Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2
Without a doubt, the rear-wheel-drive Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2, is arguably the best handling Lamborghini.
Lamborghinis have always been good at blasting down the Autostrada in a more or less straight line, but they have not traditionally been renowned for flying through corners with anything that could be labeled precision. But the new rear-drive Huracan takes this “entry-level” supercar further into the corner than anything that has ever come out of Sant’Agata Bolognese.
To make the AWD Huracan into an RWD Huracan, engineers simply removed the front driveshaft, differential, and half shafts. The front springs and antiroll bar are 10 percent softer, there is just a bit more camber in the front wheels and Pirelli whipped up a new batch of P Zeros.
The new Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2 is 73 pounds lighter and has more weight on its rear axle, for a weight distribution of 40/60 front/rear versus 43/57 on the AWD Huracan. With a new engine calibration, you give up 30 hp in the LP 580-2, but the loss of those 73 pounds means it has almost the same power-to-weight ratio as the all-wheel-drive Huracan.
It is, again, the best road-going Lamborghini ever made, especially if that road has curves in it. Turn-in is lighter, faster and far more effortless in this new car, aided by electric power steering that is accurate and unambiguous (we did not have the optional dynamic steering). The calibration of the stability control allows a little bit of what Lamborghini execs called “drifting” through corners.
As in the AWD coupe and Spyder Huracans, there are three modes for the LPI (Lamborghini Piattaforma Inerziale) stability program. We chose Corsa for our first track excursion. Corsa keeps you lined up straight and true, and slots you through the corner the quickest of the three modes. It is fast and stable, but you don’t get much feedback out of it. For feedback, fun and a little oversteer, you want sport mode, which we used for the rest of our day at the track. In sport, we could make the rear end come out maybe 10 or 15 degrees when powering out of corners, and we could push the front end to understeer a little, too. Exiting fast corners and hammering down long straights, we could feel the rears squiggle a little bit. As the day wore on and we gained more confidence in sport mode, we occasionally found ourselves just tossing the car into corners and then trying to sort things out as we went.
Sport mode was by far the most engaging of the three driving modes, which is what we wanted at the track. In Corsa mode, you tend to learn less and you don’t improve your driving as much because the LPI is doing everything for you and not telling you about it. The third mode, Strada, is for daily commuting, which 40 percent of Huracan owners do with their cars, Lamborghini said.
In a straight line, the new car gets to 62.5 mph in 3.4 seconds then back to zero in 105 feet, according to Lamborghini. Top speed is listed at 199 mph. Excellent numbers all.
Product cycles are getting more efficient over at Lamborghini as the supercar maker pushes to sell more and more cars. It took eight years for the Gallardo to get a rear-drive variant; the Huracan took just 18 months. This year will be the first time the Italian marque tops 3,000 sales, with projections pointing at 3,200 total by year’s end. There are many more models coming from Sant’Agata in the next few years, including the massive and promising Urus SUV in 2018. So the addition of this fun and sporty entry-level model is just one more reason to celebrate for the shopper in the $200,000 market segment.
For pure handling supremacy, the McLaren 650S and 675LT as well as the Ferrari 488 GTB are still tops, but the LP 580-2 gets closer than ever before to those competitors and is reason to celebrate for the Lambo faithful.
2017 Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2 Press Release
The rear-wheel drive Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2: the essence of driving fun
- New dynamic design of front and rear
- Designed and engineered to provide perfect rear-wheel driving fun
- Weight reduction with recalibrated power management for highly-involving driver experience
- 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds, top speed of 320 km/h
Automobili Lamborghini presents the Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2: a two-wheel drive version of the Huracán coupe. Specifically designed and engineered for its rear-wheel drive set-up, the Huracán LP 580-2’s combines dynamic new looks with a package for an enhanced Lamborghini driving emotion.
