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Lamborghini Urus finally set to debut on Dec. 4

It's been more than two years since Lamborghini announced it was planning to build its second SUV, the Urus. It's been more than five years since the original concept was revealed at the Beijing Motor Show back in 2012. Finally, on Dec. 4, the Italian automaker will reveal the full production version at an event in Sant'Agata Bolognese. We've seen plenty of concepts and spy shots of the Urus by now. We know it will be powered by a twin-turbo V8 making 650 horsepower and upwards of 600 pound-feet of torque. A plug-in hybrid — a first for Lamborghini — will follow soon after. Pricing hasn't been announced, but look for a base MSRP of at least $200,000. In the teaser video, Lamborghini is making a big deal about this being the first super sport utility vehicle. If any automaker can back up that claim, it's Lamborghini. This isn't going to be some rough-and-tumble V12-powered off-roader like the LM002. This is a high-performance machine in a similar, but far more over-the-top, vein as the Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5 M. The timing of the reveal is an interesting one. The event is just days after the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. Rather than compete for coverage, Lamborghini is taking a more modern approach to the Urus' reveal. Either way, we're looking forward to it. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lamborghini wants to grow, but it will never become big

Lamborghini had a record year in 2021: it delivered 8,405 cars, an increase of 13% over 2020 and, tellingly, 6,803 units more than in 2011. Almost all of the company's production capacity for 2022 is spoken for, so its popularity doesn't look like it's going to wane anytime soon. Andrea Baldi, the head of the Americas region for Lamborghini, sat down with Autoblog to talk about what this growth means for the future. "We have more than a year-long waiting time for every model. Even for the Huracan, which we launched in 2014. It's not just the STO; it's the all- and rear-wheel-drive variants as well. We pre-sold the Aventador Ultimae in three weeks in July 2021, which was a record," Baldi pointed out. The more family-focused Urus has been hugely popular as well; it's the best-selling Lamborghini with 5,021 deliveries in 2021. Lamborghini plans to continue growing in the coming years, it will notably unveil four new models in 2022, but there's a set limit to how far it can stretch. The executive team's idea is not to rival Audi in terms of size, or even Porsche. "We definitely want to scale up our production a bit. The big chance for us is the jump into hybridization, because it means that we'll get a new generation of cars. We'll start in 2023 with the Aventador's successor, and the entire range will gradually be electrified after that. This gives us an opportunity for the Aventador and Huracan successors to have a production line that can make more cars," Baldi revealed. He stopped short of telling us precisely how many more, but the increase will be relatively small — and maintaining the brand's exclusivity will be of paramount importance. "The idea will always be to have one car less than demand," he noted. "We will always have a waiting time but it should be shorter, so we need a little more production capacity. If you sit in front of your house and watch 10,000 cars go by, one will be a Lamborghini. We're talking about a small-digit percentage increase, but for a luxury brand it will be a big change," Baldi added. Going hybrid unlocks other opportunities, like the ability to reach new buyers while letting the firm stay on the right side of ever-stricter regulations. And yet, many of its customers still associate a super-sports car with a mighty internal combustion engine.

The Lamborghini Huracan Performante Spyder is a roofless mouthful of awesome

We were not expecting the Lamborghini Huracan Performante Spyder to be much different than its fixed-roof counterpart, and as the camouflage comes off this theory looks to be vindicated. That's good news all around, except for perhaps your hairdo. As a quick refresher, we saw much more covered-up spy shots a while back. It revealed that the Performante coupe's transparent engine cover would be replaced by an opaque one and a cowl to hide the roof when it's down. That's borne out here, and since the top's down in these new photos, you get a great look at the clean lines of the cowl. Like the coupe, it'll pack a 630 horsepower V10 and Lamborghini's incredible Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva system. That's Lambo-speak for active aero, and it's what let the coupe lap the 'Ring in under 7 minutes. The Spyder should be packing that system too, although it's likely to be heavier and slightly less slippery than its tin-top cousin. Related Video: Image Credit: SpiedBilde Spy Photos Lamborghini Convertible Performance