Desirable Sacrilege

With the Urus, Lamborghini is breaking new ground for an exotic supercar brand. But does an SUV really deserve a ‘Raging Bull’ badge on the bonnet?

- Ishan Raghava

Before I start extolling the virtues of the Urus, I must point out that a Lamborghini hyper-SUV is not a new idea. It’s been done before! Turn the clock back about three decades, and those of you who are old enough will recall an SUV that was much desired – even if it was a commercial failure – the Lamborghini LM002. From its design, which was far ahead of its time, to its V12 engine from a Countach, and its 169-litre fuel tank, the LM002 was perfect for the late-80s – the age of excess. Think of it as the age that produced the Ferrari F40, the mullet style, spiked leather jackets and, of course, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X mobile phone – popularly referred to as the brick, and a famous accessory in many films from the 80s and 90s.

SUVs are the driving force

Fast forward 30 years, and much has changed in the world. Mobile phones are now tiny and have more functions than a computer did in the 80s. And the mullet has been replaced by exhibiting your scalp as much as possible – and they call it a hairstyle! Anyway, SUVs now dominate the world of automobiles. Just look at any segment across the world, and you’ll see that SUVs are driving the growth and volume. With luxury SUVs doing massive numbers, it was just a matter of time before a supercar maker like Lamborghini tried their hand at one.