Lamborghini Huracán blasts into town

SUPERCAR specialist Lamborghini has finally taken the wraps off the replacement for the long-serving Gallardo.

Called the Huracán, its looks might follow the same winning formula as the car it replaces, but its performance statistics blow the old car into the weeds.

With a new V10 engine packing a mighty 602bhp punch, the Huracán has been tipped for a top speed ‘faster than 202mph’. Just how much faster remains to be seen.

Enthusiasts will be glad to see a naturally-aspirated 5.2-litre mid-mounted engine in use, with peak power all the way around the rev counter at 8,250rpm and peak torque of 413lb.ft arriving at 6,500rpm.

Acceleration for the 1,422kg car (dry) is being talked down in relation to some recently-revealed stats for rival cars. The 0-62mph sprint is said to take 3.2 seconds, while 0-124mph is dispatched in 9.9 seconds.

These figures may be conservative. The new Porsche 911 Turbo S, for example, has clocked a 2.8-second dash to 62mph, while the most extreme version of the Nissan GT-R is said to be capable of reducing that to just 2.5 seconds.

Remarkably, the Huracán’s engine also complies with Euro 6 emissions regulations.

The Gallardo's automated manual gearbox, which had deservedly come in for plenty of criticism over recent years, has been ditched in favour of a seven-speed dual-clutch unit using technology from Volkswagen Group partners Porsche.

The car has also gone heavily digital, with a 12.3-inch display screen showing everything from the rev counter to navigation maps.

With 14,022 examples sold, the Gallardo was the best-selling Lamborghini of all time, but it’s hoped that the Huracán can continue the success.

By Press Association reporter