Lamborghini has a hotter Urus, and it wears a familiar name.
The 2023 Lamborghini Urus Performante is lighter, more powerful and meaner-looking than the standard Urus.
It packs a more powerful version of the standard Urus’ 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, now producing 490kW of power (up 12kW) but an identical 850Nm of torque. It’s still mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
If you measure power in CV (metric horsepower), the Urus Performante produces a devilish 666 CV.
UPDATE, 22/08/22 – Lamborghini has confirmed the Urus Performante will arrive here later in the second quarter of 2023, priced at $465,876 before on-road costs.
The Performante will do the 0-100km/h dash in 3.3 seconds, or 0.3 seconds quicker than the standard Urus.
Pricing has been confirmed for other markets like Europe, with deliveries to begin towards the end of the year, but local launch timing and pricing has yet to be confirmed.
Lamborghini has fitted a new differential to optimise torque distribution.
It says the Performante’s recalibrated front-wheel steering is more direct and precise, while the rear-wheel steering has been retuned for faster intervention, and therefore a more agile turn-in.
There’s a new Rally drive mode, designed for dirt tracks, which sees the Urus’ oversteer character amplified. It joins the existing Sport, comfort-focused Strada, and track-focused Corsa drives modes.
The Performante sits 20mm lower thanks to new steel springs, while the track is 16mm wider.
Its stance is further improved through the use of wider carbon-fibre wheel arches, while there are optional 23-inch or forged 22-inch lightweight wheels with titanium bolts.
There are Pirelli P Zero or Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres, and Lamborghini says it’s worked with Pirelli on developing a semi-slick tyre that “meet[s] the characteristics of an SUV” and boasts high performance on dry asphalt in hot climes and on cold, wet surfaces.
Lamborghini says it has shaved 47kg from the Urus in its transformation to a Performante, thanks largely to the extensive use of carbon fibre.
The Performante is distinguished visually from the standard Urus through its more aggressive front end styling, including a new front bumper and a carbon-fibre bonnet – the latter of which can be had in body colour, or with the material kept “partially visible”.
There’s also an optional carbon-fibre roof, à la the Huracan Performante.
The front bumper and splitter, naturally, also use carbon-fibre, and there are larger air intakes for increased engine cooling. There’s also a new air curtain for improved aerodynamics.
Down back, there’s a new rear spoiler, featuring carbon-fibre fins, that Lamborghini says increases rear downforce by 38 per cent.
The lower rear bumper and diffuser is also carbon-fibre, while a lightweight titanium Akrapovič exhaust is standard.
All up, the Urus Performante is 25mm longer and downforce has been increased by 8 per cent.
Inside, there’s standard Nero Cosmus black Alcantara upholstery with hexagonal stitching, though leather is an option.
There’s unique trim on the doors, headliner and seat backrest, while there’s a wide range of customisation options through Lamborghini’s Ad Personam program.
The steering wheel is wrapped in black leather and Alcantara, while there’s also black anodised aluminium interior trim.
Lamborghini boasts the Urus Performante set a new record in the production SUV category on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb road, with its 10:32.064 time beating the previous 2018 record of 10:49.902 set by the regular Urus.
The Performante joins the standard Urus, which entered production in 2018 and is therefore set for a mid-life update this year.
The range will grow in 2024 to include a plug-in hybrid. Indeed, every Lamborghini by 2024 will have an electrified powertrain option.
The Urus is easily the highest-volume model in the Raging Bull pen.
The pre-update model recently ticked past 20,000 cars produced. The Huracan also hit the 20,000 mark this year, but that model has been in production for considerably longer at eight years.
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