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What Lamborghini Urus' unapologetic unveiling tells us about the super SUV

BOLOGNA, Italy — "Like a storm at a wedding," was Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni's diplomatically lyrical description of the 'problemo tecnico' that plunged the Lamborghini Urus production line into an awkward silence just as the build-up to the car's unveiling was reaching a crescendo. Given the scale of the event, the hundreds of media, customers and VIPs flown in, the preparation of the new production line for a gala dinner and all the rest of the glitz and glamour, this must have been an excruciatingly embarrassing moment for Lamborghini boss Stefano Domenicali. If it was, he didn't show it, gamely jumping into the middle of the unlit arena with the microphone and stalling for time as two examples of the Urus were whisked around from the adjacent production line, brought hurriedly before the waiting crowd and then thrown into the spotlight for R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani to do his thing. All of this proves that flying all the way to Bologna to attend an unveiling event in person is the last place you want to be if you want the scoop on a new Lamborghini, the vital information on the car already live and online while we folks in the factory were — literally — in the dark. You'll have already read the headlines, gasped at the horror of a turbocharged Lamborghini and then again in amazement at the performance stats the 641-bhp 4.0-liter V8 delivers. 0-62 mph in just 3.6 seconds is but a few tenths off what a Huracan achieves, 0-124 mph in 12.8 seconds putting the Urus into the seriously fast league for any type of car, let alone an SUV. The shock value of the looks has been tempered somewhat by the fact that concepts, test mules and drawings have been in the public domain for a long, long time. We've gotten used to the idea of a Lamborghini SUV, and the design theme of an Aventador on stilts was long-previewed. But what's it like in the metal? Unapologetic would be one word that springs to mind. But then that's the Lamborghini way, right? This is not — never has been — a brand for wallflowers. Even with that in mind, the Urus is a middle finger raised to anyone concerned about brand values being cheapened by the fact it shares platform, engine and electrical architecture with similar products from Audi, Bentley and Porsche. You'll have your own views there. You'll also realize why Lamborghini had to do it and, perhaps, wonder why it took so long.

Lamborghini to price Urus similar to Huracan

If and when the Urus project is finally approved for production, it will take Lamborghini into not one but several new territories. For one, it will be the company's first SUV since the demise of the LM002 in 1993. It'll also be the company's first front-engined model since the demise of the Jalpa and Espada in the late '70s, and its first model to offer hybrid and turbocharged powertrains in, well... ever. Just don't expect it to be its cheapest model.
According to Motoring.com.au, in speaking with Lamborghini sales and marketing execs, the Urus "will be priced similarly to the Huracán," which is currently the Raging Bull marque's entry-level model. That doesn't mean, necessarily, that the Urus (pictured above in Beijing alongside the previous Gallardo) couldn't undercut the Huracán's price slightly - especially since it will likely offer more than one engine option - but don't expect it to come cheap.
The Huracán starts in the US for $237,250. If, as reported, the Urus commands a similar price, that would make it the most expensive SUV on the market. That is, at least, before other high-end rivals from the likes of Bentley and Maserati get into the game.

Lamborghini gets to work on Huracan LP610-4 Super Trofeo

We all know the story of how Automobili Lamborghini got its start. The short of it is that Ferruccio, who had already started a successful tractor business, wanted to stick it to Enzo Ferrari, so he started making sports cars of his own. Lamborghini, however, never embraced motorsports to the same degree that Ferrari has - dabbling in Formula One engines in the early '90s and the occasional foray into GT racing - but these days the Raging Bull marque is getting more serious about racing. It partners with Reiter Engineering to field competition versions of its road-going supercars, and organizes its own one-make series with individual championships around the world.
That's where the new Huracán comes in. While the Ferrari Challenge has progressed from the 348 to the 355, 360, 430 and now the 458, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo has always been centered around the Gallardo. That's because the series only kicked off in 2009, and the Gallardo had been in production since 2003. But now that the Gallardo has been replaced by the Huracán, the Squadra Corse team is hard at work on their new Super Trofeo racer.
To that end, Lamborghini has recruited racing drivers Fabio Babini and Adrian Zaugg to conduct development work on the Huracán LP 610-4 Super Trofeo. Babini is a GT racing veteran who took a class win at Le Mans in 2001, while Zaugg came up the formula racing ladder, competing on A1GP and GP2 before signing on as a Lamborghini factory driver.