58 WheelsMag.com.au
One advantage the Spy er
has over the coupe is in the
visual department. I reckon
it’s a stunning piece of
automotive work, the kind
that drives wealthy owners to
build garages in their lounge
rooms. The side profile line
from the windscreen back
through the rear decklid
buttress is sublime.Losing the roof simply adds to the appeal
Lambo Huracan Spyder
IF THE thought of blow-
drying your hair from
0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds
interests you, or upping
your vitamin D intake
17 seconds after the electric
folding hardtop does its thing,
the Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4
Spyder could be the car for you.
Ofcourse,anequallyvalid
purchase motivator is the
yowling 5.2-litre V10 soundtrack,
every decibel of which now has
unfettered access to your ears
withoutarooftomutethejoy.
Lower the narrow rear window
between cabin and engine bay
andthesoundwillsmashyou
from two directions at once like a
Wallaby double-tap.
That gloriously symphonic (and
definitely un-PC) crescendo of
intake,engineandexhausthowl
is, in my humble opinion, the
Spyder’s greatest asset. It’s why
you let each gear rev right out
even when you’re not setting lap
times,thescreambecomingmoreFIRST
AUSSIE
DRIVE
torrid and triumphant the closer
you get to the 8500rpm limiter.
It’s also a reason you drive
roof-down on a wintry morning,
risking frostbite. And it’s a reason
to change your opinion of tunnels
from smog-filled hellholes to
cavernous amplification devices.
Those considerable benefits
to roofless motoring come at
considerable cost. The Spyder’s
$471,000 price is $43K more than
the Coupe’s, and apart from the
electrically folding soft-top roof,
there’s no other equipment to
justify the 10 percent tariff.
Going roofless sacrifices little of
the Coupe’s considerable dynamic
talents, and that’s impressive
given the 1524kg Spyder carries
an extra 100kg. Consequently, it’s
0.2sec slower to 100km/h, but on
the move the extra weight doesn’t
do the Huracan a disservice.
It has the same instant throttle
response from its 449kW mid-
mounted V10 that only non-turbos
can deliver. And it’s deliveredthrough the seven-speed dual-
clutch ’box with a finesse that
doesn’t corrupt the car’s balance.
All-wheel grip is still prodigious,
the steering still feels sharp and
involving, turn-in is still ferocious,
and corner-exiting acceleration is
still neck-snappingly wonderful.
Even under brakes – one area
we’d expect an extra hundred
kegs to make itself felt – the
Spyder brooks no argument.
Crucially, the Huracan Spyder
has the most important of the
Coupe’s character traits: it never
feels intimidating. This is a raging
bull, sure, but a compliant one
that encourages you to enjoy its
considerable performance chops.
Combine that with the
charismatic – and now even more
enjoyable – soundtrack, and the
negligible loss in performance,
and you can see why choosing
between the Coupe and the
Spyder is a decision without a
wrong answer.
GLENN BUTLER10 percent dearer, 100kg heavier, and slower than the LP610-4 coupe PLUS &
MINUSUncompromised dynamics; gloriously un-PC V10 soundtrack
Model
Engine
Max power
Max torque
Transmission
Weight
0-100km/h
Economy
Price
On saleLamborghini Huracan LP610-4 Spyder
5204cc V10 (90°), dohc, 40v
449kW @ 8250rpm
560Nm @ 6500rpm
7-speed dual-clutch
1524kg
3.4sec (claimed)
12.3L/100km (EU)
$471,000
November