Our Lamborghini Urus road trip hit a snag about 2pm on a public holiday when the hanger (anger caused by hunger) started to take hold.
Louise (my wife) and I had been desperately searching for any open restaurant or cafe, but everything seemed closed in Oman.
It was only our second day in the Lamborghini, which the team at Superior Car Rental in Dubai gave us for our road trip.
We drove past countless shops with security grills pulled across windows and doors, no lights showing and even no people on the dusty streets.
The 40-degree (100 Fahrenheit) heat might have been a factor.
Then it appeared like a desert mirage, the Golden Arches of McDonald’s.
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Actually, it was the KFC next door at first. We joined a snaking queue of cars that didn’t move at all for what seems like 20 minutes. But that might be the hanger talking, it was probably only 5.
So I pull the reverse lever down, it’s a satisfying bit of engineering that feels like you are engaging thrusters on a jet.
The Lamborghini’s V8 twin-turbo gurgles and we rumble over to the rival fast-food chain.
The Urus stands out on the streets of Oman, even more so at this remote highway strip mall.
The SUV is big and the aggressive lines make sure bystanders know it’s not your average luxury 4WD.
The kid in the backseat of the car ahead of us sure knows we are driving something special. He looks about 12 years old and doesn’t stop staring through the back window of his car at us.
He’s got his phone out, taking photos of the mean-looking front of the Lamborghini. The back door swings open so he can get a better angle.
We finally eat and get back on the highway. There are a lot of miles to cover and the Lamborghini is eager to be on the road.
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How the road trip began
The Lamborghini Urus was dropped off at our apartment in Dubai by Superior Car Rental a few days earlier. The team at Luxury Rentals has some truly incredible cars to choose from.
And for our trip, the Lamborghini Urus stood out as the perfect vehicle.
A jealous friend tells me it’s like I’ll be driving around in a “luxurious resort room”. I reply “a resort room that can go 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds”.
Our trip may start the next day, but you can’t have a Lamborghini sitting menacingly in your car park without taking it for a quick spin.
The best feature of the Lamborghini Urus
The crazy acceleration is eye-popping, and the luxury interior is a beautiful place to sit – but the feature that is seared in my memory is the noise the Urus makes.
You flick open the red toggle in the center console to reveal the start button. Press that and the Lambo roars to life. It’s a throaty noise that ends with some very satisfying crackles and spits.
I love it.
It’s especially satisfying early in the morning when it’s quiet.
We would find ourselves leaving a hotel in the morning and looking for the perfect spot to accelerate (to the legal limit of course) as fast as possible – windows down to hear that turbo whine and the gurgling roar of the 650hp.
Travel in Oman
Oman is truly stunning.
The long highways weave through jagged mountains that look like Mordor from Lord of the Rings.
When you find the coast, the light blue waters meet the ashy-white cliffs and beaches. And there’s barely a tourist in sight.
Goats, plenty of those. Donkeys occasionally show up on the side of the road. We even encountered a herd of camels at one point.
As we drive from the capital of Muscat to the fishing port of Sur, we cross a tall bridge that spans a valley.
Louise looks down and sees a village underneath us and it’s a sea of green.
We take the next exit and find one of the most incredible sights you will ever see.
Wadi Shab and Wadi Tiwi – a desert oasis
After driving for hours through that familiar dusty yellow, the green of date palms is amazing.
The Urus eases us through a narrow road lined with trees and grasses until we see water. We pull over to get a closer look and find something that’s straight out of a childhood dream.
Pools of crystal clear water with fish swimming around, the banks lined by large boulders and palm trees.
Mountains loom behind it all, framing the scene.
It’s a remarkable place.
The Urus is the ultimate road trip car
One thing about Oman is they love a speed bump. The speed bumps are everywhere.
In a low-slung supercar, you would essentially be stuck.
Meanwhile, the Urus is the most practical supercar you can drive. The comfort during long stretches of driving is perfect.
It has little features like the seat automatically moving backward to make getting in and out of the door easier.
But most importantly is the engine that powers it all.
You can drive through city streets and traffic without realizing the power that’s just sitting and waiting to be unleashed.
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But as soon as you need to merge onto a 120km/h (75mph) highway, that crackle is there.
It seems to have two modes of acceleration. You can give the accelerator a nudge and it pushes you back into your seat, the Urus has left everything in its dust.
But if you want a truly scary experience you can floor it. The Urus seems to squirm with excitement as it launches forward. It’s not something you can do by accident, there’s a response to the throttle that lets you know when you are about to get serious.
And if you do it, make sure there’s plenty of space around you. What looks like it’s off in the distance gets very close, very fast.
Top 5 things to do in Oman
- Check out Wadi Shab and Wadi Tiwi
- See the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque – it’s truly incredible
- Visit the Bimmah Sinkhole for a swim
- Go shopping in a souq – the Matrah Souq in Muscat is a good one
- Drive along the coast to one of the hundreds of remote beaches
The Lamborghini Urus was loaned to SupercarBlondie.com to use by Superior Car Rental.
