Lamborghini Urus sets Pikes Peak SUV record

Lamborghini previewed the arrival of their lighter, faster and more powerful 'Performante' variant of the Urus by using a modified example to set a new SUV record time on the famous Pikes Peak hillclimb course in the US.

While not done during the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb event in June (which was impacted by bad weather this year), the new time for a production SUV has been officially recognised, with the 10 minutes, 32.064 seconds set in August undercutting the previous record of 10m49.902s which Rhys Millen did in a Bentley Bentayga in 2018.

The famous Pikes Peak hillclimb covers 20km in total, starting at 2862 metres above sea level and rising to 4302 meters at the finish line, with an average gradient of 7 degrees and 156 corners from start to finish.

“The decision to test ourselves at Pikes Peak reflects the Lamborghini spirit of ‘expect the unexpected’ and demonstrates the outstanding performance of the new Urus model,” said Rouven Moir, Lamborghini’s Chief Technical Officer.

To meet Pikes Peak safety regulations, modifications to the Urus Performante included a fire extinguishing system, roll cage and racing seats. The drivetrain was unaltered, but the record run was done on new semi-slick Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres, which were developed in partnership with Lamborghini for this application.

A fortnight after its record-setting run at Pikes Peak, the Urus Performante was officially revealed, with confirmation of its full specs that include a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 that now produces 490kW (up 12kW) and 850Nm, with a 0-100km/h time of 3.3 seconds – up 0.3 on the current Urus.

A weight reduction of 47kg comes via a titanium exhaust and extensive use of composite materials, including a carbon fibre bonnet and bumpers. There’s also a wider track and lower ride height, modified bodywork (including a larger rear spoiler) to improve aerodynamics, sharper steering, a recalibrated torque vectoring rear diff and the aforementioned new tyres.

The Urus’s selectable drive modes have been modified to suit, with a new ‘Rally’ mode added that eases off the traction control to allow rear wheel drifts.

Inside, the Performante gets model-specific trim, carbon fibre detailing and new graphics for the instrumentation and infotainment screens.

The Urus Performante will be available in selected markets later this year, with an Australian release expected by mid-2023, priced from $465,876 plus ORCs.