The SUV arms race has gotten to the purpose the place automakers are one-upping even themselves, introducing higher-performing variants of their already high-performance machines. The 2023 Lamborghini Urus lineup is a working example. Final yr’s Urus made 641 horsepower, however somebody, someplace determined this was inadequate, in order that they cranked the output as much as 657 horses and known as it the Urus S. However even that wasn’t sufficient, as a result of they’ve additionally gone and constructed a Urus Performante, which makes the identical energy because the S however is decidedly extra hardcore on account of lightweighting measures and a extra performance-oriented suspension and tire package deal.

Had both been out there, the Urus S would have been the selection to do battle with the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT and Aston Martin DBX 707 in our earlier comparability take a look at. Like them, the S has height-adjustable adaptive air springs to go along with its energetic anti-roll bars, torque-vectoring rear differential, and rear-wheel steering system. It may need given the Porsche a run for its cash as a result of the Lambo is constructed on the identical platform because the Cayenne, however with a 4.3-inch longer wheelbase. It makes use of the identical suspension structure, eight-speed computerized gearbox, and 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, however with the latter tuned to make 657 horses as an alternative of the Porsche’s 631 horsepower. Factor is, cash may additionally have been its undoing, as a result of at $233,995 to start out the Urus S is about as costly because the Aston, which misplaced out to the Porsche on account of worth.

As for our extroverted Viper Inexperienced Performante, it actually lives on a special aircraft of existence from the S and people others. In a nutshell, it ditches the thought of height-adjustable air springs in favor of coil springs. The chosen fastened peak signifies an indifference towards floor clearance, because the Performante’s everlasting crouch slumps 0.8 inch decrease than the “regular” peak of a Urus S and matches the lowermost aero posture the S acquires at velocity. If that wasn’t sufficient to place paid to the very thought of off-roadability, the Performante’s so-called Anima drive selector lacks all three off-road modes: Neve for slippery work, Terra for fundamental off-roading, and Sabbia for sand. Of their place is Rally, which sits on the tail-out hooligan finish of the spectrum, atop Strada (avenue), Sport, and Corsa (monitor).

With the efficiency angle firmly locked in place, the engineers set to work optimizing the chassis to swimsuit aggressive pavement work and little else. These reducing springs are agency to provide the Corsa drive mode ample enamel—to not point out the power to maintain this lower-slung machine out of its bump stops. The energetic anti-roll bars and torque-vectoring rear diff have been reoptimized, and the middle differential is decidedly extra rear-biased than on an ordinary Urus. However the Performante’s ace within the gap is its tires, Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R quasi-competition track-loving gumballs with a 60-treadwear score that undercuts the 80-treadwear Pirelli Corsas on Porsche’s Turbo GT.

Mash the throttle and the Performante delivers, but it surely’s not an across-the-board drubbing by any means. Although we have examined a faster and stickier Cayenne Turbo GT, for this breakdown, we’ll reference the Cayenne Turbo GT from the comparability take a look at. The Performante is 0.2 second faster to 100 mph, four-tenths faster to 130 mph, and a tenth or two faster in our 5-to-60-, 30-to-50-, and 50-to-70-mph acceleration assessments. However its 3.0-second 60-mph time is a tenth slower than the Cayenne’s, and it is an 11.2-second tie on the stripe on the quarter-mile—albeit with the Performante rolling 2 mph quicker. What provides? The transmission ratios are similar, however the Lambo’s diff ratios are fractionally lazier and its tires are an inch taller. Its efficient gearing is subsequently taller, and the shift factors merely hit completely different.

In the meantime the Performante orbits the skidpad to the tune of 1.04 g’s, holding a slight tail-out posture because it pips the Porsche’s 1.03-g effort. It is a monster on mountain roads, too, however in multiple sense of that phrase. On the one hand, it responds effectively when pushed and cuts an keen and exact arc when requested to show in at velocity. We attacked a favourite tight winding downhill street, and it by no means flinched. The carbon-ceramic brakes held up admirably by quite a few heavy downhill purposes with nothing greater than the occasional excited squeak. On the monitor, its 70-mph stops of 152 toes solely beat the Porsche by a pair toes, however its 100-mph stops of simply 296 toes bested the Turbo GT by a full 16 toes—basically a full Cayenne size.

However the pavement must be easy to get the very best out of the Performante, because the tuning is maybe extra Corsa-optimized than we might like. Push exhausting on the lumpier mountain roads we all know, and it feels much less sorted, and even switching the dampers to their softest mode (which we gravitated to more often than not anyway) does not appear to assist as a result of the aggressive rebound damping does not let the suspension breathe. This additionally makes it a bear to tolerate round city, the place the passage of time and heavy vans does pavement no favors. The energetic anti-roll bars really feel constrained inside the stiff suspension and in consequence do not appear to decouple as successfully because the Cayenne’s to fight head toss. Right here we’re reminded that that is an SUV, which implies that someplace on the market there is a well-heeled household with high-dollar automobile seats in again for his or her progeny. Ever heard of shaken butter? That is what you could get with milk in a sippy cup.

Regardless of the trip, the inside is however a really attention-grabbing place to be, with an overwrought-at-first-glance look that grows on you rapidly. Our Performante’s quite a few choices included swaths of carbon-fiber trim that regarded engaging and effectively built-in, and the dual-screen heart stack labored logically—even when the higher infotainment one is a bit small. The unusual twin Anima drive mode selectors grew on us on account of their ease of use, and even the shift lever made sense briefly order, though we might by no means seen one prefer it. Positive, choosing Drive with a steering paddle is bizarre, and the purple flap over the beginning button is pointless, but it surely’s enjoyable. None of this may move muster in a Camry, thoughts you, but it surely made excellent sense within the context of a Lambo, the place excessive flies beneath the radar.

The Performante just isn’t low-cost, as you will have surmised. Its base worth of $268,666 is a few $35,000 greater than a Urus S, and our take a look at automobile rang in at a panoramic $342,765 on account of practically $75,000 in choices, most of which amounted to trim and colour upgrades. The Viper Inexperienced paint added $18,941, and gloss-black and carbon-fiber inside and exterior goodies amounted to just about $33,000. Weirdly, the Performante’s base worth features a $1300 gasoline guzzler tax that the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT doesn’t incur though rated gas financial system is similar at 16 mpg mixed (14 metropolis/19 freeway), a quantity we matched throughout our time within the automobile. That is as a result of the Lambo is formally categorized as a wagon (a.ok.a. automobile), whereas the Cayenne is an SUV, a truck designation.

Factor is, we’ve got a tough time coming to grips with who the Performante is for, though Lamborghini expects half of Urus consumers to decide on it over the equally highly effective and undoubtably extra well-rounded Urus S. From the best way it is tuned and geared up, the Performante is clearly the extra track-focused and least family-friendly of the 2. Usually, such issues would not matter within the least to a Lamborghini-intender, however this is not some scissor-doored supercar constructed for these bent on eschewing matrimony. However, Lambo followers gotta Lambo, and this does come throughout as a part of that household, 4 often hinged doorways however.

Technical Editor

Dan Edmunds was born into the world of vehicles, however not the way you may suppose. His father was a retired racing driver who opened Autoresearch, a race-car-building store, the place Dan reduce his enamel as a steel fabricator. Engineering faculty adopted, then SCCA Showroom Inventory racing, and that mixture landed him suspension improvement jobs at two completely different automakers. His writing profession started when he was picked up by Edmunds.com (no relation) to construct a testing division.