Automobili Lamborghini has been a disruptor from the start, a tractor manufacturer that, in 1963, decided to compete with Enzo Ferrari in developing the world's most exotic cars of the day. In the subsequent decades, founder Ferruccio Lamborghini's eponymous marque has continued its charge with such benchmark models as the Miura, Countach, Aventador, and Huracán. Yet the model that's had the most impact on the industry and the Raging Bull's own bottom line has been a family hauler, albeit one with plenty of fury.Named Robb Report's 2019 Car of the Year, the Lamborghini Urus S.U.V. appeared on the scene in 2017, and since its debut, other high-luxury, high-performance automakers have been chasing its success. Unfortunately for the rest of the field, the team at Sant'Agata Bolognese has just announced a new variant that's its most powerful yet—the Urus SE Performante, which Robb Report was recently given a virtual preview of by Lamborghini's design director Mitja Borkert.More from Robb ReportAdvertisementAdvertisementThese Whiskies From One of Scotland's Underrated Distilleries Are the Perfect Summer SippersBuffalo Trace's Coveted Prohibition Collection Is Back for 2026. Here's Everything You Need to Know.Inside an Ultra-Modern $85 Million Mansion in South Florida Inspired by James BondThe Lamborghini Urus SE Performante."When Winkelmann [Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini's global C.E.O] came back to Lamborghini, we said, 'Ok, we can strategically develop the car into a more elegant version, the Urus S, and into a more expressive performance version, the Urus Performante," Borkert tells Robb Report. "And now, with the Urus SE and the Urus SE Performante, we are doing another step on that strategy." Referring specifically to the latest release, Borkert notes; "The car is, for me now, really the perfect Urus. It is looking very alive and very, very refreshed, and really ready for the future."Mitja Borkert, design director for Automobili Lamborghini.Reflective of that prescient approach is how the SE Performante further advances the 789 hp SE's plug-in-hybrid power-train configuration. The setup comprises a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 and a synchronous electric motor—fed by a 25.9 kWh battery—that join forces to now deliver just over 800 hp and 737 ft lbs of torque, all managed by an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Those specs beat the SE by 144 hp and more than 110 ft lbs of torque. This increased brawn allows the vehicle to cover zero to 62 mph in 3.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 193.8 mph, the latter remaining the same as that of the SE.With the help of the Integrated Power Brake (IBP) system, reliant on feedback from eight sensors constantly assessing conditions and traction, brake power has, according to the press release, improved by 10 percent, and "system responsiveness" by 12 percent, compared to the solely internal-combustion-engined Urus Performante. As for the carbon-ceramic brakes themselves, they bring the vehicle to a standstill from just over 124 mph in less than 426.5 feet.The Urus SE Performante's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 and synchronous electric motor—fed by a 25.9 kWh battery—join forces to now deliver just over 800 hp and 737 ft lbs of torque.Complementing the added muscle is the SE Performante's aerodynamic features, which bring to the table what's claimed to be 23 percent more downforce and 3 percent less drag versus the SE. "We have a very close collaboration with our aerodynamic colleagues," says Borkert. In highlighting some of the aero elements, he first points to the "functional S-duct . . . where we take the air stream that is entering the front air intake of the car and then exiting through these two air outlets on the engine bonnet."AdvertisementAdvertisementFor Borkert, this is an important piece of refining the performance puzzle. "The S-duct is an element that, from my point of view, is also quite unique in the S.U.V. world in general. I don't know any other S.U.V. that has this solution, because it's really more or less what we are also doing in the Fenomeno," Borkert mentions, referencing Lamborghini's 1,066 hp hybrid supercar, of which only 29 examples will be built. In addition, Borkert notes that "the upper wing is the same as the [Urus] Performante of today . . . but you can see the carbon-fiber ducktail is higher. Then, on the lower part, we have the largest, the widest, the most expressive diffusor we have done so far for the Urus." Along with these changes, he mentions "some rework [by] the aerodynamical team of the underfloor of the car."The interior takes inspiration from that of the Lamborghini Huracán STO.Also imbuing the SE Performante with a more aggressive appearance is the new carbon-fiber hood. "You can see the front is pointing even more down, like a shark," Borkert says, adding, "we have a more pointy silhouette." That delightfully menacing aesthetic is also enhanced by a poised-to-strike stance, which has its track width expanded by 16 mm (.62 inches) and bolstered by 23-inch wheels shod in Pirelli P Zero tires.The cabin's Nero Cosmus–colored microfiber, seen in this example, is exclusive to the Performante versions of Lamborghini models.Then there's the cabin. "I thought it's cool to take the graphical elements of the Huracán STO . . . because the Huracán STO is, so far, one of our most sporty cars, and I wanted to have this connection, so when you look at the seats, when you look at the "Y" shapes, when you look at the bolsters, everything looks like it's made to enjoy driving," explains Borkert. It's really keeping you in this 'Feel Like a Pilot' mode, and on top of that . . . the microfiber is sustainable. Called Nero Cosmus, it's the darkest, most black microfiber we are offering in our cars . . . this is always exclusively for the Performante versions."The SE Performante's aerodynamic features are responsible for a claimed 23 percent more downforce and 3 percent less drag versus the SE.Along with the standard Urus drive modes of Strada, Sport, Corsa, Nevia, Sabba, and Terra for on-road, track, and off-road motoring, the SE Performante provides the same electrification-based modes premiered with the SE, those being EV Drive, Hybrid, Performance, and Recharge. But the SE Performante breaks away from the other Urus variants with a new Rally mode for more spirited driving off the beaten path. Also on hand are the Fenomeno's 6D-sensor setup (providing a continually updating snapshot of the car's dynamic interrelationships), the aforementioned IBP, and a host of other driver assists already common to the Urus line.The delightfully menacing aesthetic is also enhanced by a poised-to-strike stance, with a track width expanded by 16 mm (.62 inches).AdvertisementAdvertisement"The car is incredibly capable, and it is, let's say, beautiful—you can judge [for] yourself, but it is, for sure, very expressive" says Borkert. "It's an Urus, but it's clearly a performance version of the Urus—this is what we wanted to express with the design." Lamborghini will begin accepting orders for the Urus SE Performante as of today, though U.S. pricing has yet to be disclosed.Click here for more photos of the Lamborghini Urus SE Performante.The 800 hp Lamborghini Urus SE Performante.Best of Robb ReportThe 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine BeastThe World's Best Superyacht ShipyardsThe ABCs of Chartering a YachtSign up for RobbReports's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.Click here to read the full article.