SUPERCAR MARKET INTENSIFIES
New RWD-only Huracan becomes the cheapest Lambo at 22.5 million baht
A Lambo with more driving fun for less money, eh?
You could say so. The LP580-2 is the rear-wheeldrive version of the Huracan supercar from Lamborghini.
As the badge indicates, the LP580-2 is 30hp less powerful than the four-wheel-drive LP610-4 and is also lighter overall by 33kg, at 1,389kg.
In spite of this, the LP580-2 is still slower from 0-100kph than the LP610-4: 3.4sec versus 3.2sec. At least, the LP580-2 is more economical: 8.4kpl versus 8.0kpl — if that’s going to really matter to supercar fans.
There are some visual differences, as well. The front and rear ends have slightly different designs. New wheels have dropped from 20 to 19-inch and houses conventional steel brakes.
Is it faster than the LP550-2?
Definitely, as that wouldn’t be considered as progress then. The Gallardo-based LP550-2 used the same basic 5.2-litre V10 as the Huracan but had just 550hp for a 0-100kph time of 3.9sec – half-asecond slower than the LP580-2.
Since rear-wheel-drive supercars usually attract driving purists, the LP550-2 was also available with a six-speed manual gearbox. The LP580-2 only comes with seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Could this signal Lambo’s hunger for more sales?
If taken from another perspective, it could be pointing to more intense competition in the supercar market where makers try to chase sales with lower-priced editions. Despite the driving security of all-wheel-drive cars, today’s chassis electronics have generally advanced to a level that can still make two-wheel-drive cars easy and safe to steer in real-world driving.
Actually, Lamborghini has stressed that the LP580-2’s performance has been made more driveable by making 75% of the total 540Nm of torque available from just 1,000rpm.
This almost reflects McLaren’s strategy ...
Yeah, it could. Just recently, McLaren launched the 540C and 570S in Thailand with prices of 19.8 million and 21.8 million baht respectively. The power outputs of 540hp and 570hp in both cars are derived from the same 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
While the 540C is a tenth of second slower than the LP580-2 from 0-100kph, the 570S is 0.2sec quicker. Whatever, both Maccas and the Lambo are trying to reach new buyers who want supercars easier to drive and cheaper to buy.
Niche Cars, the Thai importer of both Lamborghini and McLaren, is planning to launch the LP580-2 at this week’s Motor Expo, where the Huracan LP610-4 Spyder will also be sold for 26.4 million baht.
The open-top LP610-4 is 1.4 million baht dearer than hard-top LP610-4. McLaren covers this particular price range with the Coupe and Spider bodies of the 650S, the bigger brother to the 540C and 570S.