MAISTO AND BBURAGO LAMBORGHINI HURACçN PERFORMANTE
1:18 (1:24) | $32 ($16)
The sensation of strapping into a multimillion-dollar fighter jet, hearing the engines spin up to speed, and then being slammed back into the seat by dramatic G-forces as your vision narrows and you are catapulted into the air off a carrier deck is one that very few of us get to experience. While the Lamborghini Huracán Performante is by no means common (just a few hundred will likely be built) and not exactly inexpensive (around $300k), it is perhaps the one of the closest things a civilian can climb into that can approximate the rush of a fighter jet launch.
The Performante is the most powerful version of the Huracán, squeezing 631hp from its direct-injected 5.2L V-10 and transmitting it to the “runway” via a dual-clutch 7-speed transmission driving all four wheels. With a curb weight of just 3429 pounds, the math comes to about 5.4hp per pound of car. That plus the sophisticated launch-control system and super-grippy Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires yields a 0-60 time of 2.3 seconds—not quite the raw thrust of a carrier launch, but as about quick as you can buy off a showroom floor!
The beautiful geometry of the sleek body design looks aircraft-inspired too, with all the visible air intakes, scoops and ducts decorating it—details which the green Maisto car renders quite nicely, and even looks pretty good on its little brother the Bburago 1:24 model. And like an aircraft the Performante even has moving control surfaces in the form of a system called Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva (ALA), which uses flapper valves on the front and rear spoilers to divert air to actively manipulate downforce and drag. The model has the vents for that system molded into the engine cover at the base of the rear wing. Even the dimples for the bumper sensors have been cast into the body—impressive care for a model that retails for just over $30 (and the 1:24 Bburago version is about half that). Both models capture the glossy finish of the full size Performante and give off a beautiful semi-reflective shine.
The Performante’s racing bucket seats and heads-up display in the dash will make any fighter pilot feel right at home—details that the models also capture. Contrasting paint and decals make the most of the Maisto interior’s additional size, but both cars feature opening doors. The 1:18 car also has an opening engine cover, and separately molded and painted parts make the V-10 satisfying to look at; the smaller car’s engine is visible through the rear glass.
You may not be able to fly in a fighter jet, or even have the good fortune to own a Lamborghini Huracán Performante. But having one of these models in your collection gives you a taste of the excitement that they offer at a price any collector can afford.