recognisable as a Urus on first glance, Lamborghini has added vents to bonnet and redesigned the bonnet and bumper to be sharper, while also adding a carbon fibre front splitter and option of a carbon fibre insert on the bonnet itself.

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In addition, the bumper comes with a new gloss black finished air intake and vents behind the wheel arches claimed to not only aid cooling, but help improve downforce by 38% in co-operation with a new rear spoiler and carbon fibre diffuser mounted at the base of the rear bumper.   

Sitting 20 mm lower to the ground than the standard model, the Urus Performante has had its wheel track increased by 16 mm and wheel arches enlarged to accommodate the standard 22-inch or optional 23-inch forged lightweight alloys wrapped in model bespoke Pirelli PZero Trofeo R tyres.

Along with the various exterior changes, Lamborghini has recalibrated the rear-wheel steering system and added a new driving mode to the Tamburo drive mode selector.

Joining the existing Strada, Sport and Corsa settings is the newly added Rally that adjusts the steel springs and anti-roll bars for not only rougher surfaces, but, according to Lamborghini, to better amplify the Urus’ “oversteer character”.

Weighing 47 kg less than the normal Urus thanks to the extensive carbon fibre usage, the Performante’s differential has been tweaked and its steering adjusted for “precise inputs and direct feedback”.

Inside, the cockpit differs little by being the recipient of a new hexagonal stitch pattern on the seats and a Nero Cosmus interior with Alcantara adorning most of the surfaces.

As part of the Ad Personam customisation catalogue though, the interior can be equipped with an optional Dark Package for most of the switchgear and on the doors, an Alcantara and leather steering wheel with matte black and anodised aluminium inserts, matte carbon fibre inserts, Ad Personam treadplates and red door handles.

On the power front, the Performante retains the 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 that resulted in the standard Urus being the first forced-assisted Lamborghini ever made, but with an uptake of five kilowatts for a total of 490 kW.

Pumping out an unchanged 850 Nm with drive still going to all four corners through an eight-speed automatic gearbox like its MLB Evo platform siblings, the Audi Q7 and Q8, Bentley Bentayga, Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg, the Urus Performante will get from 0-100 km/h in 3.3 seconds and hit of top speed of 306 km/h.

Going on sale later this year with a starting price of €218 487 (R3 733 778) in Europe, the Urus Performante, for now, remains a no-no for South Africa, but expect sales to possibly commence either towards the end of this year or in early-2023 should confirmation be given.