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Lambo to quarantine twin-turbo V8 to Urus

Lamborghini is planning to slot a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 into the Urus sport utility vehicle. But don't expect the engine to make its way into the Italian firm's supercars anytime soon. According to the latest report, that forced-induction mill will be limited exclusively to the sport ute for the foreseeable future. Speaking with Autocar, CEO Stephan Winkelmann reiterated that the Urus will be the only Lamborghini model powered by the turbo eight. "On the supersports cars we are convinced that the choices we have made with the naturally aspirated engines are still the right ones," said Winkelmann. "We are not saying that future engines will never beat what we have in our cars; we are saying as long as there is nothing that is better, especially at low revs or in terms of the sound that the V10 and V12 have, we stick to them." While its rivals have embraced turbocharging, Lamborghini has been a steadfast holdout for high-revving, naturally aspirated engines with two-digit cylinder counts. Ferrari, for example, has slotted a turbocharged V8 into both the California T and 488 GTB. McLaren uses a turbo V8 in all its models. Lambo's own sister brands Porsche and Bugatti also use turbochargers. But the Huracan eschews forced induction for an atmospheric V10, as does the Aventador for a V12. The Volkswagen Group of which Lamborghini is part employs a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 for both the Bentley Continental and numerous Audi models. We'll likely be looking at a version of this engine to power the Urus, which is also expected to offer additional powertrain options in the future. The last time Lamborghini offered an SUV was with the LM002 of decidedly different orientation, powered by a version of the V12 engine from the Countach. Related Video:

Lamborghini CEO says Urus brings lots of new customers from Russia and India

The new Lamborghini Urus might turn out to be a golden goose for Lamborghini. The twin-turbo V8 SUV is finding new customers for the Italian supercar manufacturer, and in an interview with CNBC, Lamborghini's CEO Stefano Domenicali says the reception for the $200,000 vehicle has been unexpectedly "fantastic." The outlook for Lamborghini's 2018 sales is projected at 5,000 cars, and the Urus could account for over a thousand of those. By 2020, Lamborghini would be building some 8,000 cars per year, and over a half of those would be Urus sales. Domenicali says that would be a point where Lamborghini would restrict its growth, as does rival Ferrari, to keep its supercar brand exclusive. The head of Lamborghini's Asia Pacific sales, Andrea Baldi also says the manufacturer will "always make sure" that demand for its cars is higher than the supply. If making SUVs turns out to be a success for Lamborghini, the key might be hidden in the nameplate of the Urus. It's indeed Russia that looks to be a fertile land for Urus sales, since it's a country with both demanding roads and demanding customers. Domenicali says Russian roads have made it hard to sell traditional Lamborghini products, but the SUV should find a strong customer base there. India is another significant new market for the Urus, for similar reasons. And as for the influx of new Lamborghini customers: a growing part of them are cryptocurrency investors. It looks like bitcoin bros will only accept a Lamborghini as the token of their newfound success. "These are young people that want to become very rich with a high-risk investment," said Domenicali. "And our customers are young as well, and very aspirational. They are not shy. So I think there is a connection." Related Video: News Source: CNBCImage Credit: AOL/Drew Phillips Lamborghini Crossover SUV Luxury Performance stefano domenicali

Lamborghini's Huracan quicker than its costlier Aventador?

Car and Driver threw a leg over the Lamborghini Huracán and rode it hard all around the 16-turn Circuito Internationale Nardò, next to the banked oval that's brought us many a top-speed video. On the way to discovering the bull calf sweetly eclipses the Gallardo it replaces, CD also discovered that - comparing their own tests - it is faster from zero to 60 miles per hour than its paterfamilias, the Aventador.
Now, we should all know that 0-60 tests are an imprecise discipline, but CD's Eric Tingwall torched the sprint in the Huracán in 2.5 seconds - yes, faster than a whole lot of other very expensive super-coupes. In the magazine's last instrumented test of the Aventador Aaron Robinson ran 3.0 seconds, and for more Aventador perspective we can compare Motor Trend's 2.8 seconds, also scored at Nardo, Road & Track at 2.7 seconds and Lamborghini's estimated 0-62 mph time of 2.9 seconds. Any way you chop that up, 2.5 seconds beats it. A bit of a shock, then: Lamborghini lists the Huracán's 0-62 mph time as 3.2 seconds.
We'll get a more precise idea of the discrepancy when more tests come online, but for the moment - and in this one respect - we've got the $241,945, 602-horsepower Huracán showing its angry backside to the $397,500, 691-hp Aventador. Even if it remains true, though, we're not sure it matters; in a figurative case of Predator versus Alien, it's arguable that the only way to be wrong is not to own one.