Lamborghini Urus SUV revealed

These are the first pictures of Lamborghini’s Super SUV concept, the Urus, soon to be shown at the Beijing Motor Show. The model is the spiritual successor to the LM002 4x4 from 1986, but unlike that model, Lamborghini is aiming for it to become a mainstream rival for the forthcoming large Bentley SUV, the Falcon.

No detailed technical information has been released, but the Urus SUV is likely to be powered by a 600bhp motor sitting in the nose. The chassis may be shared with the Audi’s variable large car four-wheel-drive platform, the MLB, and the four-wheel-drive system is likely to make heavy use of torque vectoring.

The name Urus comes from a very large and powerful wild bull that was common in central Asia and Europe in the middle-ages, and Lamborghini promises the Urus will set a new performance benchmark for SUVs. As Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini said, "The Urus is the most extreme interpretation of the SUV idea."

The car will be built using carbon-fibre technology, so weight is kept down and Lamborghini hopes the Urus can be used by households as a primary car. With a length of 4.99 metres, and a height of just 1.66 metres, it is not very large or very tall, but that shouldn’t matter in the least. The design is stunning. A typically Lamborghini nose mounted high, razor sharp lines similar to those on the Aventador, typically Lambo wheel arches, first seen on the Countach, and massive haunches make this car an eyeball magnet. Also stunning are the all-new 24-inch wheels which are forged from matte-finish aluminum.

The Urus will also use innovative and adaptive aerodynamics. Both variable ride height and a height-adjustable front spoiler will be used to make the SUV scythe through the air and the aero balance of the Lamborghini Urus can even be adjusted to suit the prevailing driving conditions.

Trust Lamborghini to push the boundaries of what an SUV is and what it can do. The production car should be a new high.

 Beijing Motor Show 2012 COMPLETE IMAGE GALLERY