For those of you brimming with jealousy whilst reading this, let me just put out a disclaimer; I did not get a chance to drive any Lamborghini products, but I did have a chance to get up and close with the brand’s new SUV, the Urus, while also being part of the media contingent that travelled to the Western Cape to view the brand’s new showroom in Century City.
A new era for Lamborghini locally
In much the same way that LSM Distributors has reinvigorated the Porsche and Bentley brands in South Africa, LSM, which is run by Toby Venter, has now acquired the rights to distribute Lamborghini products in South Africa.
This means that LSM now owns the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit and is the distributor for three very premium marques locally. In addition to the Cape Town-based Lamborghini showroom, there are also Johannesburg and Umhlanga showrooms available for those interested in the brand’s products.
A new era for Lamborghini internationally
The move from Mr Venter and his team couldn’t have come at a better time as Lamborghini launches its first ever SUV, which the company’s Chairman and CEO, Stefano Domenicali, claims will double the brand’s international sales volume in future.
The 2017 sales figures were 10% up versus those in 2016, with 3 815 cars being delivered to customers worldwide, highlighting the exclusivity of the brand. To put it into perspective, Toyota sold more Hilux models in June of 2018 in South Africa than Lamborghini sold across its entire model range throughout the 2017 year.
With the claim of doubled output from the CEO himself, the brand has had to increase the size of its factory in Italy to accommodate the production of the Urus in anticipation for a heightened demand.
The Urus
The Lamborghini brand is traditionally associated with bulls and supercars, with all of its finest machinery over the years being named after famous bulls. The Urus continues this theme with its name being derived from the ancestor to modern cattle, called Aurochs.
This is technically Lamborghini’s second SUV after a failed military project gifted the world the LM002 in the ‘80s, however, the two cars are really rather different in their purpose and approach to the SUV segment.
Purists will bemoan the introduction of a Lamborghini SUV, but the fact is that SUVs are the money makers within the global automotive market at the moment, so striking while the iron is hot is essential. Under its bonnet is a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine with 478kW/850Nm, which, despite its kerb weight of nearly 2 200kg, will allow this four-wheel drive behemoth to get from 0-100km/h in a claimed 3.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 305km/h.
Lamborghini has made use of the MLB Evo platform from its Volkswagen parent company, which it shares with the Bentley Bentayga, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg and Audi’s Q7 as well as the upcoming Q8.
The Italian brand has put its own spin on a coupe-esque SUV design and has managed to make a rather menacing-looking SUV that still looks quintessentially Lamborghini. Inside, hints of its Volkswagen Group underpinnings are evident in some areas, but in others, such as the quality leather and trim, the centre console which looks like it has been lifted from a fighter jet and the general fit and finish, it feels premium, which it should, with pricing staring from R3.45-million.
