It’s not every day you get the chance to drive a Lamborghini Huracan Evo. The last time I drove a Huracan, I had it for a whole day in the Pretoria area, and managed to find a deserted test strip where I could exercise that supercar to its full potential.
This one was going to be different. Lamborghini South Africa had arranged a one-day driving experience over some of the best roads in the Western Cape for the new Huracan Evo. Well, not that new! The car has been on sale here for the past six months or so, and word has it that aerodynamic tweaks had resulted in a massive increase in downforce. Not to mention a distinct improvement in acceleration and top speed. We would probably not be testing that latter aspect, ho, ho, as the Huracan is now capable of a genuine 325 km/h-plus!
Related: The Lamborghini Huracán Experience - 360 Video.
And then came the Corona lockdown
Then came the President’s announcement on March 15 regards COVID-19, and due to domestic considerations, complicated travel arrangements involving the cancellation of another function in Cape Town and a reluctance to spending a couple of days dealing with aircraft- and hotel air conditioning, it meant that I would effectively be in lockdown in Jo’burg. So my drive in one of the fastest cars in the country would have to wait!
My co-driver would have to be my eyes and ears
The solution was to let my regular driving partner, who would now be driving solo, provide AutoTrader’s readers with his impressions. Egmont Sippel has been Rapport’s Motoring Editor for well over two decades and has driven some of the quickest cars on the planet, so his feedback would be invaluable. What’s more, his driving skills are legendary!
Meanwhile, I contented myself with perusing the details of the media pack that Lamborghini had sent me. A poor substitute for the real thing, but you can read about these key upgrades on the Evo at the tail end of this article.
So, over to Egmont.
“The first thing that really impressed me about the Evo is the drivetrain. The V10 is awesome, the 7-speed dual-clutch ‘box brilliant. In both Strada and Sport driving modes the box will shift automatically when reaching the red line and power is all but uninterrupted; first to second will shift at dead-on 8 500 rpm, second to third just beyond, into the red, at about 8 650. Same with the higher gears.
“I have never experienced a gearbox that shifts as fast as this one fitted to the Huracan Evo. It really is blink-of-the-eye stuff. As for the acceleration, it is mind-blowing, and I have no reason to doubt that claimed acceleration time of 0-100 in 2,9 seconds. If you select Corsa mode, which is the race-track setting, it will run up against the rev limiter if you are too slow on the paddles. But once again, the shifts are instantaneous, up and down the gearbox, which gives you enormous confidence when pushing on hard.
The sound
“The engine sound? In Strada mode (Street) it is quite muted when the car is driven conservatively, but select Sport or Corsa and that sound simply envelops the cockpit. It starts off like a chainsaw on steroids, but as the revs rise it becomes an unholy shriek. Marvellous!
The ride
“The ride is firm, which almost goes without saying in a car like this. It’s actually good (by supercar standards) over normal roads, but as speed builds it becomes very firm (no doubt due to the added downforce on the Evo) and you need to keep your wits about you if there are any camber changes or ruts and bumps on the roadway. The Huracan is all-wheel-drive, and those wide front tyres seem to want to follow the road undulations so you have to concentrate. You are always, always aware of the wheels’ connection to the road surface.
The steering
“At low speeds, the steering is fairly light, which is quite handy for tight corners, such as you’d experience on the Franschhoek Pass. I would probably have liked a bit more feedback here. The turn-in for corners is lightning quick, and at high speeds, in fast sweeps, the steering loads up quite dramatically. On a long fast drive in the Huracan, your arms are going to feel it, especially your forearms, because you have to really tug that steering downwards to hold the line. It’s not exhausting, to a degree where you will feel it in your shoulder muscles, but you are always aware that the Huracan is a car you have to drive - you don’t simply sit back and point it as you would in, say, a BMW M3.
Brakes
“The brakes are well up to the task. They are ceramic discs with multi-pot calipers, which means they are extremely resistant to fade, and they haul the car down from speed amazingly effectively.
The grip
“The suspension is so firm that you have to be aware of any road undulations upon entering a corner. There were moments where the whole car went light on occasion, as though the wheels had momentarily lost contact with the road. But while those tyres are planted, the grip is stupendous. The Huracan Evo simply goes where you visualise it needs to be!
Build quality
“This is one of the most solid Italian cars I have driven. Fit and finish is superb and there is a Star Wars quality about the cabin that is captivating.
Overall
“I felt like I was driving The Force! This car has so much ability, it is staggering. But I have to say that it is also no walk in the park if you want to explore its limits. If you drive the Lamborghini Huracan Evo the way its designers meant it to be driven, it is extremely demanding. It’s not the kind of car where you arrive at the end of a journey refreshed. Rather, you need to sit down and have a cup of coffee, just to slow things down! And after a sip or two, that’s when the immense satisfaction of the Huracan Evo experience begins to take hold.
Lamborghini Huracan Evo Coupe at a glance
Price: This new Lamborghini has been on sale in South Africa for the past six months or so, at a price of approximately R5,7-million. That’s for the coupe, while the open-topped Evo Spyder costs R6,26-million, plus some small change.
Engine: The Evo employs a 5,2-litre V10 naturally-aspirated petrol engine, producing 470 kW and 600 Nm of torque. Peak power is at 8 000 rpm! A newly designed exhaust with high-mounted exit pipes and titanium inlet valves are features of the up-rated engine.
Drivetrain: The Huracan Evo is all-wheel-drive with variable torque distribution, and the gearbox is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, with paddle-shift or fully-automatic operation.
Brakes: Carbon ceramic discs are used with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear. It will stop from 100 km/h in 31.9 metres.
Aero: The Huracan Evo boasts a much higher level of downforce than on previous Lamborghini Huracan models. Visually, the car has a new front bumper, new air intakes in the front and sides, and a new integrated spoiler at the rear. Underbody detail work contributes to a big increase in downforce.
Four-wheel-steering: The new Lamborghini Huracan Evo features four-wheel steering, with the rear wheels designed to move marginally in a counter direction to the front wheels at low speed to assist turn in. The rear wheels are then angled straight ahead for straight-line running, and then slightly in the same direction as the front wheels during high-speed cornering, to enhance stability in high-speed cornering. Torque vectoring (individual braking to each wheel) is employed on all four-wheels to find the maximum road grip in corners, and when slippage is detected.
Performance:
0-100 km/h: 2,9 seconds.
0-200 km/h: 9,0 seconds.
Top speed 325 km/h-plus
Fuel consumption: Extremely heavy if you use all the performance.
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