Another claimed first is Lamborghini
Piattaforma Inerziale (LPI), which acts as the car’s central nervous system.
‘LPI uses three gyroscopes and three accelerometers placed at the centre of
gravity,’ explains R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani. ‘It controls everything in
real time, so rather than sensors transferring data to an ECU then commands
sent back, it gives inputs to the steering, suspension, four-wheel drive, ESP,
gearbox and engine instantly, meaning the Huracàn reacts faster in every
situation.’ Think of it as Lamborghini’s riposte to Ferrari’s SSC, which uses an
algorithm rather than physical sensors to predict the 458 Speciale’s behaviour.
Such chassis manipulation wouldn’t have been possible on the Gallardo because
it was a relatively unsophisticated supercar. Not the Huracàn: the
double-wishbone suspension is matched to adaptive dampers; electro-mechanical
steering can adjust the ratio for greater reactions to smaller inputs; and a
new four-wheel-drive system means up to half the engine’s torque can be sent to
the front wheels via an electronically controlled differential, or 100 per cent
can test the traction of the rear Pirellis through a mechanical diff.
A
host of modern equipment is offered inside, including heated seats
‘Because of the electronic front
differential the Huracàn feels very different in terms of traction and grip,’
claims chief test driver Giorgio Sanna. ‘We wanted the same handling
characteristics as the Gallardo – with the benchmark being the Superleggera
rather than the LP560-4 – but we’ve improved the comfort, and what you will
perceive the most is its huge traction. The Gallardo was passive; the Huracàn
is an active car, with a strong influence from the electronics.’
Don’t expect to be nursed, though, or for
the Huracàn to glide as serenely as the McLaren 12C. In the Gallardo you could change
the E-gear transmission among ‘Strada’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Corsa’ modes, but now the
system has expanded to encompass all facets of the Huracàn’s dynamics. ‘In
Strada we orientate the Huracàn towards comfort, in Sport the behaviour changes
drastically, predominantly because of a different set-up for the fourwheel
drive; and in Corsa it’s optimised for the best performance,’ explains Sanna.
A
digital instrument cluster features inside the Huracàn
There’s a glaring error, though: Strada,
Sport and Corsa all have fixed settings, with engine, gearbox, dampers et al
ramping up accordingly. Seems logical, but suspension compliance equals control
on rough UK roads, so, perhaps, Lamborghini should have lifted an idea from
local rival Ferrari and fitted a ‘bumpy road’ button. After all, Lamborghini’s
been copying Ferrari elsewhere…
The location of the switch for the three
driving modes? On the steering wheel, like Ferrari’s manettino dial. And the
indicators, high-beam function and controls for the wipers are on the wheel too
– guess where we saw that first? Ceramic brakes are standard, as they are on
every Prancing Horse, and like its local rival, Lamborghini’s ditched its
open-gate manual gearbox. So, same double-clutch gearbox as in the Ferrari 458?
No, it’s from Graziano not Getrag, and Reggiani says that despite two clutches
it’s actually lighter than the old E-gear, can be mounted lower in the chassis
too, and ‘in Corsa, it has a smaller rebound in the closing of the clutch, to
get that push in your back and real emotion.’
Aircraft-inspired
switchgear still looks great inside
Which is the essence of Lamborghini. The
Gallardo revolutionised the establishment – and its makers – but ultimately
endured because it was so visceral. The Huracàn broadens that envelope,
maintaining the edginess while welcoming those who (ahem) don’t always want to
grab the bull by the horns. Ferrari and McLaren will be worried. And so will
Lamborghini. The other ‘high-end sports car’ Hackenberg alluded to is the new
R8, and all that makes the Huracàn so enticing it will feature in Audi’s next
supercar.
