In the league of performance SUVs, big things are at stake rather than daring: in addition to established players such as the Audi RS Q8, Bentley Bentayga Speed, BMW’s power duo X5 M and X6 M, the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S or Porsche Cayenne Turbo this year With 600 to 640 horsepower, two newly introduced super SUVs from Aston Martin and Ferrari have stirred things up. The 707 hp British DBX 707 and the 725 hp new Italian SUV Purosangue symbolize the auto companies’ arms race in the highly competitive segment of versatile super sports cars.
Now Lamborghini is following its Urus. With the new Performante, however, there’s literally no burst of performance: the already demonically muscular 4.0-liter V8 biturbo boosted to the new 666 hp with just 16. As before, a maximum of 850 Newton meters of torque is available. So where, as the name suggests, can performance be placed? Looking at the scales provides an answer.
Bargain for every kilo
At 2150 kilos, the Urus Performante is still not light, but still 47 kilos lighter than before. But the Italian engineers had to work hard for this: The use of expensive carbon eliminated at least 7.3 kilograms, the thick 22-inch forged wheels eliminated another 6.3 kilograms. And even with the materials inside, it could weigh five kilos. But the biggest piece is the expensive titanium exhaust system, which alone weighs less than ten kilograms. All measures increase the power-to-weight ratio of the Urus from 3.4 to 3.2 kilos per hp.
The steel-spring chassis should also provide significantly more driving pleasure. It is often used instead of air suspension, which is considered the ultimate in chassis construction. It offers greater comfort, allows for a wider range of damper adjustments and also allows you to vary the height. The Performante’s rigid steel springs make nothing possible and naturally lower the Urus by two centimeters. They’re technically a step back, but they also have a huge advantage: the feedback to the driver is much more direct, spontaneous and precise – which is why the best sports cars never have air suspension systems.
Emotions instead of numbers
Already the benchmark among performance SUVs, the Urus provides even more fun behind the wheel as a performance artist, with adjustments made to all other related systems such as dampers, roll stabilization and steering. It eliminates unsportsmanlike understeer and gives the driver a sense of control. “Driving pleasure cannot necessarily be measured in numbers. You can design cars that let the pros set super-fast lap times, but will overwhelm standard customers and make them feel like they’re not fast. That doesn’t make them happy,” explains Rouven Mohr, Lamborghini’s chief technician. That’s why Lamborghini is taking a different strategy.
In fact, compared to the original Urus, the numbers on the Performante seem pretty irrelevant. It now accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 3.3 instead of 3.6 seconds; top speed is practically the same at 306 km/h. Still, the SUV pushes the limits upwards. It’s fun on the racetrack, but on unpaved roads the surprise is perfect. The Urus Performante drifts wildly on the gravel and gives the driver the feeling of being a true rally star. But the real star is the newly introduced rally mode, which turns the heavy SUV into a controllable rear-end skid that prefers to glide around corners rather than lengthwise. It won’t make you faster, but the fun factor is significantly higher.
large surcharge
While the fun isn’t necessarily quantifiable, the price is different. The standard 650-horsepower Urus previously cost 261,000 francs – the new artist cost at least 302,000 francs. It costs a lot of extra for the upgrade to steel springs, a rally mode, slightly less weight and a slightly more muscular look with a new rear wing and more visible carbon. To complicate things, Lamborghini dropped the old Urus and replaced it with the Urus S. Its look is fresher, too, and its 666-hp V8 engine is just as powerful as the Performante. All “already” available from CHF 271,000. And suddenly the numbers play a role again.