Lamborghini Urus breaks Pikes Peak record

10th August 2022

Ethan Jupp

Lamborghini has chosen Pikes Peak to be the first mountain its new updated Urus conquers, with a disguised car setting a spectacular production SUV record of 10:32.064. For context, that’s a full 17 seconds quicker than Bentley’s record-setting Bentayga, which did a 10:49.902 in 2018.

For now we can only speculate on what’s been done to the Urus to yield such dramatic performance, though one tidbit regarding tyres has been revealed. The new Urus will be the first SUV to have a Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyre derivative developed for it. For context, the Trofeo R was an optional aggressive tyre on the McLaren P1 when that was on sale. For the Urus, it’s been developed to deliver high performance in a variety of conditions. As for power, or anything else for that matter? It’s anyone’s guess, though a small bump of 20-50PS on the standard car’s 650PS (478kW) figure shouldn’t be out of the question, given a response is needed to the Aston Martin DBX707.

In terms of design, we can make some inferences, disguised though this prototype is. At the front, we’re seeing simplified vent graphics compared to the original car, which is no bad thing. There also appear to be new vents on the bonnet, adding credence to the power bump theory, though it’s not known if these are functional or styling additions. There are also new vents aft the rear wheels, a revised diffuser and a more aggressive rear spoiler. The finished article will likely have more body lines that are in keeping with the marque’s new design direction, as seen on the new Huracan Technica.

“The decision to test ourselves at Pikes Peak demonstrates the outstanding performance of the new Urus model to be presented shortly,” said Rouven Mohr, Automobili Lamborghini Chief Technical Officer.

“Pikes Peak is the most famous hillclimb event in the world, as well as being extremely challenging for the car: the uneven track layout tests the chassis’ balance; the significant altitude differences stress the powertrain; and the weather conditions can change very rapidly between start to finish.”