Ahead of its world premiere later this month, the as yet officially named Urus ‘EVO’ has set a new record in the production SUV category at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb: the famous uphill race that recently celebrated its 100th running.
Hillclimb champion and Pirelli test driver Simone Faggioli, holder of the rear-wheel drive record set in the 2018 ‘Race to the Clouds’ on Pikes Peak, was entrusted with the new Urus, sporting a camouflage wrap ahead of its official presentation.
The timed attack took place on the same route as the race, with the road closed to traffic for the occasion. Starting from an altitude of 2862m, Faggioli tackled the 156 turns that wind for 20km, ascending a further 1439m in 10:32.064.
Yet to make its formal debut, the new Urus, which has been nicknamed the EVO by world media, was not entered in the official race but the time was recorded by the official timekeepers of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
The Urus bested both the previous PPIHC sanctioned non-race day manufacturer record of 12:35.610 set by Paul Dallenbach in 2014, and the current race day record of 10:49.902 held by Rhys Millen, set in 2018, in a Bentley Bentayga.
“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,” Lamborghini chief technical officer Rouven Mohr said.
“Pikes Peak is the most famous hill climb 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.”
The Urus, equipped with the standard twin-turbo V8 engine, was modified to comply with the safety regulations of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, including the addition of a roll cage, a race seat with six-point harness and a fire extinguishing system.
The tires (sizes 285/40 R22 and 325/35 R22) are 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 for the Lamborghini.
