The New Lamborghini Urus Takes SUV Record At Pikes Peak

The new Lamborghini Urus model has made its presence known ahead of its debut this mid-August, setting a new record in the production SUV category on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb track.

Sporting a camouflage wrap, at the helm of the new Urus was Hillclimb champion and Pirelli test driver Simone Faggioli, holder of the 2018 Pikes Peak ‘Race to the Clouds’ rear-wheel drive record.

Starting from an altitude of 2,862 meters, it tackled the 156 turns that wind for 20 km, and climbed a further altitude of 1,439 meters to cross the finish line at 4,302 meters in 10:32.064.

Although the new Urus was not entered in the official race, the time was recorded by the official timekeepers of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. 

Exceptionally, it bested both the previous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb sanctioned non-race day manufacturer record of 12:35.610.

One of which was set by Paul Dallenbach in 2014, and the other, the current race day record of 10:49.902 held by Rhys Millen, set in 2018, in a Bentley Bentayga.

Said time attack took place on the same route as the official race, with the road closed to traffic for the occasion.

Automobili Lamborghini’s chief technical officer, Rouven Mohr, expressed, “Pikes Peak is the most famous Hillclimb event in the world, as well as being extremely challenging for the car. The uneven track layout tests the chassis’ balance, the significant altitude differences stress the powertrain, and the weather conditions can change very rapidly between start to finish.”

Equipped with the standard twin-turbo V8 engine, the new Urus was modified to comply with the safety regulations of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Specifically, the passenger compartment was fitted with a roll cage, the standard seats replaced by a race seat with six-point harness, and a fire extinguishing system was installed.

Other than that, the 285/40 R22 and 325/35 R22 tires it shredded on, were an evolution of the Urus’ Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R.

For the first time, the Pirelli semi-slick tire has been developed to meet the characteristics of an SUV, with this particular variant developed in cooperation with Lamborghini. 

According to the two entities, the tire has increased versatility, returning high performance both on dry asphalt with high ambient temperatures and on wet surfaces with colder temperatures. 

Mohr concluded, “The decision to test ourselves at Pikes Peak reflects the Lamborghini spirit of ‘expect the unexpected’, and demonstrates the outstanding performance of the new Urus model to be presented shortly.”