The replacement for the Gallardo, Lamborghini’s most successful ever car, with over 14, 000 sold since 2003. That gives the Huracan a suitably mountainous task, one that Lamborghini has chosen to tackle by playing against type and taking a safe option. The Huracan is no radical reimagining of the modern supercar. There are no hybrid systems here, for instance. In fact what there is, is familiarity. The 5.2-litre V10 is carried over, albeit heavily reworked, and it’s still positioned in the middle of the car and drives all four wheels.
However, there’s now a seven speed dual-clutch gearbox and an all new chassis, partially constructed of carbon, that’s 50 per cent stiffer than the Gallardo’s. Is that enough to return Lambo’s ‘entry-level’ supercar to the top of the class above the Ferrari 458 and McLaren 650S?
It doesn’t take long on the move to confirm that the Huracan has reined in Lambo’s bad-boy schtick. The first thing you notice is how well it rides, how well mannered it is. At a motorway lick the soundtrack is oddly anodyne, sounding busy not ballsy, while the suspension isolates bumps, thumps and staves off surface irregularities ably.
Get it on a great piece of road and you uncover another whole side to its personality. The naturally aspirated V10 conjures music from its mechanics, and hurls itself forwards in a vicious lunge. All the components feel well calibrated, making the Huracan an easy car to get to grips with. Traction is boundless(the torque split is 30:70, but 100 per cent can go through the rear if required), and although not as sharp as the Ferrari, or punchy as the McLaren, it’s convincing enough to sit at the top table.