2009 Lamborghini Gallardo Lp560-4 Coupe 2-door 5.2l Yellow Navigation on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lamborghini Urus Performante First Drive Review: The Lambo SUV gets more Lambo

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – If youÂ’ve followed the automotive industry for long enough, you likely remember when SUVs made by companies known for low-slung sports cars were the subject of controversial headlines. Fast-forward to 2023, and the controversial has become commonplace. Massive people-movers with supercar-like power are the status quo in the luxury segment, they usually outsell their more poster-friendly stablemates by a wide margin, and many of the companies who arenÂ’t already on this bandwagon are looking for a place to jump on. Unveiled in 2017, the Lamborghini Urus has amassed a significant following (itÂ’s the Italian brandÂ’s best-seller) and a growing list of rivals that includes the Aston Martin DBX. While itÂ’s no longer the newest kid on the block, it recently received a round of updates and gained a range-topping Performante variant. “We got a lot of new customers with the Urus,” said Luca Pacini, LamborghiniÂ’s head of R&D strategy and projects coordination. “WeÂ’re happy that people recognize the Lamborghini brand in it, and we decided to characterize it even more by offering a wider range that stretches from comfort to performance — performance is LamborghiniÂ’s DNA, after all. This caters to the demands of our customers.” Releasing a sportier Urus makes perfect sense since sister company Bentley and rival Aston Martin both offer higher-spec variants of their SUVs. Still, calling it “Performante” is a bold move because Lamborghini has historically reserved this nameplate for hardcore evolutions of its V10-powered models. ItÂ’s not merely a marketing pirouette: the Pikes Peak record-setting Urus Performante stands out from the Urus S with a specific body kit that includes a redesigned front splitter and a reasonably subtle roof-mounted spoiler. Lamborghini claims these updates contribute to a not-insignificant 8% increase in downforce. Carbon fiber parts (like the vented hood) and a titanium exhaust system designed by Akrapovic help make the Performante about 104 pounds lighter than the Urus S, though it nonetheless tips the scale at approximately 4,740 pounds. Light? Well Â… yes, kind of. Although the uber-Urus weighs about twice as much as a new Mazda MX-5 Miata, none of the models it competes against qualify for the “lightweight” label. AstonÂ’s DBX 707 checks in at 4,940 pounds and every Bentayga variant weighs more than 5,000. Chassis changes are part of the Performante treatment as well.

Lamborghini exploring more elegant designs

Ferrari's front-engined V12s and mid-engined V8s have taken turns monopolizing the brand's perception; the 550 Maranello was probably the last front-engined V12 to be first-to-mind, now the 458 Italia leads the family. Not so at Lamborghini, where a mid-engined V12 has been the go-to and centerpiece since the extraterrestrial Countach landed, and it still is no matter how much the Huracan outsells the Aventador. That shape, those doors, that engine – they're the franchise. That doesn't mean Lamborghini isn't trying new things. The Asterion LPI 910-4 concept from last year's Paris Motor Show was more than the marque's first draft of a hybrid, it was an exploration of a different avenue in design. According to design chief Filippo Perini, "We need to understand if we can open another window in our future to be not so extreme but also a little bit more politically correct and elegant." The Asterion points at elegance and "a daily use of the car" with more room inside, a slimmer rocker panel and sill for easier entry, and a raised hip point in the seats for a higher driving position. Perini said that from the driver's seat, "You can see the color of the car. That is something unknown in our very extreme designs." Extreme Lamborghinis aren't going away, however – note that Perini spoke of opening "another window" of design. The goal, he said, "is to understand if [its] design language will be appreciated by a different kind of customer." We can't imagine why not, and we hope we get more news about the "hyper cruiser" GT outside of magazine articles and auto show grandstanding. If it were up to us, Lamborghini would open that window all the way.

Lamborghini Lambo V12 Vision GT a real-life hypercar waiting to happen

During the World Finals of the 2019 FIA-Certified Gran Turismo Championships held over the weekend in Monaco, Mazda showed a sketch of the RX-Vision GT3 concept coming to Gran Turismo Sport next year. Lamborghini went further, not only revealing artwork of its future playable concept, the Lambo V12 Vision GT, but also parking a full-scale model of the concept on the gaming floor. Yes, Lamborghini Lambo V12 is a quixotic kind of name that takes us back to Ferrari LaFerrari, however, everything else about the jet-fighter-inspired single-seater has us looking to the future. Instead of the Roboracer, Formula E should put together a one-make series with these.   Designed by Lamborghini Centro Stile, the Lambo V12 is a cockpit with outrigger wheels, every one of the minimal surfaces designed to purposefully shunt air around the car to the Y-shaped rear wing. The hexagonal windows extending below the shoulder line are inspired by Marcello Gandini's 1968 Marzal concept. The shoulder defines the base of a rear-hinged canopy that extends to the Lambo V12's leading edge; according to the sketch, when the canopy is raised, even the pedal box is visible as it sits above the beltline. The primary controls are on the steering wheel, all information projected in the heads-up display. Behind the pilot, the 808-horsepoewer hybrid V12 powertrain from the limited-edition Sian FKP 37. Chief designer Mitja Borkert told Top Gear the math shows the Lambo V12 weighs 819 kilograms, which would rather nicely deliver a one-to-one power-to-weight ratio — in metric horsepower and pixels, at least. Even better for gamers, the car will apparently provide "intelligent, context-sensitive advice from one of the factory drivers." Even better for those driving on real roads — and who can afford such things — Borkert said he could see the holographic display a real-world item within the next decade. The Lambo V12 will appear in-game come spring 2020 after the design team makes its final revisions. We hope there are night races so the streaker can show off its light signatures. And we hope Lamborghini makes a run of 63 track-only examples, because they'll sell at any price.