Lamborghini conquers world’s highest drivable road

At 19,300 feet of elevation, India’s Umling La Pass roadway is higher than the Mount Everest base camp

ByLarry Edsall - October 12, 2021

The Lamborghini Urus on the world's highest drivable road | Lamborghini photos

At 19,300 feet above sea level, the Umling La Pass road in India’s Ladakh region is the highest drivable road in the world, and Lamborghini is patting itself on its own back, proclaiming that its Urus SUV recently traversed the road twice.

“This majestic road with its amazing bends and corners was negotiated twice by Lamborghini Urus on 8 and 9 Oct 2021,” Lamborghini said in its news release. “The V8 twin-turbocharged engine of the Urus displayed its capabilities in unlocking the highest drivable road in the world. It is the absolute all-round Lamborghini that can explore new paths and unlock the most challenging roads to showcase its full potential.”

While proclaiming it “a proud moment for Lamborghini,” Sharad Agarwal, head of Lamborghini India, also praised the builders of the roadway, the Border Roads Organization.

“When we reached Umling La Pass, even standing for 30 minutes was extremely difficult,” he said, “and how the team completed the road in such extreme weather conditions is unimaginable.”

Weather conditions in the area can be extremely harsh, with cold temperatures and strong winds. The road combines gravel and concrete surfaces depending on the terrain.

“During the 87.5 kilometer-long drive from Hanle to Umling La, Urus performed brilliantly under the Terra and Sport driving modes on a road that sits higher than the base camp of Mount Everest,” Agarwal added.

Lamborghini claims its Urus is the first “super sport utility vehicle” in the world, combining the soul of a sports car with the functionality of an SUV. It is powered by a 650-horsepower V8 engine, can sprint to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds and has a top speed of 189 mph.

ARTICLE COURTESY OF CLASSICCARS.COM