Lamborghini Urus achieves high-speed record on ice

18-time speed record holder Andrey Leontyev shares his insights on the experience as the record gets formally registered.

Lamborghini’s super SUV, the Urus set a high-speed record on the icy Russian lake, Lake Baikal, during the Days of Speed held earlier this March. The high-speed record has been formally registered by the RAF (Russian Automobile Federation), a member of the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile). Russian driver Andrey Leontyev, 18-time record holder of Days of Speed on Baikal Ice, shares his experience of setting the record. Reaching a top speed of 298kmph and an average speed from a standing start of 114kmph across the 1000m/1km distance, the Urus’ performance and handling capabilities despite the reduced traction due to the ice, came to the fore. Andrey Leontyev, Moscow-born and bred, has always had a passion for engines and cars, from his childhood to reporting on them during his journalism career and even driving them during his truck racing years. His goal and all-time dream was to drive the world’s fastest cars and set records in extreme conditions. “When I saw the frozen Lake Baikal for the first time I immediately realized that it was a perfect track. Records were being set on impeccable-quality asphalt roads and salt lakes around the world but in Russia we don’t have any of that. Instead, we have a lot of ice and that’s how the idea came to me. So I once decided to come to Baikal with a friend and did some racing. Nobody thought this would get us anywhere, but we were determined to make it something big. In the past ten years we gained FIA recognition to make our ice-track records official. We fully abide by all FIA regulations and we have a legitimate record-setting arena.” The Urus’ twin-turbo V8 engine boasts 650bhp and one of the highest specific power outputs of its class. It’s able to accelerate from 0 to 100kmph in 3.6 seconds, 0 to 200kmph in 12.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 305kmph. Yet, it is a tractable daily driver that wasn’t specifically designed to achieve such high speeds on ice. “Urus’ biggest advantage is its absolute versatility. It is extremely easy and comfortable to operate in any situation. Despite its significant power, supercar roots and supercar behavior, the Urus is forgiving and obliges the pilot. I am certain that even a fairly inexperienced driver could still perform well in this vehicle if they were to step onto the race track. But that same person would also be able to drive the car to their summer home or to the countryside with friends. I have immense respect for what the company has accomplished. They’ve done something that no one has ever managed to do before, as have I with this record.”