Lamborghini Huracan

Across its varied range of cars the interior layout remains more or less the same. Nearly every surface is wrapped in velvety Alcantara. The harder surfaces like the center console can be had in carbon fiber or marble like forged carbon fiber in the Performante. Body-hugging racing seats, a 12.3” TFT display, infinitely configurable displays, fighter aircraft inspired details and more hexagons than you can count mean that you will be finding small surprises even after owning a Huracan for many years. With Lamborghini’s Ad Personam division, you can customize the interior to the best of your liking with the finest materials. With the infotainment supporting Apple CarPlay and Lamborghini telemetry system, it is also as hi-tech as it gets.  But like any other supercar, this is not the most practical car by far. There is little to no storage to speak of. Getting in and out is not the easiest thing to do. At least the doors open like normal doors.

Not to be picky, but when the Huracan was first launched, its styling did not get the same kind of reaction as its predecessor. But now after nearly four years, the Huracan’ styling has more than grown on us. It takes the Gallardo’s styling and makes it more aggressive while still creating its distinct identity. The front intakes and splitter have been shifted and redesigned across different iterations to make it look more menacing. The aerodynamic shape of the car has remained more or less unchanged. The side profile shows off the now signature curves associated with modern Lamborghini chassis. Move to the back and you are presented with a Miura inspired rear end which is one of the best looking in car industry. And that is without the wing afforded by the Performante version. The quad exhaust pipes and the way Lamborghini manages the task of handling aerodynamics and engine cooling is simply inspired. With its dimensions of 4459 mm (L) X 1924 mm (W excluding mirrors) X 1165 mm (H) it manages to stay positively tiny. Exuberant touches like the excessive amount of hexagons, Y shaped accents in the lights and a glass engine cover, make this is a very desirable car. But in truth, it is one of the best execution of function follows form. Even purely functional elements like the 20” alloys with 245/30 front and 305/30 rear tires are tuned to add to its visual appeal.

With a lightweight and rigid carbon fiber and aluminium chassis, completely paneled underbody, independent suspension and a body shaped for minimal aerodynamic drag and maximum downforce, the handling is exactly as you’d expect from a supercar. Add on the optional electronically controlled magneto-rheologic suspension and dynamic steering with variable steering ratio and the active aerodynamics via the ALA package for the Performante and you will soon realize why this car held the lap record on Nürburgring Nordschleife for nearly a whole year in 2016. Equally impressive is the fact that this car is easy to drive even for newcomers. The ride is more comfortable than most supercars and easy to live with on a day to day basis. Lamborghini's ANIMA (Adaptive Network Intelligence Management) technology, allows the driver to further calibrate the driving experience specifically to their needs. There are three settings with STRADA offering comfort and maximum grip for everyday use and long trips, SPORT for sliding around and having fun and CORSA for track performance.

The party piece of the ensemble is definitely the 5.2 L naturally aspirated V 10 engine mated to a 7 speed LDF dual clutch gearbox. It uses direct injection and Lamborghini’s direct stratified injection system in various tunes to produce 572, 602 or 632 hp at 8000 rpm across the range. The torque figure is equally massive at 540, 560 or 600 Nm at around 6000 rpm. This torque is the top end of an optimized curve that delivers 70 percent of it at just 1000 rpm. Combined with the low weight of the car this translates to a power to weight ratio of 2.36 kg per hp, a top speed of more than 325 kmph and a 0-62 mph time of as low as 2.9 sec for the Performante. With stop-start system and cylinder on demand tech it is also reasonably fuel efficient at 7 kmpl.

The front and rear get ventilated and cross-drilled 380 mm and 356 mm Carbon-ceramic discs with 6 and 4 piston aluminum monoblock calipers respectively. These give it a 100-0 distance of 31.9 m. Active safety aids include electronic stability control with integrated ABS and TCS. Driver, passenger, and side airbags are of course standard.

Going by the numbers, the Huracan has been a huge hit and is set to surpass the numbers set by the Gallardo. It has received excellent reviews from the biggest publications and for the price is one of the best cars that money can buy. Yes, it is not the most practical car. But for bragging rights, track performance and as a thing of beauty, it is both timeless and priceless.