After driving sports cars like Aston Martins, Ferraris and McLarens, one would think that they’ve probably experienced everything the automotive universe has to offer. Well, no. That’s because you haven’t driven a Lamborghini.
Although there still are a plethora of auto builders these days, the reality is that, thanks to consolidation, a lot of companies are intertwined. Take, for example, Volkswagen Auto Group (VWAG) which is the holding company for the following: Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Ducati, Lamborghini, Porsche, Seat, Skoda and several other less important entities. This means there is part sharing and even some striking similarities in a lot of the holding company’s product.
Lamborghini Huracan
So, what am I getting at? A lot of vehicles do not provide an overtly unique experience.
You don’t need to worry about that with a Lamborghini though — not too much, at least — and there’s a multitude of reasons why. Firstly, the all-new Huracan continues the long-held tradition of the raging bull’s forward-thinking design language. When I picked up the car and it came around the corner with its metallic gunmetal paint and bright orange interior, I gulped. With its wedge-shaped, angular design, squinty headlights and overall height of 45.9 inches it doesn’t look like anything else on the road. Essentially, it looks like someone took a space ship, put four tires on it and said “Here you are!”
Lamborghini Huracan
Because of this, the Huracan attracts attention and gives you instant celebrity status. No matter where you are you’ll encounter gawkers, finger pointing, the occasional “Oh, my God!” and even screaming women. I don’t ever recall women waving their arms and hollering for my attention like I was a rock star previously. The striking design elicits a response from a tremendous amount of people — this is not a car for bashful types.
Getting behind the wheel takes a bit of bending and twisting due to the vehicle’s low seats, small door opening and, overall, short height. Even at 6’8 though I fit comfortably once I was situated. Headroom is a bit tight but not like the Lexus LFA where I had to scrunch down to actually drive it.
The Huracan’s interior is where it’s completely differentiated from anything else I’ve piloted.
The windshield’s base is so far ahead of you, it creates an oddly spacious cabin. Well, at least that’s how you perceive it. And because the windscreen’s rake is so severe it’s a far cry from a lot of supercars that make you feel like you’re in a fishbowl. The Huracan’s windshield is WAAAAY out in front of you. Due to the way the roof meets the top of the windshield it eats away at your visibility. At just about every single stoplight I came to I had to duck to see when the light would move from red to green. So far the Huracan may sound pretty inconvenient, but in all honesty I could have cared less. The complete zaniness of the cabin makes you feel like you’re in something special, always.
And I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet.
Greeting you beyond the squared-off steering wheel is a massive TFT display with all of the essential driving information one could ask for. But it’s not presented in the typical way you’d expect an instrument panel to be laid out — tachometer and speedometer, side-by-side. You have several different ways you can configure it and, personally, I liked having the massive tachometer and large navigation screen in front of me. That means the center stack is not riddled with a clunky-looking screen and all the appropriate information is right where you want it to be: In front of your face. When you’re ripping shifts near redline, this is important. Because I am a geek, I love the way Lamborghini integrated the map into the instrument panel.
The infotainment system is sourced from Audi. If you’re a new buyer, you’ll have to get used to Audi’s quite confusing MMI system. It utilizes a rotary dial and four buttons that are associated with options in each of the screen’s four corners. It’s not one of the easier systems to learn but if you allocate two to three week’s time you’ll get the hang of it.
Elsewhere inside the cockpit, it’s easy to see that this isn’t like the Lamborghini of yore. Compared to the rather kit-car looking interiors of the Countach and Diablo — before VWAG freshened it up with the Diablo 6.0 — the Huracan is a work of art. Even comparing it to any of today’s high-end autos, it’s a very, very nice place to be. The switchgear and quality of the leather is top notch and the Alcantara trimming on the door reminds me of Audi’s flagship luxury sedan, the A8.
Bonus points for Lamborghini’s approach to the starter button. Much like a fighter jet, there is a metallic red surround that you have to flip up before depressing the button to fire it up. While it sounds remarkably gimmicky, it’s just one more thing that reminds you that this is not your ordinary supercar.
Lamborghini Huracan
To be straightforward though, you probably aren’t buying a Lamborghini for its interior or infotainment system, you’re buying it because you want a high-strung Italian sports car that’s going to keep you smiling. If that’s the case, you’re barking up the right tree.
Like any proper exotic, the Huracan features a mid-engine setup with a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 motor. Just over 600 horsepower and 412 lb.-ft. of torque is on tap and this engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Zero to 60 happens in a Lamborghini-claimed 3.2 seconds though it has been clocked at a blistering 2.5 seconds by some testers.
As with any high-performance automobile these days, there’s several driving modes to keep your attention. There’s Strada, Sport and Corsa. Think of Strada as taking a stroll in the Italian countryside. It’s nice and serene. Surprisingly, the Huracan is not exceedingly loud and it handled New York City’s bumps with relative grace. Can you daily drive it to the office? Well, yes, but you’d have to really love the Huracan and be prepared to deal with the City’s dips and potholes. You’ll probably want to activate the front-end lift to protect it from scraping. Believe me, you’ll need it. Sport is a healthy mix between that lovely walk and the all-out animal. The Huracan gets a bit louder, everything gets a bit more precise and the suspension tightens up. This is how I drove around during most of my time with the car. Corsa, well, get your big boy pants on. Now you’re dealing with a monster that will bite you if you’re scared or not aware of entirely what you’re doing. The vehicle is now operating at its most extreme. It’s great fun but if you’re not at the right place at the right time, you’re playing with fire.
Putting this supercar through S-curves, it’s apparent that the low center of gravity plus its mid-engine setup pays off. Body roll is seemingly non-existent and it feels as though you can keep adding the power for days — and you can, because there’s plenty of that paired up with the amount of grip the Huracan has. What is interesting to note, however, is that unlike other exotica that tend to oversteer when pushed, the Huracan understeers. For those of you not hip to the lingo, understeer means the vehicle will push wide when given throttle through an apex. I only came across it when it was trying to get the most out of the Lamborghini, which given its immense power, isn’t possible on most roads 90 percent of the time. The understeer I encountered is not optimal but it honestly didn’t ruin the experience for me. You just have be aware of how the Huracan will react and be prepared to correct it.
According to the latest news I have read though, the 2016 model year Huracan will feature adjustments to the way its tuned to deal with this.
Aside from that though, the Huracan is a dream. Power is always available and you’ll be pinned to your seat. The dual-clutch gearbox handle upshifts quickly and, if you’re a hooligan like me, you’ll love how it snaps a downshift in Sport. On the overrun it crackles, pops and bangs. It sounds like the devil is doing his best to exit through the tailpipes. I didn’t think it was THAT loud until I was riding side-by-side with a Huracan in Sport mode. When the person behind the wheel clicked the left paddle and the vehicle responded with ferocious series of sounds as if it were ready to breathe fire, my ears were left ringing. I loved it even though I initially flinched from being caught off guard.
In the competitive world of supercars, it’s clear that at this price range — $250,000-350,000 — you can have just about anything to your heart’s content. Here’s the rub though: after driving just about everything under the sun, nothing has made my driving experience so special and so unique like the Lamborghini. As I’ve heard before, a supercar is supposed to be zany and make you feel something from the way its designed to the way it pulls at 5,000 RPM. There’s absolutely no question that the Huracan accomplished that every single time I got behind the steering wheel.
Each time I walked out to the Huracan, it was an event and a momentous occasion. Simply put, other cars haven’t been able to capture that. Not in my experience.
The Good:
- What a magnificent motor — this V10 pulls endlessly and has, frankly, brutal acceleration
- You will love the way the Huracan sounds in Sport mode, specifically on the overrun — pops, bangs and everything else to let everyone know you’ve arrived
- Extremely well furnished interior with an excellent TFT display and interesting quirks — fighter jet starter as well as a wacky reverse engagement
The Bad:
- The Huracan understeers in corners when pushed but it’s not as big of a deal as others have made it out to be — wait for the 2016 MY Huracan to correct this
- Audi’s MMI is a system I have grown to dislike over the years and it has not changed in this application
- This is not a vehicle for introverts or those who do not want to call attention to themselves
The Lowdown:
A Ferrari or McLaren is the choice you make if you want the most race-inspired tech crammed into a street car. An Aston Martin is the pick you make if you’re looking for the most invigorating GT experience with a sonorous V12 power plant. A Lamborghini is a statement piece. It’s brash, bold and a whole lot of fun. Although I’ve driven plenty of amazing hardware, it takes a lot to blow my hair back these days. Yes, I am jaded, but at least you know when there’s an extraordinary product. The Huracan is that and then some. Whatever you think a Lamborghini is like, move the goal posts a bit more and I guarantee that the bull will still surpass your expectations.
Lamborghini Huracan
