Lamborghini Huracan STO: what is it?
The Lamborghini Huracan STO is not a direct successor to the Huracan Performante. Where the latter was a scaled-up, sportier version of the standard Huracan, this Super Trofeo Omologato – as the name suggests – is the Super Trofeo Evo race car homologated to be road legal; barely.
The Lamborghini Huracan STO’s price in India is Rs 4.99 crore (ex-showroom), before options, and though it sits at the top of the Huracan food chain, you’d have to be very committed in order to choose it over the lesser variants. Here’s why.
Lamborghini Huracan STO: engine and performance
The STO uses the same naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 as all Huracans, but there’s no power bump here compared to the Huracan Evo or the Performante. You still get 640hp, but the torque is actually lower, at 565Nm versus 600Nm, and therein lies another difference with the STO – while the Performante retained the AWD system, this one is rear-driven, just like the race car.
It's not too much of a handful to drive, though, thanks to an updated version of LDVI – the electronic brain that controls all drive systems, and even rear-wheel steering. There are also new STO-specific drive modes on the ‘Anima’ system, namely ‘STO’ for street driving, ‘Trofeo’ for maximum grip and lap times, and ‘Pioggia’ for wet laps. And though it has race-spec anti-roll bars and stiffer suspension, there is still the adaptive dampers to help cushion the ride, and also an optional nose lift function to get over speed bumps.
It is claimed to do 0-100kph in 3.0sec flat (0.1sec slower than the AWD Evo, but 0.3sec quicker than the RWD Evo), and its top speed has been reduced to ‘just’ 310kph. It’s said to have a sharper throttle response and a raspier engine note at higher revs to give that race-car feel too. The Huracan STO, however, is not about acceleration, nor is it about top speeds; it’s all about the best possible performance through corners on a racetrack, and to that end, some rather extreme measures have been taken.
Lamborghini Huracan STO: greater track focus
With a dry weight of just 1,399kg, this V10 supercar is a full 83kg lighter than an AWD Huracan Evo, and 43kg lighter than a Performante. 75 percent of its body panels are made of carbon fibre; in fact, just the roof and doors are not, and more carbon-fibre components can be optioned to further reduce the weight.
The most curious piece of bodywork is the ‘Cofango’ – which is a mix of two Italian words that mean ‘bonnet’ and ‘fenders’. What it means is that the whole front section is a single carbon-fibre panel to reduce weight and complexity, and it folds open forward like a giant clamshell in a nod to the Lamborghini Miura. In this single-piece bonnet are ducts that vent air that’s forced into the extended front splitter, reducing frontal lift, and this means you no longer get a luggage bay in the nose.
Vents in the front fenders reduce turbulence in the wheel arches, resculpted rear haunches now feature fins to guide air into the intakes and spoiler, and the front and rear tracks have been visibly widened too. You’ll find a huge dorsal fin running down the STO’s ‘spine’ which counters yaw and roll, adding stability in corners, and then there’s the mighty wing. It doesn’t use the ALA active aero flaps like the Performante, and instead offers three fixed levels that have to be manually adjusted; just like a race car.
All this translates to 37 percent greater aero efficiency than the Huracan Performante, Lamborghini says, and the ability to generate 420kg of downforce at speeds of 280kph.
Lamborghini Huracan STO: should you buy one?
Lamborghini says that there is unlikely to be a new Performante model, as the Huracan Evo now offers that same level of performance in a more accessible package. The STO at Rs 4.99 crore, then, appeals to the increasing number of supercar buyers who frequent racetracks on weekends and are all about besting their previous lap time.
It’s a far more serious driving tool than the Performante was, and buyers looking for simply owning a high-spec Huracan might be better off choosing an Evo and adding some performance options to it. Choosing the STO – the most extreme road-going Huracan yet – demands more than just an added monetary outlay; it demands a greater commitment to the art of driving.
Also see:
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