We pay tribute to the V10-engined Lamborghini Huracán, which has enjoyed a bull run for the past 10 years.
The STO's white paintwork reflects the purity of its driving abilities
Singapore - In watch photography, “10:10” is the perfect time for the hour and minute hands on a timepiece because it looks like a smiling face. We’re smiling broadly, too, although the 10:10 we’ve had the pleasure of experiencing is an entirely different beast.
Not only does the Lamborghini Huracan celebrate its 10-year birthday in 2024, but it is also powered by an animated and charismatic naturally-aspirated V10.
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It’s hard to think of a more compelling birthday song than the Huracan STO’s strident V10 at full-throttle as the rev needle arcs towards 8000rpm.
We get the tingles from the fact that it is the only one of its contemporaries still powered by a soulful naturally-aspirated engine, something of a welcome novelty these days, given the rest have gone turbo and/or hybrid.
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However, we’re sad to say it is also time to bid adieu to this last man standing – one of the naturally-aspirated automotive greats in this segment – as Lamborghini has just launched the final STJ iteration of the Huracan as a final hurrah send-off for the V10 Lambo.
We still remember our last outing from a little more than a decade ago in the Huracan’s predecessor, the Gallardo Superleggera. It was a particularly memorable drive, because Lamborghini had flown us to New Zealand to participate in its Winter Academy – the brand’s snow/ice driving programme – at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds… except there was no snow or ice when we got there!
Quick contingency plans were made and we were pivoted to the Highlands Motorsport Park, with some concessions made for our troupe to put the herd of raging bulls through its dynamic paces around the (then) freshly minted track. It was a cracker of an afternoon as we got down and dirty with the Lambos, with so much intensive fast-track driving we’d never been happier.
With most of our laps in the Superleg, the big question on my mind was, “How will Lamborghini ever top this?”
We would find out a year-plus later in 2014, when the Huracan was shown to the world. It boasted even more aggressive aesthetics, but kept the key ingredients that made the Gallardo so scintillating to drive.
The Huracan would be powered by the familiar mid-mounted V10, but instead of the visceral E-gear single-automated gearbox from its predecessor, the Gallardo, the new model now featured a lightning-quick 7spd dual-clutch transmission for even sharper and snappier gearshifts.
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Over the past decade, we would have ample opportunity to drive various iterations of the Huracan hard (and soft!) on road, track and even ice/snow!
Like our last Winter escapade in NZ, our Academia Neve ice/snow-driving session in Italy also proved eventful. It occurred just before the global COVID-19 pandemic exploded, with cases from Milan (where we flew out of) escalating from 20 to over 20,000 in a matter of weeks after we left, so that’s a bullet we dodged there.
However, we’re always thankful we didn’t dodge the chance to finally drive the Huracan on ice/snow!
Be it Gallardo, or now the Huracan, these are all the elements we equate with a V10 Lamborghini – spontaneous, agile and always the happiest skirting at the edges of danger, which is great for the thrillseekers out there.
As a super-sportscar, the Huracan is a fabulous all-rounder that exudes the sort of rock and raunchy theatre only a Lamborghini can bring.
From track-ready STO (and now the recently launched STJ limited edition) to off-road Sterrato, there are different variants of the Huracan to suit different sensibilities.
This author is a big driving enthusiast and petrolhead, so it should come as little surprise the Huracan STO remains my weapon of choice.
The road-legal, lean, mean fighting Huracan is inspired by the Super Trofeo EVO and GT3 EVO racecars (STO stands for Super Trofeo Omologata).
The sub-1.4-tonnes STO is stripped-out, powered-up and in certain colour options, wears racing livery warpaint for maximum headbanging impact.
For added motorsports drama, the STO also boasts the biggest rear-wing of any road-going Huracan outside of the Super Trofeo race-cars to boot!
With 640hp and 565Nm, the sublimely-balanced STO has both the bark and the bite to menace and maim, yet mollycoddle too, because it is surprisingly pliant when driven sedately around town, even in spite of its fuss-free, driver-focused cabin.
However, the STO’s home is really on a race-track, and that’s exactly where our heart is. The deft balance, razor-sharp responses and fluid poise translate to engaging, award-winning mechanical manoeuvres of the highest order.
Even today, few things turn heads like a Lamborghini can, with the sheer flamboyance of the Huracan STO’s personality and aggro aero addenda giving onlookers plenty to look at… and this isn’t a load of bull!
Happy 10th and Arrivederci, Huracan!
PHOTOS BY Zotiq Visuals (except engine shot / Lamborghini Press)
