ROADSIDE EXCITEMENT
Lamborghini is using the occasion to give customers and media some time to experience the Huracán on the track, where Corsa mode can be engaged and the engineering developments can be truly highlighted.
I’m impressed by the way the Huracán allows me to build up confidence very quickly, pushing the car ever deeper into the corners, and to try my best at catching the lead car driven by one of Lamborghini’s racing instructors. Even approaching the limits in cornering, the Huracán remains very communicative, and it doesn’t let you feel you’re being mollycoddled by electronic systems. The car adapts very well to the skill and bravery of the driver, and it’s with some reluctance that I step out of it.
This year’s Super Trofeo Cup will mark a transition for Lamborghini, with the introduction of a Huracán variant developed purely for racing. The Super Trofeo Gallardo was geared more towards gentlemen drivers as it was an adaptation of a road car, rather than specifically developed for the track. Also this year, the four-wheel drive that limited the Gallardo from being used in other racing series is gone; the Super Trofeo Huracán is two-wheel drive. A few drivers and potential racers were given the opportunity to test the racing Huracán on the Sepang track, and all came back beaming; it’s significantly faster than the Gallardo.
The Huracán represents a turning point for Lamborghini. Its latest model is just as comfortable in the city as on the track, while the marque’s racing ambitions are also progressing. Considerable effort is being put into developing the Huracán as a serious challenger not only in Lamborghini’s own Super Trofeo series, but in other racing tournaments.
Lamborghini is maturing, but it’s lost none of the fire and drive its founder wanted in his cars. It has proved it’s possible to combine extreme performance with a distinct personality and day-today usability. Given the success of its predecessor, the Huracán has some big shoes to fill, but if early indications are anything to go by—some 3,000 have already been ordered—it’s well on its way to filling them.