Lamborghini Huracán
Powered by an even
meaner development of the all-aluminium, 5.2-litre V10 from the outgoing
Gallardo, the mid-engine Huracán is tipped by Lamborghini to blast from
zero to 62mph in a scant 3.2 seconds, and will rip beyond 124mph in
less than 10 seconds.
The engine belts out 600 horsepower and 413
pound-feet of torque, and is matched to a new seven-speed dual-clutch
transmission and, of course, all-wheel drive. Promising smoother, faster
and more accurate gearshifts, the transmission also underlines the sad death of Lamborghini’s gated six-speed manual gearbox. The new unit, called Doppia Frizione, is adapted from the Audi R8’s dual-clutch transmission – which, if nothing else, is much more fun to say.
Lamborghini
has been caught in a political tug-of-war between its parent company,
Audi, and fellow Volkswagen Group property, Porsche, which has forced it
to throw limited-edition Gallardo after limited-edition Gallardo at Ferrari since its neighbour launched its 458 in 2009.
Instead
of fighting head-to-head with the prancing horse, Lamborghini spent the
last few years of the Gallardo’s decade-long lifespan watching first
the McLaren MP4-12C, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Audi’s R8 V10 and then
the latest iteration of the Porsche 911 Turbo arrive to challenge the mid-engine Ferrari.
No
longer. Citing a “new era” for the brand, Lamborghini claims that the
Huracán is precisely half a second faster to 200kph (124mph) than the
458 Italia. It may seem inconsequential, but in this hyper-competitive
arena, you have to take your bragging rights where you can.
The
Huracán is heavier than the 458 by 42kg (93lbs), but a significant slice
of that is attributable to its all-wheel drive system, two extra
cylinders and added engine capacity. The Huracán did not follow its big
brother, the Aventador, down the full carbon-fibre chassis route, and
even with integrated carbon fibre in its chassis, it still weighs 12kg
more than the base all-wheel-drive Gallardo. That difference, and more,
is purely down to its more sophisticated yet heavier transmission.
Half
a second faster than the Gallardo to 100kph and almost two seconds
faster to 200kph, the Huracán also carries forward Lamborghini’s pledge
to lower carbon emissions, primarily via start-stop technology. The car
delivers 12.5 litres/100km on the NEDC cycle, a litre less than the
Gallardo LP560-4 but bested by the Ferrari’s 11.8 litres/100km, the
MP4-12C’s 11.7 litres and the 911 Turbo’s 9.7-litre figure.
For the first time on an entry-level Lamborghini, carbon-ceramic brakes will be standard fare.
No
matter how a consumer may specify a Huracán, the car’s handling,
performance and electric security systems will be tailored by the driver
via a knob on the vertical spoke of the flat-bottomed leather steering
wheel. The Huracán will have three standard performance packages,
ranging from Strada (street) to Sport to Corsa (track), all of which
alter the engine’s responsiveness, the exhaust noise, the transmission
speed and feel, the all-wheel drive behaviour and the paranoia of the
electronic stability and traction control systems.
Inside, the
Huracán is clad in a combination of Nappa leather and lighter Alcantara,
while the instrument cluster is pure digital via a 12.7in TFT screen.
The gauge layouts can be customised, and are bathed in mode-specific
colours. There is what Lamborghini calls a segment first with pure LED
lighting at both ends of the car. These add an aggressive scowl to the
front, with the two-side radiator and brake air intakes chomping out
most of the under-bumper area, while a small but useful front splitter
sits between them.
Doors taper in dramatically along the flanks,
giving the rear end of the Huracán a hunched, ready-to-leap look.
Lamborghini finishes the effect with a slight spoiler uplift at the
back, while four exhaust pipes and a low-mounted aerodynamic diffuser
dominate the rear.
Like most classic Lamborghinis (the Countach
and the LM002 sport-utility vehicle among the few exceptions), the
Huracán is named after a Spanish fighting bull – in this case, one from
the famed Conte de la Patilla breed, which the brand claims remained
unbeaten in Alicante in 1879. This new bull looks prepared to carry
forward that legacy.
The Huracán is scheduled to be unveiled at the 2014 Geneva motor show in March, with pricing to be announced at a later date.
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