Last week Lamborghini’s Huracán LP 610-4, the 610 hp, all-wheel-drive successor to the outgoing Gallardo made its North American debut at a small and intimate event as part of the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) and Gizmag was there. The Huracán, currently in Beijing for the China Auto Show, is on a tight schedule as part of a 60 city, 130 event world tour, with North America being one of the manufacturer's key markets.
This newest model to be added to the Sant’Agata family is named after Huracán, a Spanish Conte de la Patilla fighting bull that fought in Alicante in August 1879. That they both have traction to all four corners and are named for a Spanish hurricane is the only similarity between the two.
The private unveiling held at Bathhouse Studios in Manhattan, marked Lamborghini’s official debut of the Huracán in North America. The event, attended by various media and select clientele, was narrated by both Lamborghini CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, and the firm’s Head of Design Filippo Perini. Whereas Winkelmann touched on previous marketing and performance details, it was Perini who provided a more intimate and insightful look into the rationale behind the Huracán’s design.
As we reported back in December, the new Huracán is not only Lamborghini’s most technologically advanced model to date, but is faster than the outgoing Gallardo, and is lighter, more fuel efficient, and sports a new "hybrid chassis."
Powering the Italian wedge is the job of a 610 hp, 5.2-liter V10 that uses Lamborghini’s new ‘"Iniezione Diretta Stratificata’’ (IDS) system that delivers both direct and indirect fuel injection. This arrangement helps put out 413 lb.ft (560 Nm) of torque to the Huracán’s grabby all-wheel-drive system via a new 7-speed dual clutch gearbox, thus resulting in performance times of 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 325 km/h (202 mph).
So yes, it will be fast, but what is the rationale behind the new design. Gizmag had previously spoken with the humble yet enthusiastic designer Filippo Perini about the Aventador at last year’s Quail Motorsports event where he reiterated Lamborghini’s design language and how style is unique in the market. But now, using a slideshow entitled "Beauty: from the Magic of Nature to the Lamborghini Huracán," Fillipo used metaphors like hawks, armadillos, tanks, nautilus, hexagons and the "Golden Ratio" of design to help the non-designers in the room better appreciate the car’s angular figure.
"Designing a car is just a game," said Perini. "But the rules governing the design of a vehicle are natural, and the same that living beings must submit to, such as aerodynamics, fluid dynamics, statics and dynamics, still apply."
In conjunction with slides show biomimicry influences and mathematical formulas, Perini went on to add, "Beauty, which we find in nature, and objectified through the mathematical rules of the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci sequence, is also behind many Lamborghini design masterpieces; from icons of the past such as the Miura, the Espada, and the Countach; right up to modern times with the Murciélago, the Sesto Elemento, and now the Huracán.”
He also went on to point out key design elements, like the slice lines on the hood, were needed to break up the flatness. Perini likened the sensual curve lines of the Huracán’s fenders to that of famous Italian sculptures, and even Coke’s famous bottle silhouette. The hexagonal influence mentioned in the Aventador is ever present in the Huracán.
The six-sided shape is found in details like the LED Y-shaped headlights, in the rear taillights, and in the duct work located before the rear wheel and mirrored again in the duct behind the cabin. But Perini pointed out the hexagonal shape most notable on the car can be seen on profile in the space surrounding the cockpit, tracing with his hands the six lines outlining the space.
Looking at the car’s Aventador-styled grille from the front, Perini noted that by using the "Golden Ratio," the design is a perfect rectangle when traced from the underbody to the roofline and out to the edges of the fenders. He added that this is no accident, and that the Fibonacci sequence is clearly at play in many of the Huracán’s exterior elements.
Lamborghini’s Huracán LP 610-4 is now in Beijing for the official China Auto Show unveiling, but keep an eye out as Gizmag hopes to provide behind the seat feedback over the next few months. Pricing for the coupe will start in around the US$240,000 mark, with the roadster priced comparably higher.
Check the gallery for complete imagery from the New York launch event.
Source: Lamborghini