A sexy beast worthy of attention
Lambo’s successor to the Gallardo an addictive combo of sound, fury and thrust
More than once during the 2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4’s brief stay at chez Bleakney did I peer out my living room window to see complete strangers in my driveway, cautiously circling this orange wedge of wickedness with their smartphones in hand.
They knew they were trespassing, but God bless ’em, they couldn’t help themselves.
I sympathize. I did a fair bit of trespassing myself in this new baby-Lambo, stomping all over the hallowed real estate of Sir Isaac Newton.
Were he to be in the passenger seat when I exercised the Huracan’s launch control, he would have experienced a most violent demonstration of his 1687 declaration.
“To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
To whit, put the boots to the highrevving 610 horsepower naturally aspirated V10 in this Lamborghini and it will launch you to 100 km/h in about three seconds.
Your brain and sphincter catch up later.
The 2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4, with a starting price of $262,947 replaces the Gallardo, which with about 14,000 sold over its 10-year run makes it the Lambo sales champ.
Like the Gallardo, the all-wheel drive mid-engine Huracan shares most of its mechanicals with the Audi R8.
This is a new platform with an aluminum structure abetted by carbon fibre in the rear bulkhead, centre tunnel and B-pillars. It is 10 per cent lighter and sees a 50-per-cent increase in rigidity over the previous chassis.
Naturally, power is up. The 5.2L V10 sees a 50-horse bump to 610 horsepower thanks to a new dual fuel injection system (both direct and port injected) plus a revised intake. Torque climbs 15 lb.-ft. to 413.
You won’t find a manual transmission on the Huracan menu, just the new twin-clutch seven-speed (Lamborghini Doppia Frizione) that takes its bidding from column-mounted metal shift paddles. Huge carbon ceramic brakes are standard fare.
The Huracan looks hellishly sexy from any angle, helped in no small part here by the $5,000 Arancio Borealis paint. Those uber cool 20-inch black forged alloys are an $8,100 upgrade.
The drama continues inside with a cabin that artfully combines the modern (a fully digital 12.3-inch gauge display) with retro touches such as hexagonal air vents perched on the dash and honeycomb trim. You’re definitely going to want these $3,900 bicolour Sportivo seats with Alcantara.
Another must-have option is the $7,600 Magneto-Rheologic suspension system that does wonders for ride quality. It also includes a front lift feature, making speed bumps and road kill somewhat more negotiable.
The new steering wheel takes some cues from the folks down the road at Ferrari, housing the turn signal and wiper controls along with the “ANIMA” switch at the six-o’clock position.
There are three settings — Strada (street), Sport and Corsa (race). The sickle-shaped shift paddles are all business.
The monster V10 fires up with a bark and settles into a deep idle. Neighbours’ curtains are parting down the street. A tug on the right paddle puts it in gear, and we’re on our way.
The Huracan defaults to Strada on startup, lending a surprising degree of civility. The exhaust note is subdued, the ride is reasonably compliant (although harder edged than an Audi R8) and the transmission does its best to keep the revs (and fuel consumption) down.
The Huracan is pretty easy to tootle around town, save for rear blind spots big enough to obscure Mount Vesuvius.
Once off the highway and into wine country, I select Sport mode. Ah, there’s the Lamborghini. The Italian rips open its metaphorical shirt and screams “Grazie!” The ride stiffens, the transmission wakes up and the exhaust goes from polite to pissed-off-Pavarotti.
The sound, fury and thrust make for a highly addictive combo, but it’s the confidence-inspiring chassis that lets you enjoy it all. There are no dynamic mysteries here. The Hura- can is nailed to the road and you feel everything through the seat of your pants and through the excellent electric steering.
Sport mode serves up the most rear-drive bias (more so than the track-focused Corsa), yet there’s still enough torque being shuffled up front to make the Huracan a foolproof ally.
Naturally, I got nowhere near the Huracan’s limits on these public roads. Sadly, this is where most of these two-seat spectacles will be spending their days — designated toys for the rich, trotted out on weekends to make noise and cause a commotion.
Which is exactly what we accomplished on that sunny afternoon in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. You think a bright orange Huracan is going to go unnoticed in this busy tourist town? Ah, no.
I parked in front of the Royal George Theatre on Main St. and waited. It wasn’t long before we were swarmed. Answering questions and letting the awestruck get photos is the second best part of having brief custody of a Lamborghini Huracan. The best part? Well, you know. Peter Bleakney is a regular contributor to Toronto Star Wheels. The vehicle tested was provided by the manufacturer. For more Toronto Star automotive coverage, go to thestar.com/autos. To reach Wheels Editor Norris McDonald: nmcdonald@thestar.ca