Lamborghini needs a third model, one that will attract a different kind of customer than the Gallardo and Aventador. If brand president and CEO Stephan Winkelmann gets his wish, it will look just like the Lamborghini Urus concept being unveiled at the 2012 Beijing auto show.
"I personally think this is a good pick," said Winkelmann at an exclusive preview staged at the company's Sant'Agata Bolognese factory in northern Italy. At a second preview during the New York auto show, he added, "We want to do this car. We believe it is the right direction."
At the time of our first encounter, the Urus super-SUV concept had only a codename: LB 736. The dull alpha-numeric belonged to one of the most extreme SUV shapes ever created. The team decided from the start that it wouldn't do another "Rambo Lambo" LM002, but instead a vehicle for the modern SUV buyer. The concept's width, low roofline, and short overhangs imply handling and speed in a class apart. Yet the Urus is also unmistakably Lamborghini. The crisply creased surfacing and angular details link it to the brand's current supercars, and there's even an echo of Countach to the cut of its wheel arches, a detail in which the designers take pride.
In terms of styling, the Urus echoes the canned Estoque saloon concept with an angular design. Bosses say it will be the world’s fastest-accelerating and best-handling SUV, although they have yet to confirm what engine will sit under the bonnet.
It could potentially use a modified version of the VW Group’s new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 or a 6.0-litre W12. Both of these engines are used in the latest Bentley Continental GT.
Whatever engine powers the production version, Lamborghini is targeting a 0-60mph time of around four seconds. And although the company says the top speed for an SUV is “not really relevant”, it’s likely to reach well over 180mph.
Like the Aventador, the Urus uses carbon fibre for its chassis and body, and the company claims it’s 100kg lighter than even an aluminium model would be. “With this style of machine, lower weight is the new power,” said R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani.
Lamborghini isn't saying much about the proposed engine for its new SUV, only using the 600-hp output as a guidepost. The ute at the China motor show is a running prototype, although the final engine hasn't been specified.
Autoweek has learned that Lamborghini expects to give the production version of the Urus a modified version of parent company Audi's new turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 direct-injection gasoline engine in combination with an electric motor that has plug-in capability. Power likely will be channeled through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a torque-sensing four-wheel-drive system with an electronically operated torque-vectoring system.
source:motortrend.com,autoweek.com,autoexpress.co.uk
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