By Paul Gover.
Driving a Lamborghini is as much about a social experiment as a road test.
People look at you differently, treat you differently in traffic, and ask different questions when you’re in a Lamborghini.
Never was this more obvious than while I was driving Lambo’s latest, the Huracan Evo Fluo Capsule.
The test car has outrageous matt green bodywork that screams ‘look at me’ from kilometres away
It also adds more than $40,000 to the bottom line, not that anyone with $500,000 to splash on a shiny – or matt – new supercar is likely to quibble.
It’s always been that way at the ‘other’ Italian supercar maker, which means the first question in the carpark is no surprise.
“That’s a nice Ferrari. Which one is it?,” asks a gawking nine-year-old.
He is genuinely disappointed when I tell him it is ‘only’ a Lamborghini.
But others are captivated by the car’s shouty style and booming V10 engine note, which rises from a rumble in the carpark to a shriek at the redline.
It’s been a year since I was last driving a Lamborghini, that time an Evo convertible, but there is more time to look and learn about a car when you have already spent time in the seat.
Coming at a similar time to some other impressive – but far more affordable – newcomers, the Huracan is an outrageous contrast. It seems to be slammed on the road after the Hyundai Staria people mover and the perky performance of the Toyota GR Yaris is wiped from the slate in less than a second.
Even the Porsche Taycan electric car, which obliterated my personal benchmark for straight-line acceleration, seems very tame and pale in comparison to the Huracan.
Looking at the paint, a wild green called Verde Shock, the car is anything but tame. It’s the same when you call up the kiloWatts and Newton-metres that make this more like a race-car than a shopping trolley.
Yet, because I’ve driven the EVO before, there is more time to appreciate and assess the little things that usually pass in a blur.
The quality of the paint is exceptional, and protected by a special clear film on my test car, and so too is the finishing work in the cabin. The leather is creamy, the digital dashboard is clear and emphatic, and the fluoro green trimming – around the jet fighter-style start button and the seats – makes me feel special.
The ride is surprisingly smooth, although I must always remember to use the front suspension ‘lift’ to stop it dragging its nose on speed humps, the panoramic view over the nose is great, and it will even mutter through the school pick-up traffic without complaining.
It’s not as practical for day-to-day use as an Audi R8, my personal pick for an everyday supercar, but it’s not horrible. And you can always punch up the driving mode button to open the exhaust and entertain the kids.
The infotainment system, even with an updated ’swipe’ system, is still confusing and not a match for the Staria, the pinched view when reversing makes me crave the Yaris, and often it would be nice to have the Taycan for a little understated travel.
But there is no questioning the impact of the Fluo Capsule, or the incredible performance of the Huracan EVO.
At a time when the whole world is thinking about electric cars, even if Australians still make double-cab pick-ups the country’s top sellers, the Huracan is a dinosaur that deserves to be driven and appreciated before it’s gone.
THE BASICS
Lamborghini Huracan EVO Fluo Capsule
Price: from $498,665
Power: 449W/560Nm
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto, rear-wheel drive
Position: supercar stunner
Plus: no-one will miss you
Minus: crazy expensive, no-one will miss you
THE TICK: yup
Score: 8.5/10
