Lamborghini’s Urus has raised plenty of eyebrows, so keen to enhance the credibility of its new mass-produced SUV, the Italian firm’s racing arm, Squadra Corse, has revealed a competition version called the Urus ST-X Concept.
It will see action in a new single-manufacturer series that will commence in 2020 and run on FIA-approved circuits throughout Europe and the Middle East. The circuits will combine both tarmac and off-road sections, much like rallycross, while the car itself is very close to the road-going Urus, but comes with additional FIA-approved paraphernalia to allow it to run in official competition.
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Most of the changes are under the skin, and include a fitted roll-cage, a fire suppression system and an FT3 racing fuel tank to comply with FIA safety regulations. The standard air-suspension system has also been ditched, with a higher-riding passive spring and damper set-up taking its place to keep the inevitable jumps from totally destroying the car during the races. Further modifications and weight-saving measures have reduced the weight of the Urus from its 2.2-ton figure in road-going trim to just 1650kg – a drop of around 25 per cent.
Under the new carbonfibre hood, the ST-X shares its 4-litre twin turbo V8 engine with the standard car, producing an identical 640bhp, with 627lb ft of torque. New 21-inch centre-lock wheels have been fitted, as well as a bespoke high-mounted wing and new trapezoidal exhaust outlets pushed further up into the rear valance to reduce the chance of being torn off on hard landings.
The Urus ST-X will make its dynamic debut during the 2019 Lamborghini World Finals, before it’s put into competition via an ‘arrive and drive’ formula, where the logistics and maintenance of the cars are organised on behalf of their owners by Lamborghini Squadra Corse.
