Lamborghini Huracan LP580-2 track test
Most of us think that having more money and more power would equal more fun, right?
Well Lamborghini reckons that's the wrong way to look at things, and is ready to prove a point with its most affordable, least powerful supercar.
The Huracan LP580-2 (as it is called) is the third pillar in Lamborghini's baby coupe range, joining the faster, more powerful and all-wheel drive variant and the look-at-me open-top Spyder to arrive in Australia. And it is the one the company says was designed from the outset to be more engaging, challenging and, ultimately, the most fun to drive.
Unlike the previous rear-drive Gallardo models which literally had the front differential removed and were, as a result, a little unrefined and intimidating to drive when pushed hard, the Huracan has undergone a more focused development program to provide it with a genuinely different character that not only helps make it easier to find its limits, but encourages drivers to do so in the right environment.
Besides removing the obvious hardware to make it rear-drive only, which consequently shifts its weight distribution to a more rear-biased 40:60 ratio, the LP580-2 has unique suspension settings - with softer springs and stiffer anti-roll bars than the AWD variants - a tailored electronic stability control program and specific Pirelli PZero tyres that allow for a degree of slip.
Forgoing any heroic top speed figures (it will still clock 320km/h though) and headline-grabbing power outputs (the 5.2-litre mid-mounted V10 has been de-tuned to produce 426kW and 540Nm - down from 449kW/560Nm), the LP580-2 is Lamborghini's definition of a pure driver's car distilled to its very essence.
Not that the LP610-4 coupe and roadster aren't fun to drive in the first place but even Lamborghini's Technical Project Leader for the Huracan, Riccardo Bettini, told Drive their ceiling is so sky high that it requires a highly-skilled driver (and a racetrack) to extract their maximum potential.
"The four-wheel drive cars are very fast and not many drivers can reach the limits," he said.
"This car, it is also very fast - like all Lamborghinis - but we have purposely made it more accessible, and that's why we think it is more fun for regular drivers. It still needs a good driver, but it is meant to move around more so they feel the car is more alive."
Alive is a good way to describe the LP580-2 after our first Australian drive of the car during a Lamborghini Experienza day at Phillip Island this week because the last time I pedalled a rear-drive Lamborghini around the fearsomely fast Grand Prix circuit I felt I was lucky to actually be alive. The Gallardo Balboni was, to put it diplomatically, a real handful and felt as though it was going to spit you into the scenery at any given moment. It was a (and not to be sexist) real man's car that required balls of steel, unlimited bravery and lightning quick reflexes to keep it on the black stuff.
The Huracan is totally the opposite and perfectly encapsulates Lamborghini's intentions of making it feel more accessible, more alive and more engaging for mere mortals while showcasing just how far electronics have come in defining that unique character.
Although it does require a racetrack to discover the differences between the rear-drive and all-wheel drive models, because att anything less than a full-bore attack, the LP580-2 feels just as quick and just as well-planted as you'd expect from a top-flight mid-engined supercar.
The 5.2-litre V10 nestled behind the occupants in the two-seater fighter plane-inspired cockpit is beautifully linear in the way it delivers its power with the kind of instant throttle response and rising mechanical cacophony that can't be replicated in modern turbo charged engines.
It doesn't quite have the thump in your back from low revs that rivals such as the Ferrari 488 GTB and Mclaren 650S generate, but, with the ability to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds, it is certainly no slouch.
The Lambo's more progressive power delivery also means it is easier to control when trying to push its limits, particularly in the Sport setting - which sits between the road-biased Strada and track-focused Corsa modes - that allows the rear-end to gently break traction under heavy acceleration out of the corners.
The electronics will still intervene to ensure the driver isn't immediately facing the wrong direction, but it doesn't take much to get the tail wagging. And, Lamborghini is right, it is fun and more accessible. Needless to say, the Huracan is a lot friendlier in that regard than the Gallardo ever was.
As for the rest of the package, the steering is more precise and, while lighter than you'd expect from a supercar, it has plenty of feel and feedback from the front tyres. The seven speed dual-clutch transmission is smooth and intuitive when left to its own devices at everyday speeds but cracks through the cogs like a rifle when you're up it for the rent. And, while the suspension is clearly tuned for outright handling rather than absolute comfort, the optional adaptive dampers provide it with a degree of compliance that is easy to live with even around town.
All that lends the Huracan to being a much more mature, useable supercar than the Gallardo ever was. And the fact that the LP580-2 is much friendlier and more engaging to drive at the limit than its predecessor, without ignoring that at $378,900 (plus on-roads) it costs around $50k less than the all-paw variants, proves that money and power are not all they're cracked up to be.
2016 Lamborghini Huracan LP580-2 Price and Specifications
On-sale: Now
Price: $378,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 426kW at 8000rpm
Torque: 540Nm at 6500rpm
Transmission: 7-spd dual-clutch automatic, RWD
Fuel use: 11.9L/100km