Lamborghini preps Urus for racing series

A Lamborghini Urus race vehicle will soon be a reality.

The Urus ST-X concept is the exotic automaker's attempt at making its extreme SUV even more so.

Prepped by Lamborghini Squadra Corse, the automaker's motorsports division, the ST-X has a matte green exterior, a carbon fiber hood and a lateral racing exhaust with a new hexagonal design.

The Volkswagen-owned brand says the concept has been outfitted with a steel roll cage, fire suppression system, racing fuel tank, 21-inch Pirelli tires and rear wing.

Lamborghini says those customizations mean the concept weighs 25 percent less than the production Urus.

Power still comes from a twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V-8 engine with 650 hp.

Lamborghini said this month that the ST-X will be the basis of a single-brand racing series in Europe and the Middle East starting in 2020.

The series will have an "arrive and drive" component, Lamborghini says, which is set up to offer drivers vehicle and tech support during race weekends.

The Urus went on sale this year. CEO Stefano Domenicali recently told Automotive News Europe that sales are ahead of expectations: "By the end of October, the order bank had already exceeded the entire production for next year."