FERRARI F8 TRIBUTO, LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN EVO RWD & MCLAREN 765LT
Three spectacular supercars, but they can’t all go through, can they? Richard Meaden attempts to identify the weaker players
WHILE THE SPECTACLE OF ECOTY COMES FROM THE wild disparity between a broad list of contenders, it is at its most intense when very similar cars fight tooth and nail for their place in the final. This year the most conspicuous internecine battle is undoubtedly the one between the Ferrari F8 Tributo, Lamborghini Huracán Evo RWD and McLaren 765LT.
To have three such potent mid-engined supercars in the same year is pretty remarkable, but to have three such different midengined supercars is truly exciting. Cars of this calibre always add to the show, of course, but when they’re thrown in with such a special group of contenders, their participation also offers the possibility of some delicious David and Goliath battles further down the line.
All in good time. Right now we need to get beneath the skin of each of these incredible supercars and decide which deserve to make it through to part two.
One thing worth having at the forefront of your mind is the potency these cars possess and the level at which they perform. It’s not often a Lamborghini is the junior of the group, but with 602bhp and 560Nm of torque it is at a significant disadvantage to the F8’s 710bhp and 770Nm and the 765LT’s colossal 754bhp and 800Nm. I’m not going to list the performance figures for each, but I’ll just leave this here: the McLaren will hit 200kmph from a standstill in 7.0sec and lap pretty much any given circuit at McLaren Senna-like pace. I’m not sure eCoty has ever seen the like.
If deciding which to jump into and drive first is indicative of how hard these cars are to separate, we’re in for quite a challenge. After a momentary pause I step towards the F8.
A cynic might dismiss the Tributo as a run-out facelift that breaks no new ground, but the reality is that, to all intents and purposes, it’s a more comfortable, prettier, cheaper 488 Pista, with Ferrari’s latest-gen electronics to make it even more exploitable.
Push the starter button and the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 starts with a snarl, but quickly settles into a subdued and rather nondescript idle. As we discover out on track it has a certain something when wrung out, but much as I hate to hark back to ‘the good old days’, it’s a shame that a rampant 700-plus horsepower Ferrari should have a less than operatic voice.
It’s quick, though. Super-quick, in fact. And as agile as a gymnast. With less weight and more grunt than the 488 it is blessed with terrific athleticism. You need relaxed arms and calm(ish) hands to find its flow, as stiff, abrupt inputs will simply make it feel jumpy, but once you understand its liking for an economy of input the whole thing gels.
The real genius of the 488 is controlled by the little manettino, which ramps up the aggression and immediacy or dials it back, all with uncanny precision. There’s a mode to suit every mood or moment, from cold, wet, dicey country roads to warm, smooth racetrack tarmac. It’s a quality piece, and a supercar that encourages you to peel back the layers.
If there’s a minor criticism beyond the soundtrack it’s centred on brakes that are a bit too responsive at the very top of the pedal’s travel. Even the lightest pressure results in a slightly grabby reaction that’s at odds with the finesse with which the rest of the car has been executed.
Barker sums it up with an enviable economy of verbage that belies his trade as a paid-by-the-word freelance: ‘It’s the scope of its abilities that astonishes, from supple, easy-going loafer to allout leery racer and everything in between, all the time with an impressive quality and polish and feedback.’ The F8 will be joining us in Scotland.
Given the life-long rivalry between Maranello and Sant’Agata it makes sense to switch to the Huracán next. I don’t know what it is about Lamborghinis that leave me feeling so conflicted. Part of me loves them for their ability to make me feel like a starry-eyed kid seeing a supercar for the first time, but the rest of me cringes at how they have been hijacked by the Rich Kids of Instagram.
Park all that and the Huracán is a bad-to-the-bone Lambo in the finest tradition. As a piece of design it stops you dead in your tracks. The interior is very full-on, but I rather like the toggle switches and carbon, though others think it’s a bit much. Mercifully the seats are no longer instruments of torture, so you don’t get a sciatic nerve block within 15 minutes.
The Huracán wears its heart on its sleeve, booming and hollering from the moment its V10 fires. This sets the tone for a boisterous driving experience, one that lacks the nuance of the Ferrari, but feels enormously exciting right from the off.
The engine is spectacular. If you place throttle response above an abundance of low and mid-range torque, and enjoy working an engine through its rev range, then the Lamborghini V10 is your kind of motor.
The gearbox is a pleasure to use, too, largely because Lamborghini no longer insists on overly aggressive upshifts in Corsa mode. Always smooth, but with just enough punch to feel each upshift