“The Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2 continues the Lamborghini tradition of pure, visionary and technology-driven models,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “The rear-wheel drive model fits perfectly into our Huracán family, appealing to those wanting an even more intense driving experience, or who currently drive other rear-wheeldrive marques and aspire to driving a Lamborghini. This is the purest expression of a Lamborghini to date, with class-leading technological refinements. It is a serious car for serious drivers: it is maximum driving fun.”
The Huracán LP 580-2 has been engineered and tuned for an essential driving experience. With its naturally aspirated V10 5.2 l engine sending 426 kW / 580 hp to the rear axle, the Huracán LP 580-2’s dry weight is just 1,389 kg, thus 33 kg lighter than the four-wheel-drive version.
Weight distribution is biased 40% at the front / 60% at the rear, reducing inertia on the front axle. An entirely new power management set-up, encompassing modified suspension, new steering set-up and recalibrated stability and traction controls connects the driver as directly as possible with the road. The selectable Lamborghini driving modes STRADA, SPORT and CORSA are tuned to provide oversteering characteristics, emphasizing authentic rear-wheel drive behavior.
The engaging, sporty fun of the two-wheel drive Huracán LP 580-2 perfectly complements the existing Huracán offering with the all-encompassing technology and experience of the four wheel-drive Huracán LP 610-4 and the the lifestyle appeal of the Huracán LP 610-4 Spyder.
Design
The Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2 is clearly different from its four wheeldrive stable mate. The front and rear of the Huracán LP 580-2 have been redesigned, accenting a young, fresh and more assertive look and highlighting the aeronautic styling.
Each design detail of the Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2 celebrates the aesthetic of function; the result of a close collaboration between the Centro Stile designers and Lamborghini’s aerodynamic experts. The large, newly formed front air intakes specifically direct the cooling air and headwind to increase down pressure on the front axle. The spoiler lip at the rear works together with the rising diffuser in the underbody to improve airflow around the rear of the car – the Huracán does not require a movable rear spoiler.
The Huracán LP 580-2 sits on new, different-sized (front/rear) 19″ Kari rims, enhancing the car’s dynamic expression. Pirelli PZero tyres have been exclusively developed for the rear-wheel drive car. Steel brakes with aluminum brake disc calipers have been specially contoured for weight reduction and improved cooling.
Re-engineered for rear-wheel drive performance
The Huracán’s V10 5.2 l naturally aspirated, mid-mounted engine has been reengineered to provide a maximum 426 kW (580 hp) power output and 540 Nm of torque, with 75% of torque already available at 1,000 rpm.
As in the other Huracán models, the LP 580-2 features cylinder deactivation to improve engine efficiency. When full engine capacity is not required, five of the ten cylinders are temporarily deactivated by switching off one cylinder bank.
When the driver accelerates, the system switches back instantaneously to tencylinder mode, while being virtually impossible to detect by the driver. This feature reduces fuel consumption to 11.9 l/100 km (combined circle) and CO2 to 278 g/km. Weighing 1,389 kg dry, with a weight reduction of 33 kg over the Huracán LP 610-4 coupe, the Huracán LP 580-2 achieves a weight to power ratio of just 2.4 kg/hp. The LP 580-2 uses the Huracán’s hybrid aluminum and carbon fiber chassis, contributing to the lower weight.
With a new setup for springs and anti-roll bars on double wishbone suspension, torsional stiffness of the Huracán LP 580-2 is improved by 50% compared to the Gallardo LP 550-2.
The Lamborghini Doppia Frizione (LDF) seven-speed dual clutch architecture ensures the fastest gear changes and includes ‘launch control’ for maximum acceleration from a standing start. The electronic power steering and optional Lamborghini Dynamic Steering (LDS) have been tuned to improve the car’s agility and controllability in every driving condition, depending on driving mode and speed. New rear kinematics heighten the car’s ‘centered’ feeling.
