5 Things I Learned Driving a Lamborghini Huracan Performante
Slideshow: After a recent outing to coach in a Lamborghini Performante, I learned a few things. Here’s what it’s like to drive one of the fastest cars on the planet.
Over 600hp??
The gearing is tall which means the power is very usable and delivery is long despite many YouTubers saying it hits redline in the blink of an eye. This isn't the case. While you expect this car to throw you back into your seat, but in my experience, the gears are so tall that they kind of muffles the power. A 427 C7 Z06 actually feels faster from the driver seat, even though it’s actually not. This car really plays with your head from the moment you step on the gas. It’s easy to get into trouble the way the revs build! Total rocket ship.
image courtesy of cnet.com
Turn in Is Way Too Fast
Small steering inputs on a quick rack are great, but the car turns in on the limit at an alarmingly fast pace. Yaw rotation comes in at such an impulsive rate that you need to be very aware of where you stand with the bull at all times. Dialed down just slightly, this car would inspire more confidence. The back end effortlessly rotates around the front with this car which leads us to the next point.
image courtesy of carspecsq.com
Tires Are Everything
This car was running on summer performance tires as opposed to a Pirelli Trofeo Rs or Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s which made it a bit of a handful. Any time you deal with a high-performance tire, (and in this case one of the best) your tires need to match. Supercar manufacturers work closely with tire companies to develop things for a reason. This is that reason.
image courtesy of grange.co.uk
Shocks Feel Over Damped
Bumps are not friendly to this car at all. One of the main problems with exotic cars is that they are designed to feel “racy.” This means they dart about and respond immediately to things like throttle, braking, and steering. All good points if you’re at the track, but on a back road or anything short of a race track these cars, tend to skip and jump quite frantically. On a typical backroad, the car feels exciting, but you really need to watch how you add throttle over any kind of bumpy section.
image courtesy of mrcollection.com
Incredibly Refined
Don’t get me wrong, this car is great and drives with the refined characteristic you would expect out of a modern offering from Lamborghini. When you're not going fast, it’s rather quiet which makes it a nice place to be for conversation and the optional seats are pretty nice. You don’t feel the weight of the car or any intimidation so long as you treat it with respect. Having said that, I have tremendous respect for the gentleman who broke the Nordschleife record in this thing.
image courtesy of prestigeimports.com