duPont REGISTRY

Sport utility vehicles are not a fad. In fact, you know a trend has staying power when the world’s most prestigious brands get involved. In the last five years or so, almost every luxury automotive brand has either debuted an SUV or announced that one is imminent. Credit Porsche for getting the ball rolling with the Cayenne, its luxury high-performance SUV that both angered purists on arrival yet supplied the coin to keep the brand’s sports cars afloat. The same is true of this month’s cover car, the Lotus Eletre, an all-electric SUV with hints of hypercar performance that the Norfolk-based automaker hopes will fund the rest of its lineup in years to come. The extreme end of the luxury SUV spectrum is occupied by the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, which takes Phantom-level amenities…

After months being teased under the Type 132 moniker, the world’s first all-electric hyper-SUV has finally arrived. Meet the Lotus Eletre — as performance-driven as it is technologically savvy. Following the British marque’s entrance into full electrification with the Evija, the release of a luxury SUV seems like a natural move. Now, Lotus has an EV for every taste. What’s in a name? Carrying on the tradition of models that begin with the letter E, the word “eletre” translates from some Eastern European languages to mean “coming to life.” Considering the brand’s current evolution and new model lineup, it’s a perfect fit. For the build, the Eletre takes advantage of Lotus’ new Electric Premium Architecture. Developed to be the foundation for a range of high-performance electric vehicles, the forward-thinking architectural design accommodates…

697 Horsepower 3.3 (seconds) 0–62 mph 193 mph Top Speed Since its initial release in 2020, the Aston Martin DBX continues to dominate the super-SUV space. Now, after two years of success, Aston Martin has developed the DBX707, billed as the world’s most powerful luxury SUV. A fierce exterior redesign emphasizes the DBX707’s performative capabilities. Upgrades include a larger front grille, improved braking and cooling ducts, and a new front splitter profile. The dark satin window trim package accentuates an already aggressive body style, while new aerodynamic feats achieve extra downforce with a pronounced front lip spoiler and roof wing. At the heart of the DBX707 lies Aston Martin’s 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8, capable of delivering more than 697-horsepower and 663 foot-pounds of torque to all four wheels. (That’s an extra 155 horses compared to the…

In 2021, the Urus accounted for roughly 60 percent of Lamborghini’s auto deliveries — 5,021 out of a total 8,405 units. That’s up from 3,815 Uruses sold during the 2018 model’s debut year. From purely a monetary perspective, the large SUV has become the Italian automaker’s most important and profitable release. To find out why, we sat down with Lamborghini America CEO Andrea Baldi. duPont REGISTRY: Why do you think the Urus has been such a success for Lamborghini? Andrea Baldi: When it came to market at the end of 2017, the timing could not have been better due to the rise in demand for SUVs. You get a Lamborghini that’s a super sports car in the body of a versatile car. By allowing you to host more than two people and…

411 Horsepower at 4,400 rpm 603 lb-ft Torque at 3,200 rpm 4.9 seconds 0–60 mph Texas-based tuner turned manufacturer Hennessey has made a name for itself developing some of the most powerful road-going vehicles ever backed by a full warranty. Whether through a four-figure horsepower output or six-wheel drive, Hennessey has proved that the only limit to how fast you can go is how much you’re willing to spend. Now it’s taking those talents and applying them to one of the most sought-after off-roaders of the moment. The Ford Bronco is the latest model to receive the Texas treatment. Christened the Hennessey VelociRaptor 400 Bronco, it features a 2.7-liter twin-turbochargedV6 mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. While its stock counterpart puts out only 315 horsepower and 410 foot-pounds of torque, vital upgrades such as…

It’s negative 4 degrees Fahrenheit outside, I’ve just finished shooting shotguns with a man who trains special forces soldiers for a living, and I’ve got an SUV worth nearly $500,000 to drive. This is what awaited me on the other side of an invitation from Rolls-Royce to fly out to Sun Valley, Idaho, to test-drive a fleet of Cullinan and Ghost models across snow, gravel, and icy roads to see how these opulent machines perform when they’re off city streets. My drive day began with an old friend, the 2022 Ghost Black Badge, which joined me on a 1,000-mile road trip across California earlier this year. However, this one had surrendered its 22-inch carbon-fiber wheels for a set of 20s wrapped in winter rubber. Before setting off, I had good reason…