Singapore - The second of our gang-bang that we managed to flog around the Sepang International Circuit, the Huracan replaces the Gallardo but retains a screaming naturally-aspirated V10, albeit now mated to a super-slick 7spd dual-clutch gearbox, or Lamborghini Doppia Frizione (LDF). 

According to Mr. Maurizio Reggiani, the Raging Bull’s head honcho of Technical R&D, “Lamborghini will never move away from the emotion of a high-revving naturally-aspirated engine, which is an inextricable part of the brand’s DNA, short of acquiescing to the demands of legislation.” We would like to share his optimism, but fear that legislation will come knocking all too soon.

Until then of course, we still have the Huracan to enjoy. If you ever thought exotics looked sexy, were a huge pain to park and drive daily, but raised heaven and earth on the open roads, you’d probably be right. These days however, the catch-all catch-phrase seems to daily driver, yes, even when used in the context of a supercar, such as the Huracan.

Having said that, we also spoke to Mr. Melvin Goh, owner of the local Lamborghini distributor, who confirmed that there have been more instances of women considering the Gallardo replacement, since they had heard that the Huracan was ‘easy to drive’.

Despite its aggressive, uniquely Lambo styling that we feel is made all the more menacing by the matte black slats covering the mid-mounted engine that is so reminiscent of the Miura, the car feels surprisingly docile once you’re inside. There’s an almost fussy attention to detail that sees the hexagon shape of the windows echoed among the design elements such as the aircon vents, for instance.

The seats are snugly supportive and the controls are driver-oriented, while the cabin seems more spacious and provides better visibility out than the Gallardo. New highlights include a 12.3-inch active instrument display, which can be toggled to change the amount of detail available for the driver, including an oversized map for the GPS service if so required.

There’s also an ANIMA (Italian for soul) control to let the driver switch between Strada, Sport and Corsa driving personalities. We sampled both Sport and Corsa on the track, but enjoyed the slightly engaging traits of Corsa, even though it was easier to make swift progress in Sport. Corsa required more driving focus, so working on nailing every corner was sublimely satisfying.

Self-proclaimed driving purists tend to pooh-pooh the Lambo’s AWD drivetrain, but in practice, the cars behave rear-biased and at the ‘worst’, neutral, during track driving for engaging driving dynamics.

The dual-clutch delivers blazingly quick shifts, but it was so slick we missed the angry shift jolt from the Gallardo’s E-Gear, because that at least retained some semblance of being ‘manual’. The new transmission though, makes swift and smooth work of three-point turns, low speed and parking manoeuvres, as it dispatched these without so much as a clunk of annoyance.

The V10 soundtrack too, is refined and never seems too obnoxious for daily use. In fact, we only experienced the full fury of this hurricane flat-out on the track in Corsa.

Even then, the near-hermetic cabin insulation meant that we never managed to appreciate the glorious symphony from within; it was only when we stood trackside that we managed to experience the savagery of the raging bull as it blitzed past at full pelt.

A supercar with daily-drive sensibilities? The world has certainly seen stranger things…

PHOTOS Vanq

Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4
Engine: 5204cc, V10, naturally-aspirated
Power/rpm: 610hp/8250rpm
Torque/rpm: 560Nm/6500rpm
Transmission: 7spd LDF dual-clutch
0-100km/h: 3.2secs
Top speed: >325km/h
Fuel consumption: 12.5l/100km
CO2: 290g/km