Mark Gallivan Review
Quickly now, how many Lamborghini Huracán models are there on sale? Go on, guess. Two? Okay, maybe three? In fact there’s more Huracán models sitting in showrooms than you might think. There are seven to be precise. There’s the – deep breath – base Evo, Evo Spyder, Evo RWD (rear wheel drive), Evo RWD Spyder, the STO (the one with the large rear wing), the Tecnica and the reason I was invited to the launch in Denmark, the brand new Huracán Sterrato – with Rally mode no less – that will be limited to 900 units and priced in Europe €263,000 at time of going to press. It’s an all-terrain Huracán that brilliantly answers the question that certainly never popped into my head: what do I do if I want to take my very expensive Lamborghini onto dirt roads and wring the living bejeesus out of it? If the concept of a Lamborghini road car going off road is confusing it’s best to recall the Lancia Stratos from the 1970s with road and rally toughness. Picture that and you’re not a million miles away from what Lamborghini was thinking when they conjured up the idea.
At an evening unveiling the people from Lamborghini likened the Sterrato to the their brand’s mantra – brave, authentic and unexpected. Off tarmac capability helps the Sterrato’s follow the the Urus SUV off road up to the point the terrain gets properly technical the car’s ground clearance is jacked up by 44mm and sporting aluminium underbody protection at the front. Power is from the 5.2 litre non-turbo V10 engine whacking out 560 Nm of torque that’ll help you to sandblast the Sterrato’s side panels with small rocks and debris. That said, the car I’m more interested in – intrigued if I’m honest – is the Huracán Tecnica at £212,000 in the UK. The mutterings I’ve heard is that it’s quite possibly the ultimate Huracán you can own even if the power increase of 30 PS on the Huracán Evo’s power output looks a bit on the paltry side. You still get the screaming 5.2 litre V10 with 640 PS and 565 Nn at 6,500 rpm. You say you’re not a car person and ended up reading this? Those numbers are car talk for very powerful and potentially very fast. In the press release there’s mention of the rear wing adding 35 per cent more downforce. As we were crusing in sub zero December weather in snowy Denmark it was impossible to verify. You’d really need to be on a race track to notice any difference either way. No, what’s important is to get away from these dispassionate performance figures and immerse yourself into how the Tecnica feels. It’s the subtle minutia of steering alertness and a more focused range of dynamics that makes you sit up and take notice.
Equally to a mistake the Huracán is an old stager that’s been doing the rounds for some time now and hasn’t kept up with new rivals adopting smaller hybrid V6 engines is wide of the mark. The screaming Tecnica’s V10 is an addictive aural thriller. I drove in a convoy of new Urus and Huracán variants over the sea to Sweden and failed to resist the temptation of downshifting to second gear just the hear the V10 (that’s borrowed from the Huracán STO) howl and yelp at constant 4,000 rpm. The Tecnica gets a bespoke chassis calibration and enhanced frontal aerodynamics that’s an open homage to the Terzo Millennio EV hypercar concept. And a new frontal air dam is said to improve downforce while channeling more air into the front brakes. There’s evidence that Lamborghini are just as keen to add visual performance cues by narrowing the width of the rear bumper to show more of the fat BRIDGESTONE Potenza 305/30 R20 rear wheels. Rear wheel steering and torque vectoring pay dividends and this is a Huracán far removed from the LP 610-4 I drove years back that dispayes a curious numbness. Not here. The Tecnica danced and slid with controllable ease as we carved a route through a countryside that was covered from the ground to the highest treeline in white glistening snow. The steering is accurate if not offering the final hyper feedback you’d first expect yet provides good feedback without demanding constant driver alertness to make corrective actions. Often steering racks with hyper feedback proves exhausting over long drives and Lamborghini has judged this well by transforming it into a legitimate GT. In summary the Tecnica hits the bulleye in what makes a sportscar so special – it manages to be exciting and fun at lower speed limits. Mazda understands this philosophy perfectly with the MX-5 so too does Caterham. Its the secret ingredient that only the very best cars offer and are a joy away from maximum attack driving. This is why the Huracán Tecnica is that bit more special than the technology star rivals. Accessible as a GT when needed, ferocious and blisteringly exciting when the moment strikes. You then factor in the stonking V10 engine brimming with so much character that it makes the £212,000 asking price somehow justifable. The 2023 Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica then – it’s an absolute belter.
Mark’s performance stats
Price: £212,000 in the UK
Type: 10-cylinder V, 90°
Displacement 5204 cm3 (317.57 cu in)
Bore / stroke Ø 84,5 mm x 92,8 mm (3.33 x 3.65 in) Valve control Intake and exhaust camshafts with continually variable adjustment
Compression 12.7 : 1
Max. power 470 kW / 640 CV at 8,000 rpm
Max. torque 565 Nm (417 lb. ft.) at 6,500 rpm Emissions class EURO 6
For: Huracán Tecnica finds the range’s sweet spot. Ferocious V10 engine, updates keep design fresh, accessible to drive everyday, comfortable cruiser, makes you feel like giddy child
Against: Ageing cabin layout, brakes modulation at limit
Verdict: Old school Tecnica emerges as the best overall Huracán to drive. Never matches the deceased Aventador’s sheer visual drama but smothers the driver in wide-eyed excitement
#AutomobiliLamborghini #HuracanTecnica #MitjaBorkert