Huracán Over Spa
Media Centres at the classic motor sport events are a mixed bag, usually populated by noisy folk who seem not to have much to do and absolutely no deadlines, of course sometimes that person is me, but I digress. The other side of the coin is that you catch up with old friends - recently at the Spa Francorchamps Pressroom was no exception to this rule.
Supporting the Spa 24 Hours were a number of top quality events including a couple of rounds of the 2014 Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo - basically 25 Gallardo LP 570-4 GTs racing around the famous Belgian track with a mix of gentlemen and pros enjoying every moment of their time behind the wheel. Those of us on the outside get a bonus too, the sound of what is effectively a V250 130 litre engine blasting away from the start echoing throughout the grandstands, a glorious song to get the day going before the main event.
In common with all manufacturer supported competition, the Super Trofeo has a number of professionals who work with the media to explain the series and, perhaps more importantly, the product. So that is how my old friend Enrico Campione came to be seated near me in the Francorchamps Media Centre. After catching up on the recent past he introduced me to the head of the press and marketing operation, Giulio Rizzo.
Giulio explained the coming changes to the Super Trofeo for 2015, the venerable Gallardo is being retired and the new Huracán model will form the platform for the new series. He also hinted that a GT3 version of this fantastic new car is likely to be on the way...but that is a story for another day.
Then Giulio dropped the bombshell, "Would you like to borrow a Huracán tomorrow for a few hours to get an impression of driving the latest sportscar to come from Sant'Agata Bolognese?" My colleague and I jumped at the chance, which is how and why we were outside the Lamborghini hospitality the next morning at 10.00am.
Lined up were four Lamborghinis, including the white Huracán that we were to be entrusted with. A quick dose of paperwork to be completed and signed and next thing we know we have the keys and a few hours to experience a real sportscar.
The Paddock at the Spa 24 Hours is typically organised chaos with all manner of folks clogging the place up, so the first task was to get out of the circuit and head for somewhere a little less frenetic.
The obvious choice was to get round to Stavelot and head down onto the original Spa track - a fearsomely quick arena which was changed in 1979, but the lap record set in 1973 by Henri Pescarolo in his Matra sportscar was at an average speed of 163 mph...this on public roads! We were not going to try and emulate this feat, the speed limit in Belgium is 120 kph and is rigorously enforced and neither of us fancied explaining why we had missed the race after being locked up.
Nevertheless we were able to test the acceleration heading on to a section of motorway. Even within the confines that we had set for ourselves this was astounding, the 5.2 litre V10 engine located over our shoulders seemed to have limitless amounts of power and torque. The seven speed paddle shift gave the whole driving experience a feel of being in a racing car, which I suppose we were.
I consulted the notes and this is how Lamborghini describe the main points of the Huracán themselves:
Luxury super sports car with breathtaking performance: 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, top speed of more than 325 km/h Naturally aspirated V10 engine with 5.2-liter displacement and 449 kW / 610 hp, a combination of direct and indirect injection Extremely fast-shifting 7-speed dual-clutch transmission Innovative lightweight concept: hybrid chassis made from carbon fiber and aluminum Pure and absolute exterior design, full-LED lighting technology Elegant interior design, top craftsmanship and a host of individualization options Cockpit with fully integrated controls and virtual 12.3” TFT instrument cluster New dynamic mode selection concept Four wheel drive with new hydraulic multi-plate clutch Carbon-ceramic brakes as standard Optional variable steering and adaptive suspension
One thing not mentioned in the summary is the stop-start system that came as something of a surprise when it kicked in the first time - but it is entirely logical if you consider the drinking capacity of a V10 5.2 litre engine. It is also the efficient Germanic influence of parent company Volkswagen, like the GPs/traffic warning system that is standard in most cars these day but would not have been featured on earlier Italian thoroughbreds.
That of course is the point about modern day luxury sportscars, they are designed to be as practical as possible, customers who pay out in the region of £200,000 expect all the little things that help to make modern day driving bearable. Of course seeing out the rear windows was still a challenge, but most would say that is a small price to pay for such a car.
During our drive we came upon the Masta Kink, part of the original circuit which was perhaps the ultimate test of a driver's skill and bravery. Sir Jackie Stewart, three times Formula One World Champion, who was active at the time of the Kink, described it as the most difficult corner of them all.
Now it is host to a Friterie, most appropriate for Belgium. They were not open when we stopped by, but the owner gave us a friendly smile and a wave, acknowledging the impressive machine sitting in the car park.
The Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4 is a work of art, fashioned from carbon fibre and aluminium, with a distinctive shape that shouts Lamborghini. It stands proudly as the latest in the line of famous Italian sportscars from the Modenese suburb of Sant'Agata Bolognese. All of these fantastic cars stemmed from an insult from Enzo Ferrari to Ferruccio Lamborghini in the early 60s, "You know how to drive a tractor, but you’ll never learn to drive a Ferrari."
The net result was to see Lamborghini building his own sportscars, launching this icon of Italian engineering and technology...and style. We should thank Enzo for his lack of grace with his customers!
The Huracán turned heads wherever we went in the brief interlude that we had with the car, it is not intended for the shy or those seeking the comfort of the shadows. It is a celebration of speed, technology and style in the first part of the 21st Century, in defiance of those who would restrict our ability to enjoy such pleasures. Forza Italia!
Of course this being Spa, there would be a traffic jam as we reluctantly brought the car back to Giulio and his crew. And being Spa it would be composed of racing cars and the teams that run them. Would we have it any other way?
