While the Lamborghini Huracan doesn’t actually fly, its switchgear makes the car look like it’s capable of launching missiles.
The MagneRide adjusts the dampers according to the driving situation immediately and effectively. It gives sufficient ride comfort on most roads, and firms up the suspension instantaneously when required. This dual-faceted capability makes the car as user-friendly and dynamically versatile as the “king” of everyday supercars, Porsche’s 911 Turbo.
The Lambo’s four-wheel-drive handling is impressive, and not only because its parameters (on racetrack and switchback alike) are amazing. It allows any driver to push closer to the limit than in any other sports car of similar calibre, responding positively and predictably every time, with the whole vehicle maintaining a near-neutral attitude in all corners and at all speeds that I can hit.
It may be the “baby Lambo”, but there’s nothing juvenile about the Huracan’s 610bhp 5.2-ltire V10.
It’s about as “friendly” as they come, and docile when you don’t want it to be. Yet you’d do well to remember, with over 600bhp at its disposal, the Huracan is ferociously quick, cracking the 100km/h mark from a standstill in just 3.2 seconds. It can stop very quickly, too, thanks to standard-fit carbon-ceramic brakes, which, like the rest of the car’s personality, is equally at home in the city or on the racetrack (this type of exotic brakes used to be grabby in urban motoring conditions).
The two-seat cabin is pure Italian supercar through and through, with top-flight design and materials – that is to say, a glorious riot of Alcantara, buttery leather, aluminium and fighter jet-inspired switchgear. But even the seasoned petrolhead familiar with Lamborghinis and Ferraris would have to spend a bit of time to master the cockpit.
One of the “lessons” he must learn is the new virtual instrument cluster (a 12.3-inch LCD panel, with no analogue gauges to be found). This comprises three dramatically different configurations, beginning with Traditional mode, which sees an oversized tachometer display taking pride of place. This cluster also houses the display for the infotainment system. And in Navi mode, the gauges (tachometer and speedometer) are supplanted by a map that takes up nearly all the display “real estate”.
Making the Huracan’s learning curve steeper is how even signalling to turn left or right has to be “learnt”. Instead of the usual stalk behind the wheel, the turn indicators are operated with your left thumb via a left-right toggle on the steering wheel, with the corresponding toggle switch on the right side of the wheel working the windscreen wipers. The back of the wheel, where the stalks are usually located, is dominated by a pair of gargantuan shifter paddles.
The avant-garde control layout is novel, yes, but I think it’s an unnecessary complication in what is already quite a busy cockpit. To be fair, though, once the initial excitement (and confusion) abates, it doesn’t take too long for the Huracan’s controls to become intuitive. And I particularly appreciate the new lever to engage reverse (a dramatically sculpted piece of aluminium and plastic), which is easier to use than the button of old.
All told, the Lamborghini Huracan is a triumph for Sant’Agata. It’s tremendously easy on the eye and a treat to drive, whether it’s in the confines of a city, on twisty back roads or even on a racetrack. It looks like the Italian marque has scored another bullseye.
Lamborghini Huracan 5.2 (A)
ENGINE 5204cc, 40-valves, V10
MAX POWER 610bhp at 8250rpm
MAX TORQUE 560Nm at 5600rpm
GEARBOX 7-speed dual-clutch with manual select
0-100KM/H 3.2 seconds
TOP SPEED 325km/h
CONSUMPTION 8km/L
Click here to read our review of the awesome Lamborghini Huracan Performante
Speeders beware! Lamborghini has delivered a Huracan police car to the Italian highway patrol in Rome
