Lamborghini Huracán launch - as it happened

1. It looks dressed to kill

Motorshow stands, photographs and video footage are no substitute for seeing a car pull up at the kerb and watch as a crowd of people swarms around it, camera phones at the ready. The Huracán passes that test comfortably, drawing a crowd last night when one arrived outside our hotel.
 
2. The soundtrack is set to 11

It’s pleasing to report that Brussels bureaucrats haven’t turned down the volume of the 5.2-litre V10. It sounds fantastic and will stand the hairs on the back of your neck on end. The engine revs so freely that it’s all too easy to hit the 8,250rpm rev limit – you find yourself wishing it to go on to 9,000 or 10,000rpm…

3. The raging bull has been tamed

Just a little, mind you. Compared with the old Gallardo (the last model I drove was a Superlegerra). The wider track of the chassis makes the Huracan more stable and more predictable when you push the tyres to the limit of adhesion. You can lift off the throttle – gently – in the middle of a bend and the car will pivot around you, slightly, tightening the line nicely without trying to spin and park in a gravel trap.
 
4. All change for the gear change

The new dual-lurch transmission is a vast improvement over the Gallardo’s automated manual transmission. Where before it felt like you being belted round the back of the head each time the driver changed up a gear, the Huracan is seamless, smooth and faster than the blink of an eye.
 
5. This is the coolest cabin of any super car

Huge improvements have been made here compared with the Gallardo. This is an exciting place to sit, the driving position is far better (no more offset pedals) and the design of the switchgear is refreshingly different – especially the starter button with its flip-top safety catch. It will have the driver humming The Danger Zone, by Kenny Loggins. Check it out: http://youtu.be/siwpn14IE7E