Friday 19 / April / 2024
Ok, it is so called entry level, it’s rear-wheel drive, and it’s detuned, having a less powerful engine: the Lamborghini Huracan LP580-2, younger sibling of the LP610-4 with revised front and rear fascias. Hold your horses if that sounds too dull and you are already about to enter the outright dismissal mode.
Listen to what its creators have got say: “The LP580-2 is the purest expression of a Lamborghini to date, engineered for an even more intense driving experience.” Sounds interesting? We bet it does. Lamborghini has downsized the mighty LP610-4, and yet claims it to be all the more fun.
So what is the trick? The engineers at Sant’Agata Bolognese played with weight distribution, throwing more at the backside of the rear wheel drive LP580-2 with a 60:40 ratio (Rear: Front), reducing the inertia on the front axle, making it an absolute delight to launch from ground zero and for drifting. Eliminating the all-wheel-drive system also makes the LP580-2, 33 kilo lighter than the standard LP610-2. An entirely new power management set-up, featuring stiffer suspension, more precise steering set-up, and recalibrated stability and traction controls, connects the driver as directly as possible with the road. The end result is a sports-car lauded as the most engaging and driver-focused street-legal Lamborghini ever built.
The naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engine from the LP610-4, is detuned on the LP580-2, delivering 572bhp from the original 602bhp, and the torque output dropping from 560Nm to 540Nm – all transmitted to the rear wheels of the devil. Don’t take the word ‘de-tuned’ to heart in case of the LP580-2 however. I honestly think Lamborghini has wrongly used the term detuned. Rather they must have gone with‘re-tuned’. No mere cut down on numbers, the original 5.2-litre V10 has been remapped for power and torque delivery to match the RWD setup more aptly.
Compare the stats; charging from naught to hundred kph takes 3.4 seconds. That’s only 0.2 seconds slower than the LP610-4 (doesn’t even matter). Linked to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, the 10-cylinder menacingly propels the coupe from 0– 200kph in a mere 10.1 seconds too. Add to that a raging top speed of 318kph: Doesn’t sound de-tuned now, does it?
Getting in, the Huracan greets you to a sophisticated but simply laid out interior — nothing overcrowded. There’s no central screen, and all the digitals are managed on the customisable dashboard, which also doubles as reverse camera. The cockpit is packed with carbon-fibre, fine leather, and Alcantara surfaces. The steering is uncluttered with clear and convenient functions, and sporting the ANIMA button (drive mode selector) with three modes — Strada, Sport and Corsa. The ESC (Electronic Stability Control)-off button sits on the dash.
Flip the red cover; press the starter button and the V10 wakes to life with a loud meaty grunt underlined by effusive revs. Pull the right-hand shift paddle and off you glide. No theatrics, no judders – press it and the car moves with gusto; push and it leaps with fury, throwing your body backwards, tucking your neck to the headrest. The Strada mode, mapped for daily use, provides a slight understeering feedback and is more traction-oriented, while the Corsa is tuned for the track, delivering maximum performance and neutral steering behaviour.
However, for total fun on the road is the Sport mode with slight over-steering behaviour, and super-sharp shifts. Flick the ANIMA knob down once, and suddenly the devil sheds its gentle attire. The commotion from the bellowing pipes is an instant rage – nothing like anything. Combine that with manual shift and the linear response of the Huracan is nothing short of ecstasy. The supercar feels balanced and under control at all times. The advanced tech-aids make a hero out of you as you seemingly manoeuvre the raging bull on all those tight hairpins and snakebends with expert-like ease (and negligible twicth).
Forgiving your sins is the ‘Lamborghini Piattaforma Inerziale’, the powerful driving aid system with a 10-millisecond input/response time, that analyses the car’s motion in 3D (measuring yaw, pitch, and roll) and tweaks power distribution and differential settings accordingly, keeping matters perfectly under control at all times.
The Huracan’s super-strong carbon fibre and aluminium mix chassis is backed by four airbags, ABS, traction and stability programs and brake assist. The braking feel is super-awesome. The massive carbon ceramic brakes are a joy and cope with rigours with immense ease – no bouts of frenzy even if you jumped on them.
A spitting image of its older sibling, you really need to have a hawk’s eye to spot the design differences from the LP610-4. The most visible difference is on the bumper section, which was entirely redesigned for the LP 580-2, reshaping the intakes. The two-piece grille of the LP 610-4 with honeycomb mesh on the sides has been replaced by a three-piece layout with a taller centre section on the LP 580-2. The side intakes also sport horizontal canards for direct cooling air and increased downward force on the front axle.
The interior is identical to the elder sibling, with the upholstery available in a wide range of colours with contrast stitching. The Huracan can also be customized via ‘Ad Personam’; Lamborghini’s very own personalisation programme.
Detuned, but not for the lambs, this Lamborghini is colossally fast, with actual usable power, and pure unadulterated sound-note. If only we had a racing track in here to unleash the true potential of the beast.
Tech Specs
Lamborghini Huracán LP580-2
Engine V10, 5204cc, petrol
Power 572bhp@ 8000rpm; 540Nm@ 6500rpm
Performance Top speed – 318kph; 0-100kph – 3.4sec
Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with rear wheel drive (RWD)
Kerb weight 1389kg
Authorised Dealer
Lamborghini Muscat
Fairtrade Auto Service LLC,
Al Khuwair +968 2447 2695, +968 9744 5271
Lamborghini-sale @ftgroupholding.com
