Lamborghini Huracan Spyder 2016 Review

Lamborghini Huracan Spyder
First Drive
Miami, Florida

The drop-top Lamborghini Huracan like its predecessor features a fabric roof, but it pioneers some clever innovations to minimise buffeting in the cabin while retaining the visual drama of its coupe sibling. The soft-top can be raised or lowered in 17secs (claimed by Lambo as a best-in-class figure) at speeds up to 50km/h

Want great driving roads? Then don’t go to Miami. With a grid network comprising roads that head either north-south or east-west, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything resembling curves. Ninety-degree intersections are pretty much all you’ll find here.

Smokey also lurks – often in unmarked cars… So 55mph (88km/h) trundling is the order of the day.

Somewhat baffling, then, that Lamborghini chose the southern US city for the global launch of its all-new Huracan Spyder LP610-4. There was no racetrack element either (more or less routine for Lambo launches), so we were barely able to even scratch the surface of the new Lambo ragtop’s dynamic envelope.

When queried on the logic behind this, Lambo’s PR folks say this launch is all about exploring the lifestyle element of the newbie.

This is supposedly in keeping with the company’s three-pronged model strategy for the Huracan, whereby the LP610-4 coupe is intended as the performance flagship, the LP580-2 as the drift-happy entertainer, and the Spyder as the cruiser for buyers who are more interested in soaking up some rays and being seen.

Will the top brass add another prong to the Huracan model chart when the inevitable hardcore Superleggera variant eventually surfaces? Lambo execs aren’t saying. For now, the focus is on the Spyder, which is due Down Under around mid-year, priced from $470,800.

The ragtop is claimed to offer more of everything than its Gallardo Spyder predecessor – notably, torsional stiffness is up by 40 per cent, while downforce is boosted by 50 per cent.

Vis-à-vis its Huracan LP610-4 coupe sibling, the roofless Spyder sacrifices around 8-10 per cent in terms of torsional rigidity, and it incurs a 120kg weight penalty (dry weight is quoted at 1542kg) owing to the ballast added by the roof-raising/lowering mechanism and extra chassis reinforcement.

Will you notice this out in the real world? Not very likely. This drop-top scorches to 100km/h in just 3.4sec (0.2sec behind the coupe), while 200km/h is dispatched in 10.2 sec (0.3 adrift of the hardtop). Top whack, for what it’s worth, is 324km/h.

Other than the addition of the aforementioned chassis strengthening, the Spyder is mechanically identical to the coupe. The naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 pumps out 449kW and 560Nm, but in its latest guise the motor gains fuel-saving measures such as a ‘cylinder on demand’ system and ‘stop start’ function.

There’s also an upgraded electronically controlled all-wheel-drive set-up to further optimise traction and handling balance.

Lambo’s R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani says a fabric roof was the preferred option over a folding hardtop system (as used by its Ferrari 488 Spider archrival) to keep the Huracan Spyder's centre of gravity as low as possible. With this in mind, the electromechanical hardware that lowers and deploys the soft-top is also housed as low as possible in the chassis.

Length and width are unchanged from the coupe, but the Spyder stands just 15mm taller and the fabric roof is well integrated with the Huracan's lines, with the result that it doesn't sacrifice anything in the looks department – even though its profile is decidedly different. Aiding in its visual purity are hidden rollover hoops that pop up in milliseconds if onboard sensors detect the Spyder is about to end up shiny side down.

Lowering or raising the roof is achieved via a button on the central tunnel, with the whole operation taking just 17 seconds (Lambo claims this is the quickest in its category). You don't need to come to a standstill either – all that's required is dropping speed to 50km/h.

An interesting touch is the fact that the rear windscreen can be kept open or closed, regardless of whether the roof is raised or lowered – depending on how much audio input you want from the V10.

Also novel are the two movable fins that deploy just behind the seatbacks when the roof is lowered, and the job of these is to visually enhance the profile of the topless car. In addition, there are lateral wind guards to help reduce buffeting around the driver and passenger's head at cruising speeds with the top down.

Does it all work? In a word, yes.

On one of the few occasions where it was possible to get 120-plus km/h on the dial, noise and wind levels (with the side windows up) were low enough to permit conversation without having to raise one's voice. But the big payoff is being able to bask in the aural glory of the V10 to a degree that's simply not possible in the coupe.

In this open car you get to savour every single nuance of the free-spinning 10-pot as you go up and down through the revs and gears. Bear in mind that this could be one of the last naturally-aspirated engines Lambo produces before the realities of emissions regulations force the company to go down the force-fed route (as Ferrari is now doing).

The V10 is a gem – no two ways about it. Peak torque mightn't surface until 6500rpm, but there's still ample urge down low, and throttle response is cracking – so much so that your right foot feels hardwired to the motor.

The LDF (Lamborghini Doppia Frizione) seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is also impeccable. Sport mode delivers fast, seamless shifts (which makes it well suited to everyday use), but in Corsa mode each upshift is accompanied by a kick up the backside (albeit not with anywhere near the violence of the single-clutch Aventador).

The standard-fit carbon-ceramic stoppers are as per the LP610-4 coupe (only the LP580-2 makes do with steel discs) and past experience with the coupe has shown these to be more than adequate for track work (let alone the road).

Criticisms? The most glaring one relates to the soft-top when raised, as it noticeably impedes forward vision (this will be apply even more to taller drivers) due to the fact that it tapers down markedly at the front. Also earning a big thumbs-down are the optional fixed-back sports bucket seats, which offer as much comfort as a wooden park bench. Our advice? Stick with the standard pews – they're far kinder to your spine.

Other than these shortcomings, there really isn't too much to nitpick in the Huracan Spyder. It also passed the acid test in the look-at-me department, attracting throngs of iPhone camera-wielding snappers in front of the trendy cafe where our lunch stop during the drive program was staged.

The mechanised ballet of the elaborate roof lowering system also proved a big hit with the impromptu paparazzi. It might seem trivial to mention all this, but it will obviously be an important hook for the (mainly) attention-seeking target market for this car.

Job done, then. The Huracan Spyder is undoubtedly one of the most desirable drop-tops on the market, and we can't think of too many rival offerings we'd rather pedal briskly down a mountain pass… Or the Great Ocean Road – on a crisp, sunny day…

2016 Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 Spyder
Price: $470,800 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 5.2-litre V10 petrol
Output: 449kW at 8250rpm; 560Nm at 6500rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 12.3L/100km
CO2: 285g/km