Borkert on the Urus SE Perfomante – “it just gets better and better”
Lamborghini’s flagship SUV is now both electrified and performance focussed. Design boss Mitja Borkert speaks to CDN about the challenge of working with mixed materials and aero, and why the industry’s fascination with big wheels may have reached its limit
The Urus now has a high-performance hybrid variant in the ranks, the SE Performante. Despite lashings of carbon-fibre, 23-inch wheels, 800bhp and lime green paint, it is somehow more restrained than we expected. Much of that comes down to the aerodynamics which has been thoughtfully integrated.
Yes, the bodywork has been given a thorough going over and there are additional fins, intakes and scoops, but nothing feels ‘bolted on’ and – for a performance ‘Super SUV’ – it just about eschews the label of ‘brash’ by a whisker. Head of design Mitja Borkert seems to agree and adopts the term “expressive” instead.
This new variant is lighter and more aerodynamic than the standard Urus SE. A 3% reduction in drag pairs with a staggering 23% increase in downforce – it effectively hugs the ground while also cutting through the air, a result of careful tweaking to the bodywork. As such, there are some obvious visual cues on the exterior.
These come in the form of a new front splitter, upper and lower spoilers and a series of vents on the hood, fenders and wheel arches. Improved brake cooling stems from a new duct that funnels air onto the discs and callipers, too, and much of these elements are made from carbonfibre, of course.
The bonnet is a defining characteristic of this new design – particularly when the Urus adopts a brighter body colour – and connects to a typically sharp front mask. “The front is defined by this omega shape and a very sharp air intake,” says Borkert. “The shark nose creates a really nice ‘S duct’ connection and the bonnet has these two air outlets that work just as they do with the Fenomeno.” He doubles down on the importance of a “pointy, accelerated front” and notes that a Lamborghini should in some ways “look like a shark.”
At the rear, the car sports what is apparently the widest diffuser offered so far on the Urus platform, available of course in full carbon fibre. “Honest” exhaust pipes come from Akrapovic, “which really give it the right sound,” says Borkert. Indeed, there is a huge amount of carbonfibre on show with the SE Performante and part of that comes down to the functional benefits of the material. It could have been painted, though, so how did the team balance form versus function?
“This is a challenge we face all the time. The engineer is telling you there is more than 800 horsepower, so with the radiator here we need to have a certain square metre of airflow, all while integrating different materials and so on. There is a relationship between all of these components, and I always say that a Lamborghini SUV is always the highest and most beautiful challenge a designer can take on, especially where the function and the performance are perfectly integrated and well done.”
He points to the mix of materials as a particular challenge: “Take the bonnet, you could remove it as a sculpture and put it on your wall. It looks beautiful. It’s made from carbonfibre but we also needed to integrate aluminium connecting parts. But carbon fibre needs to be treated in a different way to aluminium, which is a little softer, while plastic parts can have a sharper design. It takes weeks and months of hard work to achieve such a design.”
The Urus SE Performante also gets a dedicated new wheel design, available in 22” and goliath 23” sizes. To our eye, that inflated wheel size does well to balance the Urus’ proportions and almost create the appearance of a hot hatch – at least in images. “I believe the 23” option is perfect,” reflects Borkert. “We have the 22” with a slightly chunkier tyre as well, but the 23” is more for someone where the bigger wheels are important, but it is not over exaggerated. The shoe has to fit perfectly to the proportions.”
But there is a limit, he concedes: “If you go up to say 28” wheels, which I’ve seen elsewhere, it doesn’t look good anymore… We don't want to continue this general trend of wheel diameter. In my opinion, this is not necessary.”
The Urus concept first broke cover in 2012, four years before Mitja Borkert would leave Porsche for Lamborghini. Given the industry was still working to a more traditional production timeline, the incoming design director would still have time to help finish the design. The Urus S followed in 2022, and then the Performante. Electrification would come in 2024 through the Urus SE. Now there is an amalgamation in the Urus SE Performante.
The Urus is now established enough to stand without its brand name, just as the Miura, Countach, Diablo before it. And like those icons, it all comes down to distinctive design. “The Urus is very recognisable in terms of shape, which is what has also made it so successful,” says Borkert. “For me, this car is maybe the most mature Urus we have ever created. The Urus has some years on its shoulders now, but the car is getting better and better and, with the Urus SE Performante, we are doing another step into creating its legacy.”
