Behind the wheel of Lamborghini’s highly evolved Huracan Evo

Lamborghini’s Huracan might be nudging five years old, but remains as stunning and instantly recognisable as ever. Far from resting on their laurels, the engineers at Lamborghini have been busy devising sharp new technologies to shoehorn into the iconic wedge-shaped supercar, promising an even better driving experience in the new Huracan Evo.

We’re unleashing the Huracan Evo on one of the world’s most challenging and picturesque race circuits, Victoria’s Phillip Island, to see what this revised Italian thoroughbred is about.

An evolutionary step

The clue’s in the name – the Huracan Evo is a clear evolution of the ‘standard’ Lamborghini Huracan, with performance and styling tweaks intended to add an even racier edge to an already-accomplished supercar.

This includes updates to the driving dynamics such as the new Lamborghini Inertial Platform (LIP), which provides real-time updates of the car’s behaviour.

Coupled with a new suspension system, all-wheel-steering and torque vectoring, the Huracan Evo is able to interpret the driver’s inputs (and even predict them before they are made, claims Lamborghini) and translate them into a fluid, controlled driving experience that lets you wring the optimal performance out of the car in the right environment. 

Designed for the track

Which is how we find ourselves being ferried by helicopter to Phillip Island, where we’re to be let loose on the track in the new Huracan Evo for a thorough evaluation. 

Cresting the hump on Gardner Straight and experiencing the massive build-up of speed as we approach the sweeping right-hander of Doohan Corner produces no surprises – we knew the 5.2-litre mid-mounted V10 would be churning out up to a massive 470kW of power.

What is surprising is just how well the Huracan Evo performs at the tip-in point and helps the driver to carry speed through the corners.

The carbon-ceramic brakes naturally have huge bite, but when it’s time to turn into that intimidating first corner with its high-speed, downhill entry, you can sense the systems working together to tip the car in. From the inertial platform to the all-wheel-steering, there’s a concerted – but not intrusive – nudge in the right direction.

Apex predator

The dynamics are truly confidence-inspiring, whether it’s the long, fast sweep into Turn 1 or the tight entry and exit of Honda Corner or Lukey Heights. The car feels naturally planted, almost like it’s actively helping you to clip the apex perfectly.

One of the most difficult things to master on a track like this one – which was designed with motorbikes in mind – is controlling the inertia of the car as you make directional changes. Lamborghini’s dynamics systems are especially helpful making this aspect easier to manage for novice drivers.

Inside, the Huracan Evo also has a new 8.4-inch touchscreen system built into the central tunnel to control vehicle and entertainment functions, and an extensive personalisation program so you can set up your driving environment exactly how you want it.

King of the roads

While the Huracan Evo is a capable performer on the track, it’s inevitable that the majority of owners will spend most of their time on public roads rather than on the race track. For that purpose, this is still a car that you can easily drive on public roads.

A steering wheel-mounted toggle allows you to switch between Strada (road), Sport, or Corsa (race) modes. Flicking to the Strada setting softens the suspension and smooths gear changes so you can pop down to the shops in relative comfort.

And if you like the feeling of wind in your hair, Lamborghini also offers up a Spyder version of the Huracan Evo.

At $459,441 (plus on-road costs), the Huracan Evo is clearly not for everyone. It’s a supercar for well-heeled drivers who like a bit of dash in their daily commute but are also keen on the occasional track day – minus the hassles of owning a fully-stripped out racer.

James Fordham attended the Phillip Island raceday as a guest of Lamborghini.

James Fordham

James has been interested in aviation ever since his first flight. When he’s not travelling, he’s still on the road indulging his motoring hobby, or trying a new whisky.