Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica review: not as scary as you'd think

The combination of rain and an ultra-fast circuit isn’t ideal when you’re about to strap in for your first drive of a 640-horsepower rear-wheel-drive hypercar. But there’s no overruling the weather gods, so it’s time to put on big-boy pants and hit the perilous Nardo Handling Track in the sinister black Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica prototype crouching in the pit lane.

What exactly is the Huracan Tecnica? In a nutshell, it’s a bridging model between the entry-level Huracan Evo RWD and hardcore Huracan STO. Although harnessing the same 640hp V10 and rear-drive format as the STO, the Tecnica dials back the aggression to yield a more user-friendly daily drive.

Stylistically, it represents the most substantial revamp for the Huracan to date, and it’s distinguished by heavily revised bodywork and aero addenda that deliver 35 per cent more downforce than the Huracan Evo. Yet its visuals don’t smack you in the face as with the scooped and bewinged STO.

The Tecnica’s new front bumper incorporates the Terzo Millennio’s black “Ypsilon” design and features an air curtain for the first time in a Huracan. There’s also a new front splitter with open slats that directs air through the wheel arches, contributing to improved downforce and brake cooling, according to Lamborghini.

The vehicle also gets bespoke suspension settings to deliver a ride-handling balance that makes it more usable in real-world conditions than the stiffly suspended STO. In addition, the LDVI (Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Integrata) electronic brain that controls the drivetrain and chassis has been recalibrated for the Tecnica.

So much for the raw ingredients. We want to glean whether they add up to a fast and rewarding hypercar. Today’s exercise involves strapping into the Tecnica and chasing Lamborghini’s resident pro driver, Mario Fasanetto, around the challenging 6.22-kilometre Nardo track.

Nardo is a technically demanding circuit, replete with numerous elevation changes, scary blind crests and an assortment of fast and slow corners. Unlike most racetracks, which are billiard-table-smooth, the tarmac here is littered with bumps that result in drivers and occupants being bounced around as though they’re in a popcorn machine.

The track throws up some fast corners where you carry big speeds, but there are also a couple of 180-degree hairpins where you need to get the car rotated before standing on the gas. The rear-wheel-steer really helps here, meaning you don’t have to wind on armloads of steering lock to get the car turned in.

Lamborghini’s 5.2-litre V10 motor has been around for more than a decade, yet it still remains one of the sweetest, most sonorous power plants offered in any vehicle. The 90-degree V10’s peak power figure of 640hp comes on tap at 8,000rpm, and it sings its way to these lofty revs with joyful vigour.

A maximum torque of 565Nm also arrives high in the rev range (6,500rpm), yet the V10 doesn’t feel sluggish down low as the torque curve is impressively flat; there’s 440Nm an ankle twitch away even at 2,000rpm, enabling the car to slingshot away from the two hairpins at Nardo.

The big takeaway from The National’s track session is of how balanced and securely planted the Huracan Tecnica is. On paper, a rear-drive 640hp supercar on a wet track equates to a white-knuckle experience, but that’s not the case here. The Tecnica’s vast performance envelope is safely accessible by even moderately competent drivers.

The Huracan Tecnica is up against stellar rivals such as the Ferrari F8 Tributo and McLaren 720S, but weighing in the Lambo’s favour are its user-friendly dynamics, epic V10 motor and beautifully cohesive styling. These make its Maranello and Woking rivals look a tad gawky – even if they’re ultimately faster in a straight line, and perhaps even around a racetrack.

There’s also the added lure of owning a potential collectible, as the current-gen Huracan is the last Lambo supercar to be purely combustion-powered. Its eventual successor will go down the hybrid route to meet ever-tightening emission standards.