2023 Lamborghini Urus Performante unveiled

Lamborghini has a hotter Urus and carries a household name.

The 2023 Lamborghini Urus Performante is lighter, more powerful and meaner looking than the standard Urus.

It contains a more powerful version of the 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine of the standard Urus, now producing 490kW of power (up 12kW) but an identical 850Nm of torque. It’s still mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

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If you measure power in horsepower (metric horsepower), the Urus Performante produces a devilish 666 horsepower.

The performer manages the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds, or 0.3 seconds faster than the standard Urus.

Pricing for other markets such as Europe has been confirmed, with deliveries due to begin towards the end of the year, but local launch timing and pricing are yet to be confirmed.

Lamborghini installed a new differential to optimize torque distribution.

The Performante’s recalibrated front steering is more direct and precise, while the rear steering has been retuned for quicker engagement and therefore more agile turn-in.

There’s a new rally driving mode designed for dirt tracks that amplifies the oversteering nature of the Urus. It joins the existing Sport, comfort-oriented Strada and racetrack-oriented Corsa driving modes.

Thanks to new steel springs, the Performante sits 20 mm lower, while the track is 16 mm wider.

Its stance is further enhanced with the use of wider carbon fiber wheel arches, while there are optional 23-inch or 22-inch forged lightweight wheels with titanium bolts.

There are Pirelli P Zero or Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires, and Lamborghini says it has worked with Pirelli to create a semi-slick tire that “meets[s] the characteristics of an SUV” and impresses on dry asphalt in hot climates as well as on cold, wet roads.

Lamborghini says it has shed 47kg from the Urus in its transformation into a Performante, thanks largely to the extensive use of carbon fibre.

The Performante differs visually from the standard Urus with its more aggressive front-end styling, including a new front bumper and carbon-fibre hood – the latter available in body-colored or with “partially visible” material.

There’s also an optional carbon fiber roof, à la Huracan Performante.

The front bumper and splitter also use carbon fiber, of course, and there are larger air intakes for improved engine cooling. There’s also a new air curtain for improved aerodynamics.

At the bottom rear there’s a new rear spoiler with carbon fiber slats that Lamborghini says increases rear downforce by 38 percent.

The lower rear bumper and diffuser are also made of carbon fiber, while a lightweight titanium Akrapovič exhaust is standard.

Overall, the Urus Performante is 25mm longer and downforce has been increased by 8 percent.

Inside, Nero Cosmus black Alcantara upholstery with hexagonal stitching comes standard, although leather is an option.

There are unique trims on the doors, headliner and seatback, while there is a wide range of customization options through Lamborghini’s ad personam program.

The steering wheel is clad in black leather and Alcantara, while there’s also black anodized aluminum interior trim.

Lamborghini boasts that the Urus Performante set a new record in the production SUV category on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Road, with a time of 10:32.064, beating the previous record of 10:49.902 set in 2018 , which was set up by the regular Urus.

The Performante joins the standard Urus, which went into production in 2018 and is therefore slated for a mid-life update this year.

In 2024, the range will be expanded to include a plug-in hybrid. In fact, every Lamborghini will have an electrified powertrain option by 2024.

The Urus is by far the highest volume model in the Raging Bull Pen.

The pre-update model recently passed the mark of 20,000 cars produced. The Huracan also broke the 20,000 mark this year, but at eight years this model has been in production for much longer.

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