When Lamborghini decided to name the new ultra-lightweight Huracan 'Performante' rather than the usual Superleggera, we knew there was more to it than power and weight savings. Now that the Huracan Performante has set the fastest lap around the Nurburgring for a ‘real’ production car clocking 6:52:01 minutes, we are in awe of the baby Lambo.
It is a huge achievement because the Lamborghini is faster than the much bigger, much more expensive and much powerful Porsche 918 by almost five seconds which is an equivalent of a light year in racing analogy. But how did Lamborghini achieve this feat?
The Performante already has 40 horses over the standard Huracan 610-4 taking it close to 650bhp of power and more torque as well. To make sure the added horsepower is transferred to the tarmac, the Performante gets a new torque-vectoring all-wheel drive and the stickier Pirelli Trofeo R tyres. But that is not all.
The Performante uses active aerodynamics – Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva (ALA) in Lamborghini’s language. ALA is Lamborghini’s first attempt at active aero and seems like they have got the hold of it right away. The front splitter has multiple flaps which can open and close independently just like the carbon-fibre rear wing. They are electronically controlled and deployed so as to reduce drag during acceleration, assist the brakes and also provide an aerodynamic assist to cornering by adjusting, opening and closing of the flaps.
And in the hands of Marco Mapelli, the man who piloted the Lamborghini Aventador SV to a sub-7 second lap around the Nurburgring, the Huracan Performante never missed a beat on its way into annals to become the King of the ‘Ring. In spite of all the performance focus, the Huracan Performante retains most of its luxury which will make it one of the most sought after trophy cars in times to come. The car is still in camouflage and will debut at the Geneva Auto Show. Stay tuned.
Click here to see the Lamborghini Huracan Performante's record-breaking lap.