The Lamborghini Piattaforma Inerziale (LPI) – the Huracán’s sensor system placed in the center of gravity of the car, tracing all 3D movements – has also been implemented in the rear-wheel drive version. It provides real time information to the optional Magneto Rheological Suspension (MRS), steering and stability control systems: the ESC has been regulated to adapt to all adherence conditions yet emphasize the rear-wheel drive behavior in each driving mode.
Driving emotion – maximum enjoyment
Every aspect of the Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2 has been engineered for driving fun, allowing drivers to interpret the feedback from the car and connect with the road or track.
The ANIMA (Adaptive Network Intelligent Management: ‘soul’ in Italian) button on the steering wheel allows the driver to adopt different driving modes, recalibrated to suit the spirit of the rear-wheel drive model. STRADA, for daily use, provides a slight understeering feedback and is traction-oriented; SPORT, is for sporty and emotional driving fun with slight oversteering behavior; and CORSA, ensures maximum performance in track mode, providing a neutral steering behavior.
Specifications, heritage and pricing
The LP 580-2 is available in the full range of Huracán external and internal colors and trims. In addition, through Lamborghini’s personalization program Ad Personam, the options for external and internal colors are limitless.
The Huracán LP 580-2 is fitted with the latest Lamborghini Infotainment System II, with a 12.3″ high resolution TFT instrument panel.
Previous Lamborghini rear-wheel drive models include the predecessor Gallardo LP 550-2. The Lamborghini Miura, Countach and Diablo in rear-wheel drive variants were perfect examples of the fun-to-drive concept. The rearwheel drive Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo launched in 2014, races at tracks worldwide in this year’s three Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo series in Europe, Asia and USA.
The Huracán LP 580-2 is available at the Lamborghini dealerships at a suggested retail price of 150.000 Euros + tax (Europe).
2017 Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2 Photos
2017 Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2 Quick Specs
| Base price | $265,000 (USD) (estimated) |
| Monthly payments | $5,001/month (?) |
| Approximate insurance | N/A |
| Engine | |
| Transmission | 7-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | RWD |
| CO₂ emissions | 6,194 kg/year |
| Type | V10 5.2 litres |
| Power | 580 hp @ 8,000 rpm (433 kW) |
| Torque | 397 lb·ft @ 6,500 rpm (538 N·m) |
| Induction | Atmospheric |
| Bore | 84 mm |
| Stroke | 92 mm |
| Fuel type | Premium |
| Vehicle type / Category | |
| Vehicle type | Coupe |
| Category | Sports Car over $100,000 |
| Assembly | Sant’Agata, IT |
| Generation | 1 |
| What’s new | N/A |
| Fuel efficiency / Autonomy | |
| City | 17.2 l/100km |
| Highway | 8.9 l/100km |
| Autonomy | 465 km |
| Tires / Suspension / Brakes / Safety | |
| Steering | rack and pinion, electric assistance |
| Traction control | yes |
| Stability control | yes |
| Seat belts | 2 |
| Airbags | 4 |
| Front suspension | independent, double wishbones |
| Rear suspension | independent, double wishbones |
| Front brakes | disc (ABS) |
| Rear brakes | disc (ABS) |
| Front tires | P245/35R19 |
| Rear tires | P305/35R19 |
| Dimensions / Weight | |
| Length | 4,460 mm (176″) |
| Width | 1,924 mm (76″) |
| Height | 1,165 mm (46″) |
| Wheelbase | 2,620 mm (103″) |
| Front track | 1,668 mm (66″) |
| Rear track | 1,620 mm (64″) |
| Weight | 1,389 kg (3,062 lbs) |
| Weight distribution front-rear | N/A |
| Capacities | |
| Passengers | 2 |
| Fuel tank | 80 l (21 gal) |
| Trunk | 113 l (4 ft³) |
| Towing | N/A |
| Box length | N/A |
| Performance | |
| Power to weight ratio | 311.0 W/kg |
| 0-100 km/h | 3.4 s |
| 80-120 km/h | N/A |
| Top speed | 320 km/h |
| Braking distance | N/A |
2017 Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2 Videos
