Ignition

Kris Karacinski meets the Lamborghini Huracán family as he journeys from the mountains of Oman to the racetrack in Abu Dhabi

A road trip with Lamborghini from the mountains of Oman to the Dubai desert

ON THE WAY

Born in northern Italy, the Lamborghini Huracán is most at home when negotiating winding mountain roads. So where better to start my journey meeting the Huracán family – all packing a naturally aspirated V10 engine, bags of horse power and, of course, unmistakable good looks – than in the Omani mountains? Fortunate enough to be invited by Lamborghini to drive the complete Huracán range over an adrenalin-fuelled weekend, the proceedings kick off at Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar resort. The sublime five-star resort is perched at 2,000 metres above sea level on Al Jabal Al Akhdar. A highlight is Diana’s point, a small deck area where Princess Diana reportedly once visited for a spot of lunch. The views from here are breathtaking, but the views from my room are equally spectacular. Drawing back the curtains reveals a vast, deep valley with small towns and villages peppered across the horizon. If it weren’t for the promise of driving Lamborghinis to the UAE the following day, I would have loved to stay longer. The following morning it’s time for the face to face and as expected, it’s a sight for sore eyes: four exquisite Lamborghini Huracáns in red, silver, blue and yellow.

MEETING THE FAMILY

All these fine motors are fully loaded with the tech you’d expect in a luxury sports car –12.3” TFT colour displays, Bluetooth connectivity, CD, mp3, climate control, a great sound system, electronically adjustable seats – and apparently, will get you to 100kph in 3.4 seconds. Most of the subtle differences are underneath the beautiful sharp lines of the bodywork. The red lady is a V10 5204cc, 580HP, seven- speed dual clutch beauty that can hit 320kph. The yellow mistress is the second of the rearwheel drive Huracáns and has the option to go topless, though in doing so, can only hit a paltry 319kph. A whole one kilometre. Could you handle knowing the car with a solid roof is fractionally quicker? I could. On to the “twins”, a pair of LP 610-4s. One “Blue” and a sleek looking silver model I affectionately call “silver fox”. She features the same engine as the V10 5204cc, 580HP, but pumps out an incredible 610HP with a fourwheel drive with carbon ceramic brakes, while the rear-wheel drive models have steel brakes. They’re all so beautiful it’s hard to know where to look. Which one do I want to drive first? A conundrum I’m likely to never have again. Thankfully, the difficult decision is taken away from me as I’m led towards silver fox.

I’LL BE COMING ROUND THE MOUNTAIN...IN A HURACÁN

Settling into the four-wheel-drive silver Huracán, it instantly feels very comfortable. Whereas other sports cars may feel a little cramped, it feels spacious, and everything is well within reach with very intuitive controls. I don’t think I’ve been in any car that quite gives such satisfaction at start up as the Huracán does. Raising the jet-fighter style cover to ignite the engine is simply fantastic, and a short depress of the start/stop button is all that’s needed to make the V10 sing. The car is in “strada” mode at ignition; this is the quietest/ safest mode of the Huracán. All the electronics are working hard to keep the animal under the hood in check. The Huracán has been designed so the driver never needs to take his hands off the wheel. Even the indicators have been placed on the face of the wheel. Pulling the right-gear lever behind the wheel puts you into first, and we’re off, but less than 10 seconds into the length journey to Abu Dhabi, I encounter a problem: speed bumps – the scourge of any sports car. However, the Huracán has a trick up its sleeve to conquer such a foe, with a small switch that raises the body of the car. It’s more than enough to clear any speed bump, and while I’m not saying this turns the Huracán into an SUV and you’re free to attack smaller bumps at 40 kph, it reduces the chance of hearing that awful scraping sound as you attempt to get your pride and joy over a “sleeping policeman”. Speaking of police, the local law enforcement were kind enough to escort our procession down the mountain, which allowed us to open up the engines a little. I quickly change the car mode to sport, which keeps the electrical systems engaged to ensure I don’t drive off the side of the mountain, but at the same time allows a bit more fun to be had and opens up the engine’s vocal chords. It was a very rare privilege to be in a Lamborghini Huracán and even rarer to chase a police vehicle down a mountain. I can only imagine the symphony residents were privy to as the family of Huracáns makes their descent.

HIGHWAY TO THE UAE

On the sprint to the UAE border was the moment to witness the car’s performance as a GT (Grand Tourer), and “Red” was up next. Along with a bigger cabin, once I accelerate, it’s clear this car is more aggressive. Unlike the 610, all 580 horses are sent to those rear wheels, so it feels a little more wild, or as some would argue, a little more like a Lamborghini. On the glorious open road with climate control set and playlist blasting, I was in a good place.

Once through the border, the yellow mistress is next. Again, she’s a rear-wheel drive Huracán but at the flick of a switch, I can take her top off. On the cruise into Al Ain, the Huracán excels, no matter the conditions. Traffic lights, roundabouts, and busy roads – I never feel uncomfortable or frustrated. Steering never feels too heavy, the automatic gearbox is smooth and in Strada mode you won’t be upsetting anyone around you with the load vocal chords of the V10 engine. This could actually be a daily driver – a practical supercar, if you will, though once I take the car for a spin in Al Ain Sportsplex, where I’m told to place the car in Corsa and select “M” for manual gears, it’s clear the beast has had its cage door opened. I take a few runs to get used to the slalom and experience how the car feels in Corsa, and soon realise, although the computers aren’t helping me anywhere near as much as they do in Strada or Sport, they’re still stopping me from potentially killing myself on a normal road. Well, since I’m not on a road, let’s turn all of the electronic wizardry off. I approach the start line, see the “GO” signal and plant my foot to the ground, though I’m not quite sure what happened next. Wheels spinning, I’m smiling with joy (or pure fear), and rear-end fish tailing as I negotiate the slalom turns. As I exit the last gate and U-turn back towards the start, I accelerate harder. In previous runs the computer would say “No”, and the car would quietly and slowly straighten up, but not this time. Soon enough I’m in the midst of a Hollywood style drift. I let the beast win, resulting in a 180-degree spin. Could it get any better than this? It’s finally time to become acquainted with “Blue”, the other four-wheel drive Huracán. Initially, I take it easy the first few runs to get a feel for the car, but when I unleash that glorious V10 engine, the four-wheel-drive fills me with confidence. Even in Corsa mode, I am fearless putting my foot to the floor. It’s outrageously fast, with immense power that doesn’t require wrestling, and I have incredible fun drifting. Blue was a majestic drive. After burning more rubber than we probably should have, we leave the Al Ain sportsplex and drive to Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai, our palatial home for the night before one last drive in the Huracáns. It’s a bittersweet feeling, knowing I only have a short time left with the cars, but this resort helps to soften the blow. Nestled in the pristine Dubai desert on a nature reserve, the five-star hotel is the epitome of tranquility. It’s a wonderful end to a very memorable day.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

Your first love is always something special, and I couldn’t leave the Huracán family without one last drive in my silver fox. As we drive away from Al Maha, we once again endure a small posse of snap-happy car admirers (Lamborghini drivers have to learn to live with this), but we’re soon back on the open road, roof down, music turned up, and on our way to the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi to watch the final member of the Huracán family perform in the Super Trofeo. It’s the perfect send off, but it’s with a heavy heart when I park my silver fox, collect my belongings and say goodbye to the Huracán family. A truly remarkable collection of Italian supercars. Whichever member of the Huracán family suits you best, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.