Lamborghini's sensational Huracan LP610-4 certainly left an indelible impression when we road tested it late last year.
‘In Strada (street) mode, the Huracan is eminently accommodating and unfussed; easy to drive even,’ we reported. ‘But (in the proper environment), switch to the Sport or more extreme Corsa (race) settings and instantly the steering weightens; valves open on the fat, quad exhaust pipes to allow the Huracan to shout about it; shock absorbers stiffen; and suspension travel shortens.
‘Put your right foot down and the response is explosive and unrelenting, the Huracan soaring towards the horizon as the 5.2-litre V10 goes in search of its stratospheric redline. The handling is consummate and a new, seven-speed dual clutch transmission addresses one of the few discrepancies of other Lamborghinis.’
Some critics, however, argued that the all-wheel-drive LP610-4 was a little too competent and clinical; being more in the mould of its kindred cousin, the Audi R8 V10 +, than a supercar carrying the name of a famous fighting bull.
Enter, the LP580-2, as in 580 horsepower (hp) and two-wheel-drive. With 23kW less power (426kW) and 20Nm fewer torque (540Nm), the newcomer is 0.2 seconds slower from 0-100km/h (3.4 seconds pay 3.2).
But with the back wheels only putting the power to the ground (leaving the fronts to do what they do best – simply steer), a 40:60 balance biased to the rear, and 33kg less weight, Lamborghini has aimed the LP580-2 at the purist.
In the words of Andrea Baldi, Lamborghini Head of Asia Pacific Region, while the LP610-4 is about performance, the LP 580-2 is all about fun to drive. Without the benefit of driving both cars back-to-back, those aforementioned slight power and torque reductions aren’t immediately evident, let alone missed.
What became readily identifiable out on the long, fast-flowing corners on the Phillip Island grand prix circuit, though, was the LP580-2’s lightness, litheness and alertness.
Without the restraint of the LP610-4’s quantum of grip, a degree of oversteer can be dialled in by enabling Sport mode, the delivery arriving in a playful flow, rather than a rush.
Performance car/driver engagement doesn’t come much more complete. And we haven’t got to the best part yet. At $378,000, the LP580-2 undercuts the LP610-4 by $50,000. What’s not to like?