Lamborghini has unveiled its hardcore Huracan Performante - a stripped-out V10 engined supercar that recently held the production car lap record at the Nurburgring.
Earlier this year, test driver Marco Mapelli lapped a highly camouflaged Performante around the 12.9-mile circuit in 6mins 52secs, nearly five seconds faster than the previous record holder - the Porsche 918 Spyder. This record has since been broken by NextEV's $1.2m (£930,000) electric NIO EP9, but it does mean the Performante is still the fastest petrol-engined production car.
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Lamborghini has managed to shave 88lbs from the car's weight by using a blend of carbon fibre and aluminium in the chassis. It also uses the company's carbon fibre-derived forged composites on the wings and rear diffuser.
Along with that dramatic loss in weight, the Performante features a complex active aerodynamic system that helps keep it stable at higher speeds.
At the front of the car, a small electronically operated flap can channel airflow under the body for the best performance in a straight line. Switching the system off maximises the Performante's overall downforce for improved handling and better cornering.
Moving towards the rear, four ducts allow air to pass into the engine bay and through the frame of the rear wing, which, when the system is off, acts as a conventional fixed rear spoiler. Switching the system on, however, passes air through the frame for better straight line speed.
Lamborghini has kept the Huracan's 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine, which produces a monstrous 631bhp and 443lb-ft torque, around 60bhp and 30lb-ft more than the base model, helping it rocket from zero to 62mph in 2.9secs.
Reviews
The Huracan Performante is "ferociously fast and surprisingly physical", says AutoExpress. While the engine isn't turbo charged, the Performante "pulls hard" from low revs and rises "incredibly hard to beyond 8,000rpm".
Lamborghini has stripped around 88lbs of weight over the base car, meaning more of the engine note gets filtered into the cockpit and drivers can hear the "phenomenal" noise delivered by the naturally aspired V10 engine, which "sounds almost identical to the Huracan GT3 racer".
The greatest improvement over the standard Huracan is the steering, which, in the Corsa engine mode, is "locked into a much narrower range of variance" and gives the driver more confidence to go faster, says Autocar.
It also sharpens the response of the throttle, which the mag says is "sharp" and linear compared to today's turbocharged supercars.
The all-wheel drive system helps the car maintain traction when working hard, although "purists may find this a little too safe" compared to rear-driven supercars.
The Huracan Performante goes on sale this summer, says Autocar, with prices starting from £213,000.
