Lamborghini's Latest Spotify Playlist Inspired By Urus Performante V8 Engine

Dec. 18, 2022 10:18 AM ET by Jarryd Neves Engine / Comments

Matching music to the growl of a twin-turbo V8 is a tall order, but Lamborghini has done it somehow.

Lamborghini has released the third part of the Engine Songs Series, with the latest installment paying tribute to the glorious 657-horsepower twin-turbo V8 engine in the Urus Performante.

The final playlist follows the earlier examples centered around the V10 powerplant in the Huracan Tecnica and the V12 mill that motivates the Aventador Ultimae. Each of these engine configurations creates a distinctive sound, giving Lamborghini Sound Engineer Mario Mautone and producer Alex Trecarichi plenty to work with.

So, what did they come up with for the V8? The "deep and rhythmic" sound of an eight-cylinder engine drove the duo to search for the characteristic frequency of the Urus Performante's engine.

"To create the playlist, I started from an analysis of the essential frequency of the engine," remarks Trecarichi. "In the case of the Urus, the parameter that registered was 50 hertz, corresponding to the fundamental vibrations of a drum kit. As an important part of the playlist, it had to be represented by the rhythm."

A total of 24 tracks were curated, with each one said to enhance the driver's experience behind the wheel. Trecarichi used Fourier Transform mathematical formulas and artificial intelligence to find sounds that correspond with the Urus' engine, whether it's idling, cruising, or roaring at full speed.

2023 Lamborghini Urus Performante Front-End View

At idle, the Performante's engine hums away in C, which is the same key as Un gitano perdido, a song by Gabriel Dominguez. In the mid-range (4,000 rpm), the engine noise adapts to the G key, much like Boogie Fever. At the top of the rev range, the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 creates a sound akin to Is My Love Enough? by White Lies.

Trecarichi says the playlist makes him want to take a long drive with his family, saying that "driving the Urus Performante with our music playing in the background makes you want to set off and head north, with no specific destination." Mautone has different ideas; he'd love to tackle a rally stage in the Italian super SUV: "I, on the other hand, imagined a rally track deep in the United States. Having fun behind the wheel with my best friends."

This ode to Lamborghini's V8 is a unique love letter to a configuration that may not be with us for much longer. The next-generation Urus is expected to debut as a fully-electric model, but it won't debut before the automaker reveals its first-ever EV, rumored to be a grand tourer of sorts.

While the V12 has received a stay of execution (for now, at least), many have wondered about the fate of the V10 engine. Some reports suggest the Huracan successor will be powered by a plug-in hybrid V8. It will be a shame to see the ten-cylinder powerplant die, but we're guessing the automaker will make the new engine just as intoxicating as its predecessor.