Upcoming Lamborghini Urus breaks the Bentley Bentayga's Pikes Peak record

KUALA LUMPUR: Lamborghini introduced the Urus in December 2017 and in just five years of existence, the SUV hit a production milestone of 20,000 units a few months back. The new version of this popular super SUV is now on its way, but before the official unveiling, it has started stealing the show.

The upcoming Lamborghini Urus sets the new sanctioned production SUV record on the high-altitude track of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which is the world’s most famous uphill race that recently celebrated its 100th race.

The record was made by Simone Faggioli, the hill climb champion and Pirelli test driver, who started from an altitude of 2862 m and reached the finish line at 4302 m. He tackled the 156 corners and crossed the line in 10 minutes and 32.064 seconds while breaking the Bentley Bentayga record of 10:49.902 made in 2018.

"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 to be presented shortly," said Lamborghini Chief Technical Officer Rouven Mohr.

It is important to note that the new Lamborghini Urus did not enter in the official race, but the time was tracked by timekeepers of Pikes Peak International Hillclimb. The camouflaged SUV used for the race was equipped with a V8 twin-turbo motor and was modified to comply with the Pike’s Peak’s safety standards. The latter includes a roll cage, racing seats paired with a six-point harness, and a fire extinguishing system. 

As for the tyres, the SUV was fitted with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slick units, which have been developed for the first time for an SUV. The said tyres increase the versatility requirement for improving performance on dry asphalt with high ambient temperature and wet surfaces with colder temperature.

This record-breaking Urus is set to make its formal debut in just a few days and is likely to carry a new moniker such as Urus Performante or Urus Evo.

Also read: Lamborghini had a good run in H1 2022; sold 5,090 units globally