Italian supercar marque Lamborghini has revealed something called the Urus ST-X Concept which, obviously based on its SUV, previews an upcoming one-brand racing series set to be launched in 2020, with proper FIA approval and everything. If ever there was a sign of the progression of motorsports, here it is, in the form of a bright-green family wagon.
To be fair, the Urus is undoubtedly one of the most performance-tilted SUVs in history, and this racing SUV just pushes that to a whole new level. It’s understood that the racing series, which Lamborghini says will adopt a “arrive & drive” format, will feature tracks in Europe & the Middle East that mix sealed & unsealed surfaces in a loop, not much unlike rallycross. All teams will be offer driver-customers a complete racing package, inclusive of the car and technical support through race weekends.
In its transformation from family-hauler to SUV-racer, the ST-X Concept has been mechanically optimised and features regulatory safety additions, as to comply with FIA rules. That includes an integrated steel roll cage (which plays a double role in stiffening the chassis), a fire suppression system, and an FT3 fuel tank. Everything else besides has been removed, and so the concept is 25% lighter than the production model on which it’s based.
The Verde Mantis exterior is given a matte finish for the racecar, and features concept liveries that will of course be open for individual teams to redesign. There’s also a carbon fibre bonnet, new front apron, engorged air intakes, slim rear spoiler, updated rear bumper, lateral racing exhausts featuring hexagonal tips, and 21-inch aluminium alloy wheels with a single-nut design, wrapped in high-performance Pirelli rubbers.
However, there are no changes under the bonnet, and so the car continues to soldier on with just 478kW and 850Nm, just like the road-going vehicle. That said, a variety of updates and changes could be later applied to the 4.0-litre V8 to make it more raucous and raw, though that’s something Lamborghini will only talk about at the Urus ST-X’s track debut at the 2019 Lamborghini World Finals.
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