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2020 Lamborghini Huracan EVO Track Test Review | The limits of performance

ROSAMOND, Calif. — Our first drive of the Lamborghini Huracan EVO in Bahrain earlier this year revealed that its dramatically reworked new tech makes it far more than simply an evolution ­– hence the EVO name – of its LP 610-4 predecessor. If you care about lap times, it even managed to best the outgoing LP 640-4 Performante around Nardo. While our first drive left us impressed with the EVO's responsiveness, forward-thinking performance enhancements, and (finally) modernized multimedia interface, we did have some lingering questions about its at-limit dynamics on the track. With all-wheel steering altering its responsiveness at higher speeds, it begged the question: Is something getting sacrificed on the road to supercar perfection? To find out, we got more seat time in the latest iteration of Lamborghini's $261,274 entry-level supercar at Southern California's Willow Springs International Raceway. First and foremost, the mighty 631-horsepower V10 roars to life with a familiar, free-breathing bellow that triggers one hell of a distinct sense memory. It's gloriously devoid of sound-sapping forced-induction, and it still fires up via a missile launcher-style button on the center console. Once the exhaust valve opens, the engine sings in a refreshingly sonorous way that turbocharged competitors simply can't hold a candle to. Hallelujah. Gone (but certainly not missed) from the cabin is the ancient Audi-derived MMI system, replaced by an 8.4-inch capacitive touchscreen that's a quantum leap over the old system, making the EVO feel fully modern inside – at last. Outside, a subtle restyling integrates improved aerodynamics; the front bumper and rear spoiler collectively create seven times more downforce than before. It looks muscular enough to park next to the steroidal Performante, with its big, fixed rear wing, and not look like a letdown. Behind the wheel in pit row, there's little clue to the EVO's multitude of lurking electronics, which includes three accelerometers and three gyroscopes. It's over 100 degrees Fahrenheit here at Willow Springs, and unlike cobbled-together Lamborghinis of yore, the EVO stays cool after running hot laps. It's more palpable evidence of the Volkswagen Group's dramatic improvements to Lamborghini's functionality and durability. Before attacking the full track, I put the EVO through a low-speed slalom run, which showcases the all-wheel steering system quite successfully.

Lamborghini previews a Huracan race car made just tame enough for the road

November 2020's Los Angeles Auto Show has been rescheduled to May 2021, but the new date is not stopping carmakers from revealing the models they planned to introduce at the event. Lamborghini released a preview image that shows what could be the most extreme variant of the Huracan to date. We'll see it in full this Wednesday, November 18. Very likely called Huracan STO, an acronym which stands for Super Trofeo Omologato, the coupe will arrive as a street-legal supercar endowed with some of the technology developed for the Super Trofeo Evo model that races around the world. Lamborghini's preview image highlights W-shaped LEDs integrated into the headlights, but the cover that obscures the STO's full design can't conceal the giant wing attached to the back end. It also looks like the hood receives a pair of deep air vents. While the photo leaves a lot to the imagination, a set of spy shots published earlier in 2020 gave us a much better look at the car's aggressive aerodynamic add-ons. We expect the cabin will ditch some of the comfort-oriented features found in the standard Huracan in order to save weight; earlier reports claimed the STO will tip the scale at approximately 330 pounds less than the coupe it's based on. Amazon Alexa compatibility won't be needed, for example. Who preheats their oven while lapping Laguna Seca? It sounds like the variant will be street-legal, however, so it won't be completely stripped down. Why the STO needs so much downforce is, if you'll pardon the pun, up in the air. Power will almost certainly come from Lamborghini's naturally-aspirated, 5.2-liter V10 engine, but we'd be surprised if the firm doesn't use this opportunity to put a few more horses in the cavalry. In the Huracan Evo, the 10-cylinder produces 632 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. Rear-wheel drive and a paddle-shifted automatic transmission will come standard, and bigger brakes will help drivers keep the extra power in check on and off the track. Lamborghini will unveil the Huracan STO online on November 18. While nothing is official yet, unverified rumors claim it will arrive as a limited-edition model, and odds are it will be sold out by the time it breaks cover. Related Video:

World's Best Dad invites Lamborghini owners to son's birthday party

The resulting unalloyed joy, as you'll see in the footage below, is priceless.
One of my defining moments as a budding car enthusiast came the first time I got to see a Lamborghini up close. I was out in Los Angeles visiting a relative with my mother and sister, and I took the change of scenery as an opportunity to look for more exotic cars than my middle-class Midwestern upbringing would usually encounter. We were on a walk, when off in the distance I saw - and heard - something extraordinary: An early '80s Lamborghini Countach, black with those bronze five-hole wheels, pulling into a parking spot. My mom still takes great joy in periodically retelling the events of that day, and as the story goes, I joyfully took off without warning, chasing the car down the street shouting "Lamborghini!" "Lamborghini!!" in my best eight-year-old Italian accent.