Lamborghini Huracán: 602 Horsepower, No Waiting

Lamborghini recently retired the storied Gallardo, the baby brother to the Murcielago and then the Aventador, a success by any standards, after selling over 14,000 of the sleds since 2003. Into the breach storms the 2015 Huracán – Spanish for “hurricane” but this car’s name comes from a fighting bull from the late 1800s (virtually all Lambos are named after such impressive animals).

Driving a car like this is more than a vehicular experience, it’s truly cultural.  My gestures (only polite ones, of course) became Italiano, my language more singsongy and I became a more interesting person; okay, maybe not, but I certainly enjoyed my drives hither and yon a lot more.  So what’s to like?  What’s not to, with 602 horses from a V-10 coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch tranny, motivating this latest Lambo to 60 MPH in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of over 200 MPH?

The base price is around $240,000, though “mine” was optioned out with some important fittings, like the nose-lifter (around $7,000 and very necessary, unless you’re a fan of auto rhinoplasty), 20” forged rims, red calipers (which looked great against the Bianco Icarus luxurious white paint on the car), nav system, rear-view camera and other bits and pieces, punching up the bottom line to closer to the $300,000 mark.

The Huracán provides that perfect balance of raw power and civility, performance and comfort, all at a reasonable price, considering the alternatives.  To my friends in Sant’Agata Bolognese, the birthplace of the Huracán – if your baby needs further road testing, I am available – you can even call collect.