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Lamborghini Urus has an underwhelming exhaust note

Lamborghini has been releasing a number of teaser trailers for its upcoming Urus SUV, and the latest is all about trying to make the SUV really feel like a Lamborghini. The host at one point begins talking about giving the Urus the right sound, which culminates in a shot of a prototype accelerating away with all raucous roar of ... any other premium crossover on the market right now. Yes, the Lamborghini Urus sounds generic. Despite reportedly making 650 horsepower from its twin-turbo V8, the exhaust note sounds too quiet, smooth, and clean. It doesn't sound bad, but part of what makes a Lamborghini a Lamborghini is a stunning howl that you can hear blocks away. It shrieks at the high end, barks at the low end, and crackles in-between. Just take a listen to the Huracan in the video below. The Urus does none of that. Some may say this is actually a good thing because an SUV is supposed to be more practical and refined for daily use. But that's not what a Lamborghini is, even one that can carry more than two people. Lamborghinis are big, loud, impractical, and showy. And there's no shortage of fast, subtle SUVs out there, so the Lamborghini being brash is a key selling point. Still, this likely won't deter many prospective Urus buyers. It's still absurd-looking, featuring roughly the same creased and folded body work of the concept, and an interior full of spaceship-style switch gear. And as we already mentioned, it should be really fast. If only it sounded right. Related Video:

Bentley, Lamborghini consider foreign production [w/poll]

Would a Bentley be a Bentley if it weren't manufactured in Great Britain? Would a Lamborghini be a Lamborghini if it were built outside of Italy? It may be hard to say either way, but we might find out sooner than later, because the latest word coming in from Europe is that the Volkswagen Group is considering expanding production for both these upscale brands outside their traditional homes.
According to the Autovisie section of Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, the issue for both automakers comes down to their ambitious expansion programs. Both Bentley and Lamborghini plan to launch new SUVs - the former's being well under way, the latter's still awaiting approval - that would expand their annual production considerably: by 50 percent in Bentley's case, and by as much as 100 percent in Lamborghini's.
For now, both marques intend to handle the added production with additional assembly lines at their current facilities in Crewe and Sant'Agata Bolognese, respectively. But both could soon outgrow their relatively small plants - and with the Volkswagen Group operating countless factories across Europe and around the world, it wouldn't be hard to see these manufacturers shifting excess production outside of their home countries.

This is the fully uncovered Lamborghini Huracan Performante

We already knew that the Lamborghini Huracan Performante is absurdly quick at the Nurburgring, where the company claims it lapped the track faster than the Porsche 918 Spyder. Now Lamborghini has released specifications and photos of the car. It seems a little more power, active aerodynamics, and other fine tuning turned the Huracan into a track monster. Immediately apparent from the outside are the new aerodynamic devices and molded carbon fiber pieces. The latter include the hood over the engine, front and rear spoilers, the rear bumper, and the rear diffuser. Together, they help the Performante lose about 88 pounds compared to the standard Huracan. The front and rear spoilers also have fancy electrically-actuated flaps to adjust aerodynamics. At the front, a pair of flaps rest on the top side of the front spoiler, and at the back, two air channels can be opened or closed to change airflow at the rear wing, optimize downforce, or reduce drag. The rear flaps can also be opened and closed separately for the left and right. According to Lamborghini, they can be used to increase downforce on one side of the car to counteract the affects of load transfer in corners. For example, if the car was turning left, and the body began rolling to the right, the flaps could be set so that downforce increases on the left, keeping the car flatter in the corner. Lamborghini has also improved almost every other mechanical part of the car. The V10 now makes 640 horsepower and about 443 lb-ft of torque. The suspension has stiffer springs and anti-roll bars combined with either the standard, conventional shocks, or optional magnetorheological shocks. Power is sent to all four wheels, all four of which are forged and available in two different designs. They're shod in the buyers choice of Pirelli P Zero Corsas, or barely street-legal Trofeo Rs. Altogether, these changes allow the Performante to reach 62 mph in 2.9 seconds and hit a top speed of about 202 mph. Finally, this Huracan Performante is appropriately wild looking. The giant wing, massive exhaust tips, and Italian colors along the door all make this Lamborghini visually outlandish. The interior also receives exposed molded carbon fiber throughout to make sure its occupants never forget this is a fast, hardcore Lambo. It should also help justify the Performante's $274,390 pricetag, if the 'Ring time isn't enough. The first cars will arrive to customers this summer. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party.