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NEWS
Here comes the story of the… Huracan
Following in the successful footsteps of the Gallardo, the Lamborghini Huracan has very big shoes to fill. We go one on one with Lambo CEO Stephan WinkelmannAfter great fanfare, Lamborghini has finally launched the heir apparent to its most successful model ever. So the Huracan replaces the decade-old Gallardo. Can an unmistakable new wedge-shaped skin, a tweaked mid-mounted 5.2-litre V10 and more Audi tech emulate the popularity of Lambo’s previous entry-level model?
How does the Huracan represent a change in philosophy from the Gallardo?
SW:
The Huracan follows the most successful model in Lamborghini’s history, the Gallardo, so it wasn’t an easy task to create it. This car is full of new technology, yet it’s also very easy to drive… it fits around you like a tailored suit. But while it’s easy to drive on the road, the Huracan also needed to perform on the racetrack. These are the two extremes the car has to cover – daily useability and exceptional performance. We feel this is going to be the most driven car in Lamborghini’s history.SW:
So far Lamborghini has persisted with big-displacement naturally-aspirated powerplants, but how long before tightening emissions laws force you to adopt smaller capacity turbo engines?
SW:
We think there is still room for improvement with naturally aspirated engines – both in terms of fuel consumption and power increase. The big plus we have versus turbo engines is high torque at low revs. That said, sooner or later there will be a shift towards turbo engines… but it’s a matter of doing this at the right time. Lamborghini is all about technological innovation, but it has to be done in a manner that keeps the DNA of the brand as pure as possible. SW:
By your own admission, global supercar sales are dwindling. How do you ensure a brand like Lamborghini stays relevant?
SW:
Yes, there was a decline in 2008 and '09, but the good news is that in the last couple of years the segment has been stable. On the other hand, there are many more competitors stepping into the segment and therefore it’s more important than ever to be fitter in every respect. The value of the brand is the key to continue being perceived as the icon of supercar manufacturing. This entails a high investment in order to overachieve on the expectations that our customers have. As long as we continue to do this, we don’t have to be worried about the future.SW:
Over the past few years, you’ve shown us a couple of credible concepts in the form of the four-door Estoque and Urus SUV. What’s the latest news on these?
SW:
As far as the Estoque goes, we never planned to build it. It was an idea of a possible third model, but we didn’t believe the limousine segment was suitable for a third Lamborghini model line. The segment is shrinking, there are too many competitors, and they require different engines to what we use in our sportscars. However, we believe an SUV would fit very well with the DNA of the Lamborghini brand because we already have experience in this segment (via the 1980s LM002). SUVs are also the most emotional four-door vehicles, so we have given a lot of thought to the Urus concept. Now is the time to work on it, and we will make an announcement when there is news to share on it.SW:
You currently sell around 2100 cars a year around the world. Is that a sufficient volume to guarantee your long-term viability?
SW:
This is also the reason why we have to get better value out of every car sold. We already have our personalisation program – Ad Personam – and we are selling more (high-profit) V12s than ever before. However, when you are selling supercars there is always a growth limitation. This is something we always have to live with. So the key is to constantly look for ways to increase margins without diluting the value of the brand. As mentioned before, this also why we are looking to introduce a third model line.SW:
Dream drive
The launch agenda for the Huracan – Spanish for ‘Hurricane’, and also the name of a particularly fearsome fighting bull, as per the Lambo tradition – comprised two hours of hot-lappery at the challenging, undulating Ascari Circuit about an hour’s drive from the Andalucian capital of Malaga, followed by an entertainingly bendy road loop from Ronda to Marbella... Read more
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Written byGautam Sharma
